Correos Chile: Strategy and development. Post-Expo 2007.
Correos Chile: Strategy and development. Post-Expo 2007.
Read MoreAuthor: Archive
Sunday collections end
After 17 years, Royal Mail is set to abolish Sunday postal collections throughout the UK from October 28.
With low volumes of mail posted on Sunday the cost of providing this service is disproportionately high.
Claire Prosser, the policy executive at the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, which includes Swindon, said: “As the vast majority of Royal Mail’s 115,000 letter boxes have never had a Sunday collection, the abolition of this service will have little effect on business.
“Only 50 UK businesses currently have a Sunday collection service, representing only 0.74 per cent of total volume.
“This means that it costs four times as much to handle Sunday post than items collected on other days.
“Royal Mail’s proposals may affect a minority of customers; however there are many clear benefits that abolition of this service will have.
“The reduction in Royal Mail’s overall operating costs will increase the assurance that the service can be delivered at an affordable price.
“It will also help reduce carbon emissions of approximately 10,000 ton per annum.
“Royal Mail must however tread carefully: With continued strikes, decrease in service and increase in costs, many loyal customers may lose confidence in Royal Mail, further spurring them to adopt the services of Royal Mail’s competitors.”
Read MorePostal Strikes: a week of disruption
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has announced further industrial action in the form of two 48 hour stoppages to be followed by further, as yet unspecified, strikes. The first strike is due to start at noon tomorrow – 4th October and go through to lunchtime on Saturday. The second strike will start at 3am on Monday (8th October) and end early on 10th October.
Millie Banerjee, Chair of Postwatch, commenting on the announcement said: “It is hugely disappointing to watch a great British institution tear itself apart. Effectively these strikes mean that mail posted in the UK today is unlikely to be delivered before Thursday next week.
“Ordinary customers cannot post with any confidence of knowing when it will arrive and may therefore decide to telephone, text or e-mail instead. Those businesses who can will also find alternative ways of communicating with suppliers and customers. Customers are being forced to explore other ways of communicating and will not all return to use post once the dispute is resolved.
“We recognize the management of Royal Mail and the leadership of the Communications Workers Union has tried to find a solution. They negotiated unsuccessfully for 5 weeks before these latest strikes were announced. But that failure has to be put behind them and the two sides have to re-engage to find the right solution that will offer customers a value for money postal service.”
“Postwatch advises customers to be aware of the strikes, consider what postal disruption will mean to them, and then act to minimize inconvenience. That might mean using other communication methods.”
Read MoreUSPS extends 'Move Updates' to include standard mail
The US Postal Service is extending its Move Update standards in the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual from first class to standard mail.
The Move Update standards, which were first announced on May 23, give mailers ways to cut back the number of mail pieces that require forwarding or return by the periodic matching of a mailer’s address records with customer-filed change-of-address orders.
Charles B. Hunt, customer program support specialist at the USPS, said that the reasoning behind the rules update is that the USPS is trying to reduce the UAA (unable to deliver as addressed) mail by 50 percent by 2010.
In addition, the Postal Service is cutting the time mailers have to make these changes from 185 days down to 95 days before a mailing goes out. This revised Move Update requirement will include all standard mail.
Move Update rules currently let first class mailers that update addresses through NCOALink and other USPS products automate mailings and have access to postal discounts.
The revised standards will take effect on Nov. 23, 2008, which gives mailers 18 months to prepare.
Read MoreWorld Postal Business Forum organized by UPU opens in Barcelona
Each edition of the annual POST-EXPO trade show confirms that new technologies are increasingly playing a larger role in postal operations. And far from being a threat to the postal sector, they provide many opportunities to postal operators and their customers.
Edouard Dayan reminded participants that new technologies are particularly important for electronic money transfers between postal operators around the world, for tracking and tracing mail to ensure quality of service and in enabling postal operators to help develop electronic commerce and participate actively in the global distribution chain for merchandise ordered online.
José Damián Santiago Martín, President of Correos, the Spanish public postal operator, said for his part that technology was an essential element of its business strategy. The company has invested heavily in recent years to modernize its business infrastructure and launch service innovations. He did emphasize, however, that new technologies cannot replace people.
Among other topics being discussed during the opening session is the response of the worldwide postal sector to climate change. The global postal sector will respond to the challenge of using more effective transportation means to distribute mail the world over and the necessary resources for postal communication, said Dayan.
The worldwide postal sector – five million postal employees (up to 10 million if associated sectors are included) and more than 600,000 postal establishments – uses some 250,000 motorcycles, more than 600,000 vehicles and hundreds of planes to distribute mail the world over, according to conservative estimates.
Read MoreUPU: The Internet – Evolution or Revolution?. Post-Expo 2007.
UPU: The Internet – Evolution or Revolution? Evolution or Revolution?. Post-Expo 2007
Read MoreUPS Global Small Business Forum offers world of opportunity to Atlanta companies
To help Atlanta-area small businesses grow at home and abroad, UPS will conduct a Global Small Business Forum on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. In addition to providing expert advice on how small companies can capitalize on the opportunities of global trade, the event will honor the winners of the third UPS Best “Out-of-the-Box” Small Business Contest.
This year, UPS took its small business contest global in search of the world’s most innovative small business and the Forum is designed to help small businesses gain practical advice on growing outside the United States. The half-day event will offer real-world advice about conducting business across borders from trade experts, including Israel Hernandez, Secretary for Trade Promotion and General Director of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service.
“Exporting represents an untapped growth opportunity for U.S. small businesses,” said Kurt Kuehn, UPS senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing. “With the most expansive international delivery portfolio in the industry, UPS makes exporting easy.”
The event kicks off at 11:30 a.m., followed by a complementary luncheon and awards ceremony to honor the contest winners followed by several expert panel discussions on topics important to small companies.
Throughout the Forum, participants will have the chance to visit an Expert Expo that will feature exhibits displaying the full range of UPS solutions for small businesses as well as exhibits by Forum partners IBM and Inc. magazine. The U.S. Commercial Service also will have an exhibit. The Expert Expo is designed to offer advice and to provide networking opportunities for local small-business owners.
Read MorePart of Every Day: Updating Australia Post’s brand. Post-Expo 2007.
Part of Every Day: Updating Australia Post’s brand. Post-Expo 2007.
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