The Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) is a venue for the USPS® to share technical information with mailers and offer recommendations on how to get the most value out of mail-related products and services. MTAC meetings take place once per quarter and provide an opportunity for mailers to interact with the Postal Service’s executive leadership team on new and existing programs. 

Here, Canon production inkjet customers and thINK members Dina Kessler, President, Kessler Creative, and Scott Williams, General Manager of Operations, Impact, share a brief recap from the August 2020 MTAC meeting.

The USPS Continues to Optimize Performance and Efficiency

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s assessment of USPS performance thus far in 2024 can best be summarized in one word: progress. According to DeJoy, USPS packages and First Class Mail are delivering at more than 89% of service standards, with marketing mail delivering at more than 96% of service standards. DeJoy emphasized the need to continue process and facility improvements in order to build on these numbers, and he reiterated his commitment to network changes and updates in service of optimizing performance and efficiency. 

DeJoy pointed to the complications of network changes in large USPS hubs like Atlanta as an important learning experience to avoid processing delays at other facilities that are currently undergoing network alterations — these USPS sites include Jacksonville, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; and Greensboro, North Carolina. 

The USPS is incorporating such concerns into the strategic planning for the next phase of the Delivering for America program, particularly the need to increase revenue through package handling growth. This will likely include the consolidation of package movement and a reduction in the number of USPS locations. 

While DeJoy acknowledged that the USPS has seen its fair share of challenges during the past few months, he remained bullish about what the short and long-term future holds for the Postal Service, especially in terms of improving the overall customer experience. 

A Focus on Modernizing Customer Engagement Platforms

The need to enhance the customer experience and make the purchasing of products and services faster and easier is mission-critical for Pritha Mehra, USPS Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President. Mehra shared that many of the changes the USPS is working towards to modernize customer engagement platforms center on streamlining how the USPS processes and utilizes customer data to better connect with customers. 

Plus, Mehra also discussed the need to increase the user-friendly nature of customer interfaces like the Business Customer Gateway, and how revamping these kinds of customer-facing technologies are vital to increasing the value the USPS provides.

In the spirit of modernizing technology, the Webtools Label API was officially retired on July 14, 2024, and any account without an approved waiver will be deleted on September 1, 2024. 

In addition, Mehra reiterated that registration for the 2024 Mail Growth Incentive program will not reopen this year, but that a 2025 program is currently in the works. The 2024 program saw 1,700 new registrations and 77% of registrations were finalized. This resulted in 37 billion pieces of First Class Mail and Marketing Mail in the pipeline. Those who registered in 2024 will be automatically registered for the 2025 program — you can view the 2025 program guidebook at postalpro.usps.com. 

Please feel free to reach out to Scott or Dina if you have any questions regarding MTAC or the information shared. We represent the thINK community while at MTAC and are glad to ask questions while attending on your behalf.