The YourScore™ report is a powerful tool for managing and monitoring your USPS Mailer Scorecard.
It’s designed to provide instant insights into your mailing activities, allowing you to identify and resolve potential issues before they become costly penalties. With automated daily reports and detailed data at your fingertips, YourScore helps streamline your operations and maintain high mailing standards.
In this article, we’ll guide you through how to interpret your YourScore report, what steps to take based on its findings, and how to leverage its data to maintain optimal mailing performance.
1. Understanding the Basics of YourScore Reports
YourScore simplifies the process of monitoring your mailer scorecard by automating the retrieval of USPS data and delivering it directly to your inbox. This daily email contains several key sections that offer at-a-glance insights into the health of your mailings.
- At-a-Glance Alerts: The report uses a simple color-coded system to indicate your scorecard’s status:
- Green: Everything is in good standing.
- Yellow: You are approaching USPS thresholds for potential penalties.
- Red: Immediate action is needed to address serious issues.
- Detailed Reports: YourScore provides reports more comprehensive than those available directly from the USPS Business Customer Gateway. These include data on undocumented mailpieces, eInduction status, and detailed breakdowns by Mail Owner. Each report is linked in the daily email, allowing you to quickly access and analyze relevant information.
2. When Your Report is Green (All Clear)
If your YourScore report shows green, congratulations! Your mailings are compliant with USPS thresholds, and there are no immediate issues to address. However, this is not the time to become complacent. Here’s what you should do:
- Continue Monitoring Regularly: Even when everything looks good, it’s important to stay proactive. Make reviewing your YourScore report part of your regular workflow to ensure continued compliance.
- Internal Audits: Use this time to perform internal audits of your mailing processes. Make sure your data handling, documentation, and Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) procedures are functioning as they should.
- Document Clean Reports: Track your mailing performance over time by saving and reviewing these green reports. Identifying patterns of success can help you replicate them in future mailings.
The goal during this phase is to maintain consistency and ensure that no small issues are developing unnoticed.
3. When Your Report is Yellow (Approaching Thresholds)
A yellow alert in your YourScore report means you’re approaching USPS thresholds, and penalties may be looming if corrective action isn’t taken. This is your warning to address potential problems before they escalate. Here’s how to handle a yellow report:
- Pinpoint the Issues: Carefully review the flagged areas in your report. Common issues include undocumented mailpieces, duplicate IMBs, or Move Updates that haven’t been completed within USPS guidelines. Each of these can lead to penalties if not addressed promptly.
- Analyze the Data: YourScore’s detailed reports allow you to dive deeper into the specific areas of concern. For example, the Mail Owner Scorecard report breaks down errors by the mail owner, making it easier to identify where the problem lies.
- Preventive Actions:
- Recheck Your Data: Ensure that all mailpieces are properly documented, and that barcode usage is consistent across your mailings.
- Audit IMB Usage: Confirm that the Intelligent Mail Barcodes are properly formatted and applied. Duplicate barcodes are a common cause of yellow alerts and can easily be fixed with better data management.
- Update Move Data: Ensure your addresses are up-to-date to avoid Move Update violations, which are triggered when mailpieces are not updated within the USPS timeframe.
Taking swift action when your report shows yellow can prevent more serious issues from developing, saving you time and money down the line.
4. When Your Report is Red (Immediate Action Required)
A red alert in your YourScore report indicates that your mailing activity has exceeded USPS thresholds, and you’re likely facing penalties. Immediate action is required to rectify the situation and avoid further consequences.
- Investigate the Cause: Start by reviewing the specific errors or warnings listed in the report. These could be related to undocumented mailpieces, duplicate IMBs, or errors in your eInduction process. The YourScore report includes links to detailed breakdowns of each issue, making it easier to identify the root cause.
- Take Immediate Corrective Actions:
- Fix Undocumented Mailpieces: Ensure that all mailpieces have the correct documentation in the USPS system.
- Reprocess Problematic Mailings: If the issue is related to IMBs or other barcode errors, reprocess the affected mailings with the correct information.
- Consult with Experts: If you’re unsure how to address the issue, YourScore offers consulting services through partners like Mailers Hub. These experts can help you analyze the problem and even assist in disputing USPS assessments if necessary.
- Prevent Future Issues: Use this opportunity to review your internal processes and make improvements. Whether it’s updating your data handling procedures or improving communication with your mail owners, the goal is to ensure the issue doesn’t repeat.
5. Maximizing the Value of YourScore Data
Beyond just avoiding penalties, regularly reviewing YourScore reports can offer long-term benefits for your mailing operations. Here’s how you can leverage the data provided in the reports:
- Continuous Improvement: Use YourScore’s detailed reports to track performance over time. Identifying trends in your mailings—whether they’re positive or negative—can help you refine your processes.
- Operational Efficiency: Automating the mailer scorecard review process saves time, allowing you to focus on more critical aspects of your business. Regularly analyzing the data from your reports can help you streamline your mailing operations, improving both efficiency and compliance.
- Proactive Adjustments: By addressing potential issues before they escalate, you reduce the likelihood of costly USPS penalties and ensure smoother operations. This proactive approach not only saves money but also enhances the quality of your mailing services.
6. Conclusion: Stay Ahead with YourScore
YourScore is more than just a report—it’s a powerful tool for ensuring that your mailings meet USPS standards and avoiding the risks associated with non-compliance. By regularly reviewing and acting on your YourScore report, you can maintain high mailing quality, avoid penalties, and improve your overall mailing process.
Stay proactive, address issues before they escalate, and leverage the insights provided by YourScore to keep your mailing operations running smoothly. Whether your report is green, yellow, or red, following the steps outlined here will help you maximize the value of YourScore and ensure that your mailings consistently meet USPS standards.
