The next version of the Postalsoft Desktop Mailer and Postalsoft Business Edition software packages will be version 8.00c.08.00 for Rate Case 2012.
In order to support the January 2012 USPS Rate-Case, version 8.00c.08.00 will include some significant changes to processing and rate categories.
Salient features:
1. Not-Flat Machinable processing category, under Standard mail class will be removed.
This affects Standard parcels. Pieces previously mailed as Irregular or Machinable NFMs will now be split into one of the following categories, depending on dimensions and weight of the pieces:
Standard Mail Marketing parcels.
Package Services Parcel Select Lightweight parcels.
2. Bound Printer Matter (BPM) and Parcel Select Lightweight (PSLW) will be available as rate categories.
Earlier, Business Edition did not offer any special rate categories under the Package Services mail class. Now, customers will be able to mail their pieces under the Bound Printed Matter or the Parcel Select Lightweight rate category.
3. Version 12-1 of Mail.dat will be supported.
When processing mail pieces as Standard Marketing parcels or as Parcel Select Lightweight pieces, the Mail.dat version 12-1 will be used. This version will support many new mail incentives that the USPS will roll out in the near future.
Do keep in mind…
Customers who have set up jobs/files to process either Irregular NFMs or Machinable NFMs with any previous versions of the Postalsoft software package should take note of the fact that any of their jobs opened with version 8.00c.08.00 of Desktop Mailer or Business Edition must be run through the Presort wizard afresh, when Presorting. This is because the NFM processing category is no longer valid and they will not be allowed to proceed with a Presort run without re-setting their job. Reason being, depending on the piece dimensions/weight, they would have to process the piece as Standard Marketing parcels or Package Services Lightweight parcels.
Also, any jobs saved to use previous versions of Mail.dat will be automatically updated to use Mail.dat version 12-1.
Example:
If a customer had previously processed a Standard parcels job using Irregular NFMs, and they open their job in version 8.00c.08.00, and simply choose to click Tools | Presort | Sort in the software, they will be shown an error that their chosen processing category is no longer valid.
The customer must click Tools | Presort | Sort Settings, and go through the Presort wizard again. When on the "Sort for Mailing - Sorting Information" screen, the correct options must be re-selected. This would involve choosing between Standard and the Package Services mail classes, and then clicking the "Parcel" radio button, and selecting the relevant processing category displayed within the combo-box. The processing categories are displayed based on the dimensions of the pieces and the weight limitations enforced for each category.
If the parcels will be mailed under the Package Services mail class, the PSLW rate category must be selected explicitly. The default for the Package Services mail class is BPM - Bound Printed Matter.
Upon proceeding through the wizard, when selecting sorting plans, schemes that are available for the job will have changed from the customer's originally saved list of schemes.
Depending on the mail class and processing category, different schemes are shown for Standard Marketing parcels and for Package Services Parcel Select Lightweight parcels. Once the settings have been updated, the job will be ready for a Presort run.
