The U.S. Postal Service debuted an Internet site earlier this month for Standard A mailers to view and download reports and to more quickly send files to the National Customer Support Center (NCSC).
Access to the site, called Advance, is controlled. Mailers must pre-register with Memphis, TN-based NCSC, providing both an identification name and a password before accessing the site at (http://advmail.usps.gov).
Once on the site, a mailer can view mailings the USPS is tracking and obtain detailed information about its Standard A (advertising) mailings.
According to the USPS, a mailer can also submit header files by entering data into the appropriate fields, but will still have to create and name detail files, which can then be uploaded.
A number of reports including area summary reports and daily performance reports by ZIP code can be obtained. Postal officials said mailers can pinpoint transportation or delivery problems in specific areas or postal districts by using the reports.
Also available on the reports are a list of participating Advance Zip Codes, a detailed overview of scheduled mailings, a history of all mailings tracked through the system and a list of postal area coordinators and their contact information.
A number of enhancements are planned for the site, including the addition of mail alerts and advance notices of time-sensitive large bulk mailings of catalogs and other mass mailings.
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