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The Unmistakable ROI of Leveraging Personalized Mail and Automation

By Drew Sprague, President, Solimar Systems You’re reading this article because you know how valuable personalized mail is. Although mail volumes have been declining for some time, the inherent value of personalized correspondence remains an essential element of communication between businesses and their consumers. Today, we still find many mailers feel locked into traditional, and… Read More

Seamless Acceptance Incentive Proposed for Mail Service Providers

Large volume Mailers who are already processing Full-Service mailings, are likely familiar with the Postal Service®’s Seamless Acceptance program. But the USPS® has been working to expand the scope of the program to include more than large volume mailers – and has announced a proposed pricing incentive designed to encourage all Mail Service Providers to… Read More

The Time is Now to Re-Evaluate Your Software Options

This article appeared in the November 2020 issue of NPSOA Magazine. Our industry continues to operate in a state of constant evolution, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Paired with a tumultuous and intense election cycle, there has never been a more important time to re-evaluate your business operations and make sure your mailing… Read More

Episode 40 – Industry Corner Podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: USPS 2021 price increases, Proposed incentive for Seamless Acceptance, Topics to be discussed at November MTAC, and the 2021 Next Generation Campaign Award

Postal Industry Updates: October 2020

Temporary Price Adjustment to Take Effect on October 18, 2020 After approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission, the temporary price adjustment that had been proposed to run through December 27, 2020 will go live on October 18. Support for the adjustment went live on PostalOne!® on October 4th. BCC Software is dedicated to ensuring our… Read More

BCC Software Introduces New Track N Trace® Visualization Tools

For the unaware, Track N Trace from BCC Software enables users to gain visibility into the mailstream by leveraging USPS® Informed Visibility® technology, providing unmatched mailpiece intelligence and reporting. BCC Software has been improving the reporting aspect of the Track N Trace platform, recently introducing robust visualization tools to help mailers better understand where mailings… Read More

Beyond Compliance – The Fight Against UAA Mail

This article appeared in the October 2020 issue of NPSOA Magazine. A multi-billion piece problem year after year, Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) mail costs the USPS® over $1 billion annually – and it costs the mailing industry even more. However, the monetary cost is not the only issue at stake when it comes to UAA… Read More

Judge Rules on Election Mail as First-Class®

A federal judge recently ruled that the USPS® must treat all Election mail, regardless of class, as First-Class® Mail. This decision has upset many marketing mailers, as this means that regardless of the price paid to mail the piece, it will be treated the same. Several mailers state that if someone specifically wants this service… Read More

An Update on USPS® Performance Measurements

The USPS recently released information regarding 2020 performance measurements during September’s PCC week. Overall, PMG DeJoy maintained that service performance is stabilizing, and numbers are beginning to recover from the pandemic. He did recognize, however, that some of the changes he implemented to the supply chain when he was first appointed did influence numbers –… Read More

Senators Gillibrand and Sanders Propose New Bill

In mid-September, Sens. Kristen Gillibrand (NY) and Bernie Sanders (VT) reintroduced legislation aimed at amending Title 39, Section 404(a). Known as the “Postal Banking Act”, this bill would allow the USPS® to provide “certain basic financial services” in post offices including “low-cost, small-dollar loans not to exceed $500 at a time…” and “small checking accounts… Read More

Political Direct Mail Wins Elections – if it Arrives in Time!

This is a guest article from Direct Logistics, a valued BCC Software partner. When you need to get political marketing mail in-home fast, anywhere in the nation, NDC / SCF drop-shipping and TruckDirectMail.com (TDM) is your best option. Despite the unpredictability of America’s political landscape, some things never change: Direct mail remains the most credible… Read More

Vision Graphics, Inc.

Ensures the safe and reliable delivery of election season mailings with BCC Ignite.

Industry Alert: Temporary Price Adjustments

On August 14th, 2020 the USPS® submitted a notice to the Postal Regulatory Committee regarding a planned temporary price increase later this year. “Pursuant to 39 C.F.R. § 3035.102, the United States Postal Service hereby gives notice of time-limited changes in rates of general applicability for competitive products. Specifically, the Postal Service will be increasing… Read More

Industry Reminder: Migration to EPS

This is a reminder that if you are still utilizing the CAPS system you need to be moved off it and onto EPS (Enterprise Payment System) before 9/13 or your account will be shut down. Here is an excerpt from the latest PostCom bulletin: “Starting in late August, when CAPS users search for permits, they… Read More

Industry Update: Letter from Steve Monteith

On August 18th, 2020 Steve Monteith, USPS® Chief Customer & Marketing Officer and Executive V.P., published a letter on the subject of Election Mail and COVID-19. The main focus of the letter was to lay out recommendations for Mail Service Providers and printers to facilitate the timely delivery of Election Mail. The central concern is… Read More

Episode 39 – Industry Corner Podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: Chris clarifies information and misinformation about the Postal Service, the Postmaster General, congressional oversight, and vote-by-mail.

New Association Formed: Delivery Technology Advocacy Council

The Delivery Technology Advocacy Council (DTAC) is a new association formed in 2020 by leaders in the mailing and shipping industry. These leaders recognized the increasing importance of technology in delivery services and postal operations. BCC Software’s President, Chris Lien, and VP of Product Strategy, Shawn Ryan, are both members of this new association and… Read More

The Criticality of Political Mail

During this unprecedented time in history, many businesses and industries have been forced to rapidly adapt to the “new normal” caused by COVID-19. Amid all the adjusting, election season is getting into full swing. At BCC Software, we have discussed the important of election season mailings and how to best leverage them for your business,… Read More

Preparing Election Season Mailings with BCC Software

As discussed in the June 2020 PostCom bulletin, election mail is expected to see a real increase in the coming months. In fact, according to Daniel Bentley, USPS® Election Mail Program Manager, “absentee balloting will easily double in 2020 [as] many states are scrambling to prepare for the new realities of the COVID-19 crisis in… Read More

BCC Software Security Update to Ensure Uninterrupted Access

In March, BCC Software announced we would require TLS version 1.2 this summer. This will impact any of our hosted sites like our Customer Portal and Track N Trace®, as well as data services jobs including NCOALink® sent to our systems for processing. We will disable the ability to connect via TLS 1.0 and 1.1… Read More

Postal Industry Updates: July 2020

Congressional Letter to Former Postmaster General On June 8, several members of Congress sent a letter to Megan Brennan, the former Postmaster General. The intent of the letter is to request a revisal by the USPS® of its projections for the direct impact of COVID-19. Back in April 2020, when Brennan was still serving in… Read More

Re-Imagining Your Business During COVID-19

This article appeared in the June 2020 issue of NPOA Magazine. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt businesses all over the country, it is easy to feel a loss of control and general panic over the state of things. For those of us in the mail and print industry, while we may be considered… Read More

The Future of Digital Transformation in Customer Communications

This is a guest article from Racami, a valued BCC Software partner. We are only halfway through 2020 and we can say it’s been one of the most transformational years the world has experienced. The coronavirus pandemic has brought on major challenges and changes to the economy, corporations and society as a whole. This crisis… Read More

Mail in the Time of Coronavirus

This article appeared in the May 2020 issue of NPOA Magazine. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, all aspects of life have been fundamentally changed around the globe. Individuals and businesses are trying to navigate uncharted territory left in the wake of the virus. As we all attempt to grapple with these new unknowns,… Read More

Industry Update: USPS® Announces New Postmaster General

On May 6th, 2020, the USPS® sent out an alert announcing the United States’ 75th Postmaster General – Louis DeJoy. According to the official report, Mr. DeJoy was elected via unanimous selection by the Board of Governors. This selection follows a lengthy, nationwide search after the current Postmaster General, Megan Brennan, announced her intention to… Read More

Episode 38 – Industry Corner Podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: A review of the USPS Q2 fiscal results, I share information from a recent GAO report on the Postal Service's business model, and comments about the 75th Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy

Send it Here, Send it There, Send it Everywhere!

This is a guest article from Racami, a valued BCC Software partner. Nobody distributes information in a single channel anymore. Well, nobody that plans on staying in business over the next several years… For organizations historically focused on print, the transition to multi-channel output has been accomplished in steps. New channels and ways to communicate… Read More

Drop Shipping Made Easy, Part II

This is a guest article from Direct Logistics, a valued BCC Software partner. Have you ever used or considered drop shipping mail? With the 2020 election season coming up, it’s more important than ever to understand your NDC and SCF destination entry drop shipping options. As you may already know, the two primary benefits of… Read More

Strategies for Eliminating the Dreaded Yellow Sticker

This is a guest article from Quadient, a valued BCC Software partner. 5.9 billion pieces of mail were not delivered to recipients in 2016. This equates to many unhappy customers, lost postage costs, and late payments. How much is this really costing your business every month or every year? The actual cost of a mailpiece goes… Read More

2020 and the Future of Informed Delivery®

This article appeared in the April 2020 issue of NPOA Magazine. 2020 is shaping up to be another exciting year for Informed Delivery®! Based off data shared by the USPS® in late 2019, the number of Informed Delivery users continue to rise. This is good news for the future of ID and an encouraging sign… Read More

Postal Service Announces Delay of CASS™ Cycle O

UPDATE: An Industry Update released on Monday, June 1, 2020 stated the following: Delays in finalizing CASS Cycle O requirements and the publication of an updated timeline has resulted in insufficient time available for the mailing industry to plan their development resources and secure required funding to meet an August 2021 implementation date. Therefore, the… Read More

The Importance of Informed Delivery® for Non-Profit Mailers

Over the past few years, Informed Delivery® has become a proven tool for marketing mailers. However, while much of the current Informed Delivery data focuses on for-profit mailings, it has also turned out to be a powerful tool for Non-Profit Mailers as well. At BCC Software, we had the opportunity to speak directly with one… Read More

Episode 37 – Industry Corner Podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: Recap of the recent MTAC meeting, an update on the impact on the mailing industry from COVID-19, thoughts and tips on staying essential during the pandemic

USPS® Provides Updates Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the recent events brought on in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USPS has released a series of statements regarding their operations during this time. First and foremost, as an entity of the Federal Government the USPS is designated as an essential function under federal law during times of emergency. Essential… Read More

SERVICE PROVIDER DATA PROCESSING ADDENDUM

This Service Provider Data Processing Addendum (“SPDPA”) is incorporated by reference into and forms a part of each agreement (the “Agreement”) between BCC Software, Inc. (“BCC”) and you (“Customer”), each a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”, and reflects the Parties’ agreement with regard to the use or access of personal information in accordance with the… Read More

Changes to BCC Software’s Transport Layer Security Support

In our continued effort and commitment to securing our software and services, BCC Software will be discontinuing support of Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1, as well as any HTTP (non-SSL) connections on August 3rd, 2020. TLS is the protocol used to secure traffic over computer networks. We are providing this… Read More

Don’t Wait! Recapture Hidden Money in Your Print and Mail Processes

This is a guest article from Solimar Systems, a valued BCC Software partner. Print and mail processes inherently have areas where money can hide. What do we really mean by that? There are costs associated with the way print processes and the resulting mailing processes happen on your shop floor, some that you might not… Read More

Episode 36 – Industry Corner Podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: Guest Mark Fallon, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Berkshire Company joins us to discuss the importance of workflow automation and mailing industry education, we'll also review the results of the 2019 USPS® Promotions and discuss the latest in Informed Delivery® and Informed Addressing.

Postal Service Updates Mobile Delivery Devices

The USPS® has recently updated their Mobile Delivery Devices (MDDs) by selecting Zebra Technologies as their next-generation MDD provider. Introduced a few years ago, an MDD is a device similar to a smartphone that postal carriers use along their routes. They allow carriers to track package delivery in real-time, and they enable the Postal Service… Read More

Understanding the US Postal Service’s Annual Fiscal Report

In December 2019, the USPS® submitted their annual compliance report to Congress, summarizing the 2019 fiscal year. Upon first glance, the decline in mail volume raises some concerns. The two most notable mail volume declines are the 3% decline for First-Class Mail®, about 1.8 billion pieces, and the 2.1% decline for Marketing Mail from 2018-2019.… Read More

Guest Article: Almost Perfect Isn’t Good Enough

Do you remember when 99% accuracy used to be OK? Clients and end-users accepted occasional document processing errors. “Nobody’s perfect” was a widely accepted refrain. That’s no longer the case. Customers aren’t as tolerant anymore. They’ve become accustomed to the benefits of automation and expect perfection-even from complex production systems that generate, move, and manipulate… Read More

Updates

Thank you for your continued patience as we work to fully restore all services. As of 2/7/2020 at 2:00 pm EST, most Track N Trace® mailings have been restored and Track N Trace is continuing to process USPS® files to create reports and other Track N Trace artifacts. If any further communication regarding specific Track N Trace jobs… Read More

Guide to Election Mail

As the contentious 2020 election season arrives in full force, BCC Software is here to offer you a deep dive into election mail to make sure you are making the most out of every mailing.

Guest Article: Drop Shipping Made Easy

Have you ever used or considered drop shipping mail? With the 2020 election season coming up, it’s more important than ever to know how you can maximize your postal discounts. As you know, the two primary benefits of drop shipping are improved speed of delivery and additional postage discounts. However, you may not be aware… Read More