Transit Time Measurements in the Postal Industry

Page 1 Spectos Presentation Transit Time Monitoring, All rights reserved Spectos 2001-2015

Better controls

for better results.

Improve quality of postal service with Transit Time Monitoring.



Founding Story

Spectos is an independent

Market Research & Technology

Institute.

Founded in 2001 in Dresden,

Germany, by Niels Delater,

Spectos has been providing

industry leaders with individual

solutions for decades.

Corporate Philosophy

At Spectos, we believe that real

progress comes from continuous

effort day by day.

It starts with understanding

processes and operations from

the customer’s perspective, as

well as not only listening to, but

learning from the voice of the

customer.

The Team

The team has been successfully

supporting clients around the

world for over a decade.

Spectos has built up a team of

researchers, engineers,

designers, mathematicians, data

analysts & account managers to

successfully manage customer

requirements.

About us


Transit Time Monitoring

Become an expert on the topic with us, build your EN 13850 / EN 14534 certified

monitoring system and improve controls for your operations.

Universal services are basic communication services that, according to European universal service rules,

must remain affordable and of reasonable quality so that everyone can use them and to ensure fairness of

intercountry delivery for service providers.

Mail delivery falls under the category of universal services, making it subject to complex European standards.

Many factors must be taken into consideration during measurement planning to ensure compliant results:

EU members are obligated to measure according to European standards

Spectos is specialized in EN 13850 (single-piece mail) and EN 14534 (bulk mail)

Measurement must be conducted by an independent, external organization

Responsible organizations can be audited by country-specific authorities


Fusing Six Sigma with postal processes

Design

Plan

Implementation

Production

Induction

Capture

Verification

Analytics

Capture

Customers

Operations

Management

Certificates

Alerts

Audits

Spectos approaches the Transit Time Monitoring System planning process

according to the structured and acknowledged Six Sigma methodology.

Define Measure Analyze Improve Control


Fulfill culture & country-specific

demands, EU norms

Measurement structure per EN

13850 and EN 14534

Client-specific goals,

performance indicators

Data from Real Mail Study

Design Plan Implementation

Step-by-step implementation of

the defined structure

Investigate transit process

Recruit individual panels, enter

data into in-house database,

SpectosLab

Plan, generate i.codes, create

panelist surveys and target dates

via SpectosLab software

Seamless integration in close

collaboration with our experts

Create individual dashboard for

24/7 access to data, regardless of

location

According to customer needs,

integration of KPIs, alert and

ticketing systems, benchmarks

Technology tracking system

Define – Getting your project ready to run


In-house facilities for highest

quality control, experience

Printing, packaging, bundling

RFID technology

Introduction for induction

Transportation to dropper

Various sizes, volumes

Production Induction Measure

Reliably distribute mail to

droppers, measure transit time

Induction of test mail

Update Spectos Lab with induction

day

Data monitoring and quality control

Active support for senders

Collect high-quality, varying data

for postal measurements

Various channels for data

collection, such as telephone, web

applications, email, etc.

Response verification system

Collect & compare RFID data

Continuous panel management

Measure – Collecting study results


Structured approach for high quality production

Test mail for measurements is produced at Spectos’ central production facility and according to the data

produced during planning with the in-house developed operational system, SpectosLab.

The range of test mail Spectos produces varies from test items for simple bulk mail measurements with one

sender, to more complex fields of study with 3 to 150 private and/or company senders, different drop dates,

mail formats (standard/large letters, small packages) and franking types.

International facilities support production goals

Spectos has extensive experience in the international postal industry and has achieved optimal results with

opening offices in the country in which the client is located to organizational, telephone, and distribution

support.

In-house production facilities


2. Printing per format 1. Plan 3. Enveloping 4. Sort per sender

Create dropper and

format/weight protocol

Match individual dropper IDs

to letters according to formats

and bundle IDs/drop dates.

Print letters per bundle and

format

Prepare for packaging by

assigning formats to

respective envelope sizes

To achieve varying formats,

the following methods are

implemented:

adding more/less paper,

with/without stamps,

windows, labels

Assign test letters to sender

panelists

According to protocol created

in step 1

RFID tags are scanned into

the system and assigned to

individual letters

Quality control of RFID tags

Test items are closed and

bundled with labels

containing dropper

information and bundle ID

Franking value included

depending on dropper status

Bundles per sender are

quality controlled and packed

into larger envelopes

Labeled with dropper and

Spectos’ address in client

country as return address

Test mail is shipped

according to client’s needs

Proof of induction is collected

and saved for comparison of

transit time data

6. Bundling 5. Pairing letters & RFID tags 7. Packaging 8. Transport to senders

In-house production approach


Data collection in new, modern & fun to use form

Mailagenten, a Spectos in-house development, is a web portal dedicated

solely to the electronic data collection for transit time measurements. The

application acts as a communication portal for hundreds of thousands of

panelists.

Every panelist receives an individual account via email

Use of I.Codes for receiver verification, bundle codes for senders verification

Regular email reminders to verify receipt/non-receipt of test letters

Overview of past, current and upcoming test letters to inform and prepare panelists

Integration of panelist incentive program (Spectos Cents) for long-term panelist motivation

Multi-language interface translated by native speakers

Added accessibility for panelists - web application is available 24/7


Highest levels of accessibility

Reliable panelist recruitment and data collection by a reliable service center

with over 10 years of telecommunication experience.

In-house developed call center software system for data collection and verification via

telephone, also used in foreign call centers

Integration of receipt target date and up to four target check dates (panelists will be

contacted up to 4 times)

Use of native speakers in over 10 languages, international team active in over 15 countries

Partner with TU Dresden for access to native speakers

High accessibility, immediate attendance to enquiries

Ticketing system for organization, structure

Professional, personal contact with panelists

Quality control with KPI thresholds, panelist incentives


Tracking Logistical Processes

Constant knowledge – end to end

RFID tags, comprised of a tiny chip and a flat antenna, are attached to items and

goods which are monitored by reading devices installed along the time-sensitive

logistic chain, making RFID readings a beneficial source of information for transit

time measurements.

Better insight into delivery routes, processes, punctuality for added daily transparency

Collaboration with third party suppliers, such as Lyngsoe and Identec

Flexible, small design for indistinguishable placement in test mail

Tags can be read without direct contact, making them more effective than barcodes which

become unreadable easily

RFID tags are read by large gates placed at crucial measuring points (ex. entrances and

exits), and also by small reading devices placed in panelists’ mailboxes

Passive and active RFID tags are used to track goods of different volumes, including:

individual items, unaddressed catalogues, bulk mail, entire pallets, large packages, etc.

Captured data is used for internal panel quality control through Spectos


Monitor measured data for high

quality results

Set KPI performance thresholds

Quality monitor panelist

responses

Statistical correction

Retrain and/or contact panelists

Verification Analytics Report

Team of expert analysts working

to translate your data

Automatic evaluation of results

Customized responsive graphs

Filter function for in-depth analysis

Organized structure according to

your specific needs, projects

Reliable data analysis for proof of

quality, certification

Official reporting according to

European standards

Customizable, integration of goals

Presentable at meetings, simplifies

teamwork

Structured overview of overall and

individual performance in real time

Analyze – Making results presentable


Reviewing Each Panelist’s Responses

Each sender and receiver’s performance is individually reviewed according to defined KPIs on a weekly basis to assure panel

quality.

Review accessibility/availability of study participants

Assess the panelist’s motivation to participate in further Spectos studies

The reliability and consistency of the panelist’s responses regarding drop/receipt date and transit times

Panelists whose responses seem conspicuous are contacted and checked case-by-case to determine next steps, including

deactivation.

The goal of this process is to identify and retrain panelists with longer transit times than average or low amount of on-time

deliveries. Certain steps are undertaken to determine questionable panelists

Assurance of Panel Quality


Detailed Visualization Automated Weekly Query Probation Period Bi-annual Review

Monitors test item and panel

database, SpectosLab

Selects panelists whose KPIs

fall below threshold

Followed by a manual

assessment of selected

participants according to

defined criteria

Red alerts if panelist is not

fulfilling KPIs

List of individual transactions

Invalid data records marked red

to visualize unreliability

Check if problem occurred only

once or if it occurred multiple

times over a longer period

Contact panelist for explanation

Exclude unreliable data from

measurement

Retrain panelist

Close observation for two

weeks

If no improvement,

deactivation

Exclude all data since

observation

Recruitment of replacement

panelist

Determine panelists with

performance 10% or more

below overall on-time results

Determine panelists with

performance greater than

98% above the overall on-time

results

Investigate selected panelists

Contact panelists for

explanation

Assurance of Panel Quality Steps


Put your customers at the

center of your efforts

Operate from the perspective of

regulatory bodies

Systematically collect customer

feedback, monitor all channels

Integrate VOC into improvement

measures

Customers Operations Management

Analyze operations individually

for targeted decisions

Track first mile-last mile gaps,

receive E2E information

Ticketing and To-do system

simplifies collaboration with teams

Real time technology for

immediate knowledge

Continuously improve data for

better business controls

Implement quality improvement

projects

Identify room for further

measurements

View overall development and

growth over time

Improve – Turning results into actions


Customizable alert system for

instant notification

Set KPI and benchmark

thresholds for quality control

Push notifications for knowledge

on the go, at a glance

Determine which employees

receive which alerts

Alerts Audits Certificates

Spectos measurements always

fulfill all European standards

Measurement design according to

applicable EN 13850 / EN 14534

Successful audit history – audited

by TÜV Rheinland and Price

Waterhouse Coopers

Close collaboration with clients and

auditors on site & at Spectos

headquarters

Achieve the certification you need

to prove service quality

Additional qualification for public

tenders, business opportunities

Prove that all minimum EN

standards are met

Set yourself apart from competition

Control – Monitoring success day by day


Postal References

We are proud of the work we do at Spectos, including all of the customers who trust in us and have

confidence in what we do.

The following are success stories of loyal clients who have entrusted us with their transit time

measurements.


Transit Time Measurement

RFID-Supported E2E

Transit Time Monitoring System

Customizations:

Highly customized, individual dashboard with details on panel, transponder

overview, filter function for dates, destination, routes

Multi-language web application for data collection - exclusive to Bpost and

available in Flemish, French, German and English

Panel management system, statistics on size, deactivations, etc.

Internal ticket system to track and solve issues quickly

RFID tracking: overview of read rates, locations, loss status

Comprehensive overview of city to city transit times

Panelists with RFID reading devices in mailboxes

Belgian Post



Postcon

Large Scale Network


Customizations:

TÜV certified measurement system according to EN 18350

Processing of undeliverable mail - “Redress” research

Use of scatter plot chart to display each partner’s performance

Development chart of each partner’s performance, filterable according

to date ranges

Live map of current incoming data for real time overview

Dashboards & filter function for individual products/projects including

test mail, real mail, Redresses, and blind mail

Depiction of partners, hubs, routes on map of Germany

Creation of monthly reports by Spectos



Multinational Cross-border


Panelists in 20 countries on five continents

Identify further test mail condition – if damaged at receipt

Frequent multi-language test planning production

Weekly updated interactive web-based reporting including

detailed weekly Excel reports, including direct comparison

of countries

Multiple data collection sources according to culture/nationality

Call center services according to different time zones

Test mail preparation to incorporate special character sets

Singapore Post

1.

2.

3.


Stéphane Dujardin,

International

Consultant

We produce, send & measure up to

80,000

pieces of test mail each month

Spectos facts & figures

As of 2014, our panel had over

250,000

panelists and is growing by the day

We have over

150

skilled employees

Sabine Frahm,

Senior Consultant

The key part of my work at Spectos is the management of service quality in

the postal industry, with emphasis on Transit Time Measurements.

I manage projects for customers from the initial set-up to official reporting,

and support colleagues on other projects, especially on the topics of

statistical design, validation, and evaluation of measurements.

“

One of my greatest responsibilities at Spectos is simultaneously fulfilling

clients’ individual needs and optimizing project processes to achieve the best

possible performance

“

and speak over

20

languages


Further Spectos Solutions

Spectos has developed a large range of reliable solutions for

performance management for better controls.


Enterprise Feedback Management

Added source of customer data for an even more

comprehensive overview of daily performance

Better insight into daily situations, processes

Define, integrate important touchpoints, such as hotlines, service centers,

front desk, website

Collect feedback continuously, throughout entire organization for more insight

Incorporate employees, customers, partners into improvement strategy with

team invitations

Analyze long-term development, trends, historical data

Receive more information about processes, customer opinions and behavior

Assign employees to-dos and tickets (integrated system) for immediate

response, reaction to feedback


Customer Experience Management

Learn from & improve omni-channel customer interaction

with various touchpoints, processes

Define crucial touchpoints and important KPIs to systematically measure

quality

Gather feedback through various communication channels, such as

hotlines, panels, social media

Analyze results automatically and on a daily basis

Integrate results into bonus/malus, incentive systems

Understand customers as individuals and record specific requests

Receive information immediately with real time notifications, shorten

reaction times


Service Quality Management

Increase customer satisfaction by monitoring

performance from the customer’s perspective

Define processes to measure quality of internal teams, external

consultants

Implement a measurement system into business operations and

touchpoints

Use customer satisfaction surveys to determine service quality,

Net Promoter Score

Review results with the employees responsible for each

touchpoint, location

Close the gap between customer expectations and perception


Complaint Management

Identify & handle negative complaints quickly to

never lose another customer

React appropriately to negative feedback

Implement alert system to be notified of crucial complaints

immediately

Respond quickly to negative experiences and offer solutions

and improvements

Start a dialogue with customers to reduce complaints

Act on customer wishes and requests

Receive information immediately with real time notifications,

shorten reaction times


Contact Your Nearest Office

Headquarters:

Theaterstr. 6

01067

Dresden

Germany

Europe

Service-Center:

Ostra-Allee 11

01067

Dresden

Germany

Rep. Office:

Avenue Adolphe

Lacomblé 69-71

1030 Brussels

Belgium

North America

Branch:

1090 Homer Street,

Suite 300

Vancouver, BC, V6B

2W9

Canada

Asia

Branch:

706, CMC Tower,

Duy Tan Str, Cau

Giay, Hanoi

Vietnam


Niels Delater

Phone: +49 (0) 351 320 25 0

[email protected]

www.spectos.com

Your contact:


mailto:[email protected]



http://www.spectos.com

Data & Analytics

Transit Time Measurements in the Postal Industry