Life Behind the Bars
Many of us have wondered — why did the USPS® change the barcode? The answer is simply that the Intelligent Mail® Barcode (IMB) is just part of the USPS' aggressive pursuit of an Intelligent Mail program.
Intelligent Mail promises to help both the customer and the USPS. Customers will see an increase in the level of service provided by the USPS, and the USPS will be able to control costs in the face of new rate increase limits, higher fuel costs, and changing workforce skills. It's a win-win situation for all involved.
To achieve their Intelligent Mail objectives, the USPS designed and deployed IMBs and labels to most optimally deliver and track letters, flats, trays, and containers.
Intelligent Mail® Barcode examples on USPS containers.
Service monitoring and reporting by the USPS is a requirement of the Postal Reform Act. But, more importantly, service monitoring and reporting allows mailers to better predict, identify, and react to mail delivery challenges and opportunities.
It is a fact that the antidote of many poorly addressed mail pieces is the mail carrier. But, this workforce is in a state of reduction, with forty percent of the USPS mail carriers eligible for retirement in the next five years. As the next generation of mail carriers gain this knowledge, the IMB will help ease the transition by detecting bad addresses before they reach the wrong delivery area.
Let Group 1 Software answer all of your barcode questions. Just send us an email at mailstream_intelligentmail@g1.com or call us at 888-413-6763. We have the answers you need.