The following Updates are to keep customers and vendors informed on any R&D efforts related to the Corporate Flats Strategy and the development of new automated processing equipment for flat-sized mail, such as the Flats Sequencing System (FSS) or Delivery Point Packaging (DPP).   July, 2005 Flats ID Code Sort ID Tag Description     Beginning in the Summer of 2004, the United States Postal Service implemented a new flats automation enhancement to their fleet of Automated Flat Sorting Machine (AFSM) 100. The Flats Identification Code Sort (FICS) added the capability to read ID tags, apply ID tags, look-up sort results based on the ID tag, and read Postnet barcodes. The FICS system applies an id tag to each non-barcoded flat and stores the address coding results from the OCR or the remote encoding center (REC). In subsequent operations, FICS reads the ID tag and sorts the mail using the stored ZIP Code information. By eliminating multiple keying of the same images at the Remote Encoding Centers, FICS will enable the Postal Service to further automate flat sorting operations. Additionally, FICS will allow the Postal Service to support future efforts in flat delivery point sequencing and intelligent mail initiatives. (From www.usps.com/strategicplanning/cs04/cs2005.pdf) The entire fleet of AFSM 100 systems will have been fully retrofitted with FICS by June 30, 2005.   FICS ID Tags are placed on mailpieces in the following scenarios:     1. Tags will be applied to all mailpieces without barcodes.     2. Tags will also be applied if there are deficiencies in pre-printed barcodes, such as (correctable by mailer when detected):         a. barcode readability         b. incorrect barcode print         c. undefined ZIP Code     3. Localized AFSM 100 system issues (correctable by USPS when detected):         a. camera issues – light source dim, lens dirty; alignment, blockage of aperture         b. presser roller released in front of the scan aperture         c. poor photo eye alignment         d. estop or jam during run with mailpiece stopped in front of aperture     4. FICS Operating Mode - System being run in “ICS if no ICS” mode (sometimes referred to as “label-all” mode) – this mode is run during new system installs and acceptance testing. FICS tags are placed on all flats during acceptance test in order to “stress” the system. This is a relatively small volume over a very restricted period of time. Label Placement Facts: The label size of the FICS ID tag is 4.375” long by .5” high. Please click here to view the schematic Each flat mail piece is inducted into the AFSM-100/FICS system with the address label faced towards the Barcode Reader, bound side of magazines and catalogs are always placed on bottom leading edge. Initial FICS label placement was located 1” from the leading edge of the mail piece. Enhancements to the FICS software have now allowed the Postal Service to configure the location of the ID tag to be set to 1.75” from the leading edge of the mail piece.     July 2, 2004 STANDARD-BEARERS AFSM 100 is first USPS standardized operation     All Automated Flat Sorting Machine (AFSM) 100 sites around the country are now standardized and certified — the first USPS operation to achieve that coveted status.   “’Standardization’ and ‘certification’ are more than just words,” said Operations Senior Vice President John Rapp. “They are best practices that have helped the AFSM 100 operation save 1.9 million work hours and more than $72 million cost avoidance for USPS in the past nine months alone.”   New York Metro Area is proof. The Area has consistently led the nation in 2004 AFSM 100 operations with a performance of 2,109 pieces per hour through June 25.   All areas have shown significant improvement during the standardization effort. Over the past two years, performance has increased more than 29 percent in the New York Metro, Great Lakes, Southeast, Southwest and Pacific Areas. National performance increased almost 25 percent.   Performance and Field Operations Support, Processing Operations and area representatives worked together to make Louisville, KY, the first certified site in 2002. The last of the original 234 sites, Milwaukee, WI, was certified this month.   Our AFSM 100 sites are raising the standards. Standardizing best practices is not only good business — it’s a Transformation Plan strategy that’s delivering results.     AFSM 100 FLAT SORTER TRAY HANDLING CONTRACT AWARDED (September 22, 2003)     The Postal Service has awarded a $127 million contract to Siemens Dematic to produce 350 ATHS-100 automated tray-handling systems, an enhancement to the AFSM-100 automated flats handling systems. The ATHS-100 program improves flat mail sorting operations by automatically exchanging full mail trays with empty ones, applying labels on outbound trays, sweeping the AFSM-100 full trays after operation and re-loading empty trays.