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MTAC Work Group 136

Expanding and Enhancing

ACS™ Data

November 2010

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MTAC 136 Issue Statement*

ACS (Traditional, One Code and Full Service) is an important tool for complying with Move Update requirements as well as best practices for address quality.

In order to fully and effectively leverage these essential services, industry seeks to expand and enhance the data returned via ACS.

* Developed from MTAC WG 121 Issues List

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Issue:Enhance the value and understanding of the NIXIE return codes, including understanding the process, data elements, business rules, and final disposition of ACS and NIXIE records.

Recommendation: Synchronize CFS with PARS to provide more consistent

data between the two solutions. CFS and PARS should use the same NIXIE Codes, except for “Deceased” which can only be provided by CFS and “Temporarily Away” as a Nixie which can only be provided by PARS.

(Expected Release Feb 2011)

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Issue:Enhance mapping of ACS data usage and its application for keeping source name and address data current.

Recommendation: Recommend that ACS record provide the made-available

date as well as the move-effective date. Recommend that if the move effective date is older than

the Made available date, use the made available date. Use this as the start forward

Recommendation from USPS on what to do w/ multiple notifications for the same mailpiece (enhancement to AMEE White Paper and publish in an ACS document).

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Issue:Evaluate Non-delivery point validated addresses and identify barriers of getting a completed address.

Recommendation: Provide a final (DPV confirmed) new address to the mailer

after the COA has been corrected and a DPV is available. Provide as an optional service to ACS mailers. Format and content of these notifications TBD.

Continue to drive incentive to send customers to submit their COA online with eventual elimination of hardcopy COA

Flag ACS Record to indicate when new address does not DPV. i.e.“Y” if DPV, “N” if not, or provide codes from: AME API Footnote Codes NCOAlink codes

Discount or free for non DPV new address (non-Y)

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Issue:Understand the difference between ACS and NCOALink data to ensure consistent application and use of data, as appropriate.

Recommendation: Perform a COA lookup in PARS and CFS for ALL mail that

is processed as a Nixie, in the same way that PARS is able to do a COA lookup for mail that is processed as “UTF” (Q) and “ANK” (A).

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Issue:Evaluate fiscal impacts and usefulness to mailing industry of various ACS records, for example, Temporary-Away notices, duplicate COA notices, etc.

Recommendation: Ideally, mailers would like an option to NOT receive “W”

(Temporarily Away) ACS notices. If necessary to provide the notice (i.e. mail is not

forwarded), do not charge. Periodicals ACS COA notices for Employee Generated

COA actions (Moved, Left No Address/Box Closed No Order) should be provided in the same manner as ACS Nixie notices (record created for each piece), not according to the ACS Periodical Notification Option.

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Issue:Enhance the consistency and timeliness of data from all of the ACS solutions

Recommendation: To expand the 45 day period for unique IMb for Full

Service ACS to allow for those “later arriving ACS records” to be fulfilled via Full Service.

Develop a process to catch and correct mail class issues prior to billing.

Revisit or redefine management QC of Throwback case mail and MLNA/BCNO hold mail review

Provide a decision tree for how a delivery employee determines the UAA Reason (Nixie)

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Issue:Periodical ACS Notification options that include hardcopy follow-up will no longer be available

Recommendation: Notification Option 1 will be replaced by: ACS notice at

first appearance of periodical after the move effective date with a follow-up ACS notice no sooner than 60 days after the first notice is provided.

Notification Option 3 will be replaced by the “Full Service ACS Notification Option”: ACS notice at first appearance of Periodical after the move effective date, with a follow-up notice provided at each appearance up to 60 days after the first notice, then no further ACS notices will be provided.

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Contact Information

Kai Fisher: kai.fisher@usps.gov

Barry Russell: barry.e.russell@usps.gov

Stephanie Miracle: slmiracle@dstoutput.com

Craig Bjork: cbjork@cds-global.com