Getting Into the Weeds on Informed Visibility - Part 1
October 27, 2017   Dave Lewis

November 30 is fast approaching, and this is kind of a Big Deal date in the world of mail tracking.  That is the day the IMb Tracing system will be turned off, and all mail tracking data will flow through the Informed Visibility (IV) platform.  This is no small feat – the Postal Service has been working towards this for years.  As the date approaches, we want to let our friends and customers know what they need to do, and what to expect. Migrating to a New Data Feed One change you cannot avoid with IV is that there will be a new data feed source.  If you currently receive data from IMb Tracing, as of November 30 that data will need to come from IV.  And, if you receive a data feed via FTP, that feed MUST be Secure FTP (SFTP) after November 30.  IMb Tracing does not support SFTP, one of the reasons it is being shut down after November 30. To reiterate, after November 30, 2017, all mail tracking data will be sent via SFTP from IV.  IF YOU ARE A SNAILWORKS CUSTOMER, WE ARE MANAGING THIS TRANSITION FOR YOU, IN COOPERATION WITH THE POSTAL SERVICE. New Data Points and Feeds Of course the point of IV is not to just create a new secure feed.   IV will provide a great deal more data than the legacy IMb Tracing system.  As a participant in the IV pilot program, we have had the opportunity to see and work with this new data.  Here are some of the categories of data provided by IV: Piece Scan Data:  IV will continue to provide the same piece scan data that IMb Tracing did.  We are seeing exactly the same piece scans on both systems, so no scan data will be lost in the transition. Logical and Assumed Scans:  Here’s where it gets interesting.  In addition to actual scans, the IV program is adding scan “events” to the piece level scan data.  The first one we have seen is a “Logical Delivery Event.”  Based on scan data indicating that a carrier should have a tracked piece in his/her mail sack, when that carrier crosses a ZIP+4 “geo fence” the piece is considered delivered, and a LDE scan event is added to the data feed.  This, in theory, provides the time of day that the piece was delivered.  It is worth noting that the carrier does not actually scan the piece, so there is no confirmation that the piece was delivered.  If he didn’t really have it in his possession, the LDE may still occur.  In the pilot we have found no cases where the accuracy of delivery date was improved by the LDE, although having the time is interesting. Assumed Scan Events:  Assumed scan events are based on the nesting of pieces in trays and containers.  If a container (pallet) of mail is scanned, the pieces that are within the trays on that pallet are assumed to be there, and an assumed scan event is created for that piece.  Of course this involves passing data through an eDoc database to identify this nesting.  This will create a piece level scan event.  A mail piece may go through a lot of “events” as it travels from a mailer to the home.  Some of these events are based on the actual scan of a tray or container (an “actual assumed” event), some are based on a non-scan event, such as the arrival of a FAST appointment (a “logical assumed” event.)   Beyond having fun names, these scans could dramatically increase the amount of scan data sent to IV subscribers.  The program is really just starting to include these scans in the piece-level data, so no one is quite sure what to expect.  Subscribers do have the option of accepting assumed scan events – or not. The volume and consistency of assumed scan events is one of the big unknowns of IV.  It is hard to say how valuable this data will be.  In many cases the Postal Service is attempting to provide a predicted delivery date.  These dates are not very meaningful yet, but as the program evaluates more data they may become more meaningful.  We’ll see.  For letter mail we’re not sure how much this will enhance the tracking of mail pieces – IMb Tracing already does a very good job.  Flat mail may see a big improvement.  While individual flat pieces are often not scanned, particularly on higher density mailings, IV and its assumed scan events may offer better insight. Next month we’ll dig into container, tray, and bundle scans.  Whee!! Questions?  Feel free to contact us – we’re experts on this stuff! Again, for SnailWorks customers:  IF YOU ARE A SNAILWORKS CUSTOMER, WE ARE MANAGING THIS TRANSITION FOR YOU, IN COOPERATION WITH THE POSTAL SERVICE.    

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