USPS or Mailer System
Issue/Outage
Contingency Plan
Version 2.0
February 1, 2016
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ... 2
1. USPS or Mailer System Issue/Outage Contingency Plan ... 3
1.1
Purpose ... 3
1.2
Acceptance Process Overview... 3
1.3
Communications ... 5
2. Acceptance Process Details ... 6
2.1
USPS Record of Mailings Log ... 6
2.2
Mailing Information – Electronic Postage Statements ... 6
2.3
Mailing Information – Hardcopy Postage Statements... 6
2.4
Submission of Electronic Postage Statements after System Issue/Outage Resolution
………...7
2.5
Reconciliation ... 7
2.6
Issues with Acceptance of Mail ... 7
3. Electronic Verification System (eVS) ... 8
3.1
eVS Acceptance Process ... 8
3.2
Submission of Electronic Postage Statements after System Issue/Outage Resolution
………...8
Plan
1.1 Purpose
The following instructions are provided for continuation of operations in the event a mailer is not able to submit an electronic postage statement to the USPS due to a USPS system (including but not limited to: PostalOne!, eVS, SASP, CAPS, FAST, Business Customer Gateway, etc.) issue/outage or mailer issue/outage. System issues/outages can occur on a local or national basis.
A USPS system issue/outage is defined as any time a defect or issue with a USPS system (i.e. PostalOne!) that:
• Prevents acceptance employees from accessing customer balance or fee information.
• Prevents acceptance employees from entering and/or finalizing hardcopy postage statements.
• Prevents acceptance employees from accessing and/or finalizing electronic postage statements.
• Prevents or impacts the ability of mailers to submit electronic documentation (eDoc) including postage statements.
• Prevents or impacts the ability of mailers to access information, such as container status (eInduction) or account balances, necessary for continuation of operations.
A mailer issue/outage is defined as any time a defect or issue with a mailer system that: • Prevents or impacts the ability of a mailer to submit electronic documentation (eDoc)
including postage statements.
Note: Mailers experiencing issues with an electronic file containing eInduction containers
must report the issue to the PostalOne! Help Desk at 800.522.9085.
1.2 Acceptance Process Overview
During a USPS or Mailer system issue/outage Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) and Detached Mail Unit (DMU) locations will accept mailings under the following process: • USPS Record of Mailings Log: A USPS Record of Mailings Log will be maintained at
USPS acceptance units for each mailing presented during a USPS or mailer system issue or outage. This log will be used to reconcile the mailings accepted to postage statements once the outage or issue has been resolved.
• Mailing Information – Electronic Postage Statements: Mail.dat®
, Mail.XML™, Postal Wizard, and Intelligent Mail Small Business Tool (IMsb) mailers who normally submit their postage statements electronically must be able to provide, either verbally or in written format (hardcopy or electronic), the following information:
a.
Permit Holderb.
Total Pieces (An approximate total piece count can be provided if the mailerdoes not know the exact number of total pieces)
c.
Total Postage (An approximate total postage amount can be provided if themailer does not know the exact total postage for the mailing)
d.
Mailer Job IDMailers and acceptance units may still experience a delay in jobs appearing on the
PostalOne! dashboard after an issue/outage has been resolved. Acceptance units we
will continue to accept mailings under the PostalOne! and eInduction contingency plan for the next 48 hours.
If after the 48 hour period a mailer is still experiencing issues with the submission of electronic documentation, the mailer must contact the PostalOne! Help Desk at 800.522.9085 to report the issue and have a ticket assigned. The mailer must present the ticket number at time of acceptance. Acceptance units will continue to accept these mailings under the PostalOne! contingency plan until the ticket is resolved.
Mail.dat, Mail.XML, Postal Wizard, IMsb, and eVS mailers who normally submit their postage statements electronically will not be required to provide presort documentation for any mailing submitted during a USPS or mailer issue/outage.
eInduction mailers are not required to provide any additional documentation (i.e. hardcopy 8125 or listing of container barcodes, etc.).
• eVS Mailers may continue to transport their packages to destination locations. eVS mailers will not be required to provide hardcopy postage statements or PS Form 8125 during a system outage.
• Mailing Information – Hardcopy Postage Statements: Mailers who normally submit hardcopy postage statements for postage payment will continue to submit the hardcopy postage statement during a PostalOne! system outage
Note: Some mailers provide courtesy hardcopy postage statements to acceptance
employees located in DMU as part established acceptance procedures. Hardcopy postage statements provided to acceptance employees to support those processes must not be entered into the Postalone! system.
Mailers who normally submit hardcopy postage statements will be required to continue providing presort documentation with their mailings.
• Submission of Electronic Postage Statements after System Issue/Outage
Resolution: Once the USPS or mailer issue is resolved mailers must begin submitting
their electronic postage statements to the USPS immediately.
• Reconciliation: Immediately after the system issue is resolved acceptance employees will begin reconciling the mailings listed on the manual USPS Record of Mailing Log to electronic or hardcopy submitted postage statements.
Mailers must submit all postage statements associated to mailings presented during a system outage within 48 hours of the system issue being resolved. If after the 48 hour period a mailer is still experiencing issues with the submission of electronic
documentation, the mailer must contact the PostalOne! Help Desk at 800.522.9085 to report the issue and have a ticket assigned.
• Issues with Acceptance: Mailers experiencing acceptance issues at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) or Detached Mail Unit (DMU), or eInduction issues at a Destination Delivery Units (DDUs) or Processing Facilities should contact the following Help Desks:
a.
BMEU/DMU Acceptance Issues: PostalOne! Help Desk 800.522.9085b.
DDU or Processing Facility (eInduction): FAST® Help Desk 877.569.6614c. eVs Help Desk: 877-264-9693 option 4
1.3 Communications
USPS Headquarters Mail Entry will provide communication to all internal and external users during any planned or unplanned PostalOne! system outage.
In the event of an unplanned PostalOne! system outage, the USPS will communicate the outage through the following:
• Industry Alert (Internal and External)
• PostalOne! Help Desk (Internal and External)
• Workgroup and User group distribution lists (Internal and External) • CAPS Distribution List (External)
• Business Service Network (Internal) • BMA Distribution List (Internal)
Outage notifications will be added to the following system landing pages: • Business Customer Gateway
• RIBBS • CAPs
The information below will be provided in the communication and within the system landing pages:
• Notification of the incident and impact
• An expectation of when the system may be restored • Notification on system restoration progress
2. Acceptance Process Details
2.1 USPS Record of Mailings Log
During a USPS or mailer system issue/outage, acceptance units will move to a manual process to record all mailings presented. As mailings are presented, acceptance employees must record each mailing on a document titled a USPS Record of Mailings Log. This log will be maintained at acceptance units and will be used in the reconciliation process once the issue/outage is resolved.
2.2
Mailing Information – Electronic Postage StatementsIn order to track mailings presented during a USPS or mailer system issue/outage, Mail.dat, Mail.XML, Postal Wizard, and IMsb mailers who normally submit their postage statements electronically are asked to provide, either verbally or in written format (hard copy or
electronic), some information about the mailings presented. This information will be recorded by an acceptance employee on the USPS Record of Mailings Log. Enough information about the mailing must be provided so that acceptance employees can reconcile the log entry to a postage statement or job once the system issue/outage is resolved. It is recommended that the following information is provided for each mailing:
a. Permit Holder
b. Total Pieces (An approximate total piece count can be provided if the mailer does not know the exact number of total pieces)
c. Total Postage (An approximate total postage amount can be provided if the mailer does not know the exact total postage for the mailing.)
d. Mailer Job ID
e. eInduction mailing: Yes or No
Mail.dat, Mail.XML, Postal Wizard, and IMsb mailers who normally submit their postage statements electronically will not be required to provide presort documentation for any mailing submitted during a USPS or mailer issue/outage.
A hardcopy postage statement or any other documentation is not required for Mail.dat, Mail.XML, Postal Wizard, IMsb, and eVs mailers who normally submit their postage statements electronically.
eInduction mailers are not required to provide any additional documentation (i.e. hardcopy 8125 or listing of container barcodes, etc.).
Note: Mailers who have Special Postage Payment System (SPPS) agreements authorized
by Business Mailers Support will follow the contingency plan instructions and procedures identified within the SPPS agreements or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
2.3 Mailing Information – Hardcopy Postage Statements
Mailers who normally submit hardcopy postage statements for postage payment will continue to submit a hardcopy postage statement during a PostalOne! system outage.
a.
If the PostalOne! system is accessible by the acceptance employee, Hardcopy PostageStatements must be entered. These statements are not required to be entered on the
statements must be secured for entry upon system restoration.
Note: Some mailers provide courtesy hardcopy postage statements to acceptance
employees located in DMUs as part of unique established acceptance procedures. Hardcopy postage statements provided to acceptance employees to support those processes must not be entered into the Postalone! system.
Mailers who normally submit hardcopy postage statements will be required to continue providing presort documentation with their mailings.
2.4 Submission of Electronic Postage Statements after System
Issue/Outage Resolution
Once the USPS or mailer issue is resolved mailers must immediately submit their electronic postage statements to the USPS.
Mailers and acceptance units may still experience a delay in jobs appearing on the
PostalOne! dashboard after an issue/outage has been resolved. Acceptance units will
continue to accept mailings under the PostalOne! and eInduction contingency plan for the next 48 hours.
If after the 48 hour period a mailer is still experiencing issues with the submission of electronic documentation, the mailer must contact the PostalOne! Help Desk at
800.522.9085 to report the issue and have a ticket assigned. The mailer must present the ticket number at time of acceptance. Acceptance units will continue to accept these mailings under the PostalOne! contingency plan until the ticket is resolved.
2.5 Reconciliation
Immediately after the system issue is resolved acceptance employees will begin reconciling the mailings listed on the manual USPS Record of Mailing Log to electronic or hardcopy submitted postage statements. Once identified the postage statement will be finalized and funds for that mailing will be deducted from the paying account.
Mailers must submit all postage statements associated to mailings presented during a system outage within 48 hours of the system issue being resolved. If after the 48 hour period a mailer is still experiencing issues with the submission of electronic documentation, the mailer must contact the PostalOne! Help Desk at 800.522.9085 to report the issue and have a ticket assigned. The mailer must present the ticket number at time of acceptance.
Acceptance units will continue to accept these mailings under the PostalOne! contingency plan until the ticket is resolved.
2.6 Issues with Acceptance of Mail
Mailers experiencing acceptance issues at a BMEU, DMU, or eInduction issues at a DDU or Processing Facilities should contact the following Help Desks:
a. BMEU/DMU Acceptance Issues: PostalOne! Help Desk 800.522.9085 b. DDU or Processing Facility (eInduction): FAST Help Desk 877.569.6614
3. Electronic Verification System (eVS)
3.1 eVS Acceptance Process
During a USPS or Mailer system issue/outage eVS mailers may continue to transport their packages to destination locations.
eVS mailers will not be required to provide hardcopy postage statements, Shipping Service Files (SSF), or PS Form 8125 during a system outage.
3.2 Submission of Electronic Postage Statements after System
Issue/Outage Resolution
Once the USPS or mailer issue is resolved mailers must immediately submit their electronic postage statements and SSF files (if applicable) to the USPS.
Mailers must submit all postage statements associated to mailings presented during a system outage within 48 hours of the system issue being resolved. Mailers may still
experience a delay in jobs in file submission after an issue/outage has been resolved. If after the 48 hour period a mailer is still experiencing issues with the submission of electronic documentation, the mailer must contact the eVS Help Desk: 877-264-9693 option 4 to report the issue and have a ticket assigned.
3.3 Issues with Acceptance of Mail
Mailers experiencing acceptance issues at a BMEU, DMU, or eInduction issues at a DDU or Processing Facility should contact the following Help Desks:
