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Pitney Bowes’ Group 1 Software solutions receive USPS® CASS™ certifications

Posted by | May 7, 2007 | |

Group 1 Software, Inc., a Pitney Bowes Company announced that the latest releases of its CODE-1 Plus® and Finalist® address cleansing software solutions have received U.S. Postal Service® CASS certification for the upcoming Cycle L requirements, scheduled for implementation on August 1, 2007.
These CASS Certified™ solutions are components of Group 1 Software’s Address Quality Hub™ platform, which is designed to help mailers address the impact of the upcoming postal rate increases, as well as CASS Cycle L requirements designed to reduce undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail. Under these requirements, CASS Certified software will be required to perform DPV™ processing, which is expected to reduce the number of ZIP + 4® coded addresses that are eligible for postage discounts.

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The US Postal Service saved by two Turks

Posted by | May 7, 2007 | |

Caglar Gogus and Hamit Hamutcu are two young management consultants. The U.S. Postal Service had been losing USD 2 billion a year up until 2001.When the duo were hired, the consultants developed a new business model for the firm, helping it to earn a profit of USD 800 million a year. Restructuring the postal service, which has the status of an autonomous public organization, the duo even managed to have a ruling passed in the United States Congress so that the organization can be freed of its current structure and assume a new identity. With this restructuring, the firm has been able to gain back market share it had lost to giants such as FedEx and UPS. It now operates on the business model that the two consultants have developed in 40,000 locations through the United States.

Stating that they have founded their project on a multi-legged strategy, Hamutçu says the two most important elements were competitiveness and increasing market share in prominent categories. Stating that they have found the postal service to be under attack on a number of different fronts.

Hamutcu explains that due to this reason they switched to a customer-based approach from a product-based approach. They have put in practice a number of projects, ranging from renovating call centers to establishing new sales teams for different client groups, from training thousands of postmen to conducting field research about client needs and the situation of the competition, says the consultant. He explains that one of their most substantial projects was the innovation they have brought to the pricing strategy.

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Finland Post receives gold level certification from EMS cooperative

Posted by | May 7, 2007 | |

In Bern, Switzerland, at the end of April, EMS Cooperative under the Universal Postal Union (UPU) awarded Finland Post Corporation Gold Level Certification for its Express Mail Service (EMS) quality in Finland in 2006. This was the first time Finland Post achieved such certification.

EMS Cooperative measures the EMS service quality of all of its 140 member countries’ postal operators, using the quality of EMS performance, service and item tracking as indicators. Based on these criteria, it awards gold, silver and bronze level certifications to its member countries’ postal operators. Finland Post received a Silver Award in 2005 and a Bronze Award in 2001 and 2002.

– I am confident that this award will enhance Finland Post’s world-wide recognition as an efficient and reliable delivery operator in Finland. We hope that this will also increase our volume of parcels from abroad, says Eemeli Vaheristo, Product Manager.

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Sound Nordic growth for Norway Post

Posted by | May 7, 2007 | |

Norway Post is today presenting its financial statements for the first quarter 2007, which show that its total operating revenue rose by 17.1 per cent to NOK 6 720 million.

The Group’s earnings before taxes (EBIT) came to NOK 841 million, compared to NOK 349 million for the first quarter last year. The earnings were affected by a gain of NOK 623 million on the sale of property at Biskop Gunnerus gate 14B (Norway Post’s Letter-sorting Centre). EBIT margin for the first quarter – including this sale – was 12.5 per cent, compared to 6.1 per cent for the equivalent period last year.

After taking account of non-recurring effects, the earnings before tax came to NOK 219 million, a reduction of NOK 133 million compared to the first quarter 2006. This decline is mainly due to increased costs relating to quality, service, the start-up of CityMail in Denmark and human resources.

The growth in Norway Post’s revenue was mainly due to acquisitions and a high level of activity in industry. Norway Post bought three Swedish companies during the quarter: ErgoGroup bought SYSteam AB, an IT service provider, while Posten Norge bought Transflex AB, a transport and logistics company, and Customer:View AB, which provides individualised customer communication services.

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Caixa Galicia to offer Western Union Money Transfer Services

Posted by | May 7, 2007 | |

Caixa Galicia, one of the leading financial service providers in Spain, and The Western Union Company, a leading provider of global money transfer services, have reached an agreement to offer Western Union Money Transfer services via Caixa Galicia’s offices in Spain.

Caixa Galicia now joins The Western Union Company’s network of approximately 305,000 Agent locations, including Western Union’s existing Agents in Spain, Correos y Telegrafos, Fexco Espana, Cambitur Internacional and Angelo Costa.

Agent representatives offer Western Union services through more than 8,400 service points and offices in Spain, reinforcing Western Union’s presence in the northeast region of the peninsula.

“This agreement marks the beginning of a successful relationship between two financial services companies, each with a global reach and trusted reputation,” said Mario Barbas, Western Union’s regional vice president for Southern Europe.

Caixa Galicia is one of the top financial institutions in Spain, with more than 800 bank offices in 10 countries.

The company will offer Western Union services to consumers wanting to make efficient remittances.

Western Union is recognized for its speed, efficiency, reliability and worldwide accessibility.

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Expanded services for City Link and Target Express

Posted by | May 6, 2007 | |

Courier company City Link is standardising its brand, product, operations and sales function across the combined City Link and newly acquired Target Express business. A number of new initiatives have been announced including offerings for the bulk post market, wider international services and track and trace for Target Express customers.

From 1 May, the City Link brand will appear on the full fleet of 4,350 commercial vehicles across the UK, and an enhanced product range will launch, available to all existing and new customers.

For the first time, City Link will target the bulk post market, there will also be a wider range of international services. Meanwhile, former Target Express customers will be offered a greater level of security, track and trace functionality for the first time, and additional products such as nominated time delivery including before 7.30am.

The new product set caters for every eventuality for B2B and B2C markets. Sales of the new product range will be the responsibility of a single, unified sales team. The new team will be structured by region to provide local focus with the back up of nationwide support systems.

Later this year, there will be additional investment in new and existing mechanical handling equipment, depot technology and cage tracking. The fleet will also be enhanced with the purchase of 140 hard-sided trailers and 7,000 new wheeled cages.

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UPS franchisees to demonstrate outside annual shareholders meeting In Wilmington

Posted by | May 6, 2007 | |

Franchisees representing United Parcel Service franchise outlets across the United States under the Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) and The UPS Store brands will demonstrate at Thursday’s (May 10) meeting of UPS shareholders in Wilmington, Del.

“All of us in the franchisee organizations believe UPS shareholders should hear our concerns and understand UPS’ total failure to live up to promises and projections made to us – and to UPS shareholders,” said Joe Wightman, who operates a UPS (Mail Boxes Etc.) store in New York City. He is also an official in the Platinum Shield Association (PSA), which has some 131 members, many of whom will be in Wilmington Thursday.

Wightman said an equally disturbing concern is profitability. “Last year at the shareholders meeting, we asked UPS CEO Mike Eskew what percentage of the franchises were profitable for the franchisee, and he professed not to know, despite the fact that UPS’ own Franchise Advisory Council had informed management that 60% of the franchises were not profitable,” he added. “As a UPS shareholder I believe management has issued misleading statements and needs to ‘come clean’ with all UPS shareholders.”

Echoing Wightman’s concerns over UPS’ treatment of its franchisees are members of three other franchisee organizations, the Brown Shield Association, IAMCO and the Brown Board Owner’s Association, whose members will also appear at the UPS shareholder meeting in Wilmington.

Wightman said a measure of UPS’ failure to take steps to improve the company’s relations with its franchisees is the spate of lawsuits brought by his organization and others in recent months. “Just last week a class action was filed in San Francisco over UPS practices in weighing and measuring packages,” he said, “and virtually every franchisee who will be in Wilmington this week is part of a lawsuit or arbitration against UPS.”

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Lovells helps complete UK Royal Mail WH Smith deal

Posted by | May 6, 2007 | |

A team from Lovells has worked alongside Royal Mail’s in-house legal team to complete a major transaction for Royal Mail transferring the operation of 76 Post Office branches to WHSmith. This follows the successful trial of six Post Offices in WHSmith stores last year.

Following the deal the Post Office will continue to run 373 Crown Post Offices in UK towns and cities alongside the branches operated by WHSmith.

The Lovells team working on the transaction was led by partner Nicholas Cheffings with associates Sahira Khwaja and India Forsyth. The Royal Mail in-house team was led by General Counsel Doug Evans with assistants Jessica Madron and Patricia Jones.

Speaking afterwards, Doug Evans commented:

“This is a very important development for the Royal Mail Group, serving to underpin the Post Office’s long-term commitment to safeguard its presence on the high street and in shopping centres across the United Kingdom.

“We have worked very closely with Lovells on this transaction and are extremely pleased with the advice they have given us. The deal enables us to work with a complementary, respected retailer giving us, and our customers, a high quality, commercially viable plan for the future.”

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