Tag: USA

US FedEx – Shipping Data To Back-Office Apps

Posted by | Sep 12, 2006 | |

FedEx Locks In Customers By Tying Shipping Data To Back-Office Apps

Customers can link their invoicing, billing, accounting, and inventory systems with FedEx’s shipping data.
Every company wants to come up with that one compelling service that ties a customer closer to its business. Dell’s buyer-activated computer configuration system is one example. FedEx’s Web package tracking system was another. But that system kept a firm grip on customers only as long as FedEx’s competitors couldn’t duplicate it. Eventually they did, sending the company back to the drawing board.

FedEx came up with Ship Manager, an application on a small computer set up by FedEx at customer sites to help users weigh packages, calculate shipping charges, and print shipping labels.

FedEx Integration Assistant quizzes a representative at the customer site on what data sources he’s using and automatically generates scripting language to create links between FedEx Ship Manager and the data sources. It can do so for common accounting, ERP, warehouse, shopping cart, and fulfillment applications. Any system that uses a relational database compliant with the Open Database Connectivity standard can be discovered and linked. The wizard also can connect to the popular small-business accounting package QuickBooks.

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USPS Launches Intelligent Mail in September

Posted by | Sep 12, 2006 | |

After years of planning, the Postal Service is ready to launch a new service, Intelligent Mail, on September 1. This move marks one of the biggest changes in postal technology since the introduction of the original postal barcodes in 1989.

Intelligent Mail is built around a new barcode, the 4-state barcode, now referred to as OneCode by USPS. Current postnet and PLANET barcodes are 2-state barcodes, the two states referring to tall and short bars. OneCode barcodes have four different bars – a tall bar and three different short bars. The important thing about all these bars is that they allow for a lot more digits, The OneCode gives you 20 more digits to use than the 2-state barcode, and few digits make a big difference.
Mail is an important medium, one that inspires trust and helps build brand and product awareness. Relative to other media, it is inexpensive and flexible. Direct mail remains a growing medium because of its inherent advantages as well as external events, such as “do not call” legislation, pushing direct marketers toward print communications.

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US aligns with courier companies against India Post

Posted by | Sep 12, 2006 | |

What does Uncle Sam have in common with Kamal Nath’s commerce & industry ministry? Both have found meeting ground in opposing the proposed amendments to the Indian Post Office Act – which has given sleepless nights to the courier industry by threatening to turn all packages below 300 grams the exclusive preserve of India Post.

While the US government has indicated that the move would have a bearing on the ongoing services negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the commerce & industry ministry’s concern is over FDI in the courier segment. While opposition within the government is manageable, officials feel the US decision to champion the case of the courier industry could block the proposed amendments.

The changes, spearheaded by telecom & IT minister Dayanidhi Maran, include a levy of 10% on the turnover of courier companies to subsidise the universal service obligations (USO) of India Post, which serves the remote regions of the country. The changes in law also call for mandatory registration for all courier companies with a registration fee of Rs 25,000 and a renewal fee of Rs 10,000.

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Mailers.org letter to every member of the House and Senate

Posted by | Sep 11, 2006 | |

In letters to every member of the House and Senate, the Mailers Council today asked Congress to oppose any legislation that would prevent the Postal Service from closing outdated and inefficient mail processing facilities in its campaign to keep postage affordable despite continuing declines in mail volume.

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Postal overhaul languishing despite compromise offer

Posted by | Sep 11, 2006 | |

Progress on legislation to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service, a project that is now 12 years in the making, continues to shuffle along slowly as House and Senate negotiators mull a recently proposed compromise measure.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, sent the proposal to House negotiators just before the August recess. It essentially mirrors the Senate-approved bill and is the result of talks between the Senate committee and House Government Reform committee staffs.

Members from both chambers have worked to smooth out differences between their bills while also attempting to write an agreement that would meet White House approval. The Collins proposal upholds the Senate’s stricter rate cap provision, requiring that postal rate increases not exceed the rate of inflation.

An exit clause that would allow the agency to break that rate cap only in times of major emergencies is included in the conference agreement proposal. Both the strict rate cap and exit clause provisions are favored by mass mailers, who want a bill that ensures the lowest possible prices, but are opposed by unions seeking more flexibility in rate setting.

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