The Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC), composed of the major mailing associations and organizations working with the Postal Service to enhance the value of mail, achieved major progress with the completion of the following 10 work groups: Seamless Acceptance and Performance-Based Verification Implementation, Benefits, Obstacles and Feedback; Software Certification for PostalOne!; FSS Implementation Communication; Communicating Entry Requirements/In-Home Dates Solutions/Seasonality Impacts; Improving the ACS/OneCode System; Service Information Needs, Reporting & Communication Channels; Growing First-Class Mail; Growing Marketing Mail; Move Update PS 6014 Form Redesign; and Intelligent Mail Barcodes for Reply Mail — Business and Courtesy Reply.
Six other MTAC Work Groups either started this year or continued to make progress: Intelligent Mail Implementation; Intelligent Mail Education; Eliminating Obstacles to Mail Growth; Communicating Features and Benefits of Confirm; Communicating NDC Origin Separation Requirements; and Six-Sigma Approach to Intelligent Mail Barcode Quality.
Although tactical technological matters have historically been the focus of MTAC, a new strategic emphasis has been stressed — to challenge members to work with the Postal Service in innovative ways to enhance customer value and expand the use of products and services — in essence — to help identify and develop new growth opportunities for mutual benefit. The growth MTAC work groups already completed or still underway this year represent the initial response to this challenge — and further successes are expected.
MTAC continues to be an invaluable source of industry input on important plans and actions. MTAC industry members were surveyed on such critical issues as mail volume estimates for the next few years and the acceptability of going from 6- to 5-day delivery. MTAC also provided a venue in numerous instances to ensure the industry and Postal Service work together to address industry concerns regarding important issues such as Address Change Service and Intelligent Mail barcode readability tolerances — all to ensure that maximum benefit will be derived from these technological advancements by all participants.
