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Will ULI operate its own co-mailing facility? Can I really expect to save money? Will my magazines arrive in better shape? Will it take longer for my readers to get their magazines? Will you truck magazines to Bolingbrook on weekends? When does the Standard mail pool run? Why do I need an additional entry point? Why do I need to switch to inkjet labeling? Should I be concerned about variable thicknesses due to inserts? Do I have to have a knock-out box on every copy? Can I use that same knock-out box for messaging on show copies? What about inkjetting over a UV coating? Do I have a choice of font/color/point size for messaging? Where can I get the dimensions for the knock-out box? Why can't I inkjet inside the magazines? Can polybagged magazines be co-mailed? Do I need to increase my spoilage percentage?
It’s the process of combining multiple titles to create postal-delivery density, in an effort to take advantage of postal work-sharing discounts. Although it’s radically different from our current local-entry process, we’re sure you’ll find the benefits of co-mailing compelling:
Will ULI operate its own co-mailing facility? The Sheridan Group looked very closely at trying to put this process under the roof of an existing TSG plant, but we just didn’t have the volume to make it work for our customers. For co-mailing to be successful—that is, to generate discounts high enough to cover the costs and still provide savings for our customers—there must be enough mail going to the same place at the same time. So, after rigorous research, we decided to partner with the current leader in co-mailing: Quebecor World Logistics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor World. QWL has been in the co-mailing business for more than 20 years, and is the best-equipped organization to supply this kind of service to our customers. About three years ago, they developed a system that commingles up to 30 individual titles into a single mail stream. This way, smaller publishers can enjoy the same presort benefits that the large-circulation titles have been enjoying for years. Based in Bolingbrook, Illinois, QWL also has the largest postal distribution and mail-entry system in the country, currently serving more than 320 postal destinations at least three times a week. Our partnership with QWL means that we can bring you the latest technology, the most capacity, the most flexible schedule and the most proven co-mailing and distribution service available today. Can I really expect to save money? Most customers can expect to see net postal savings, although of course those savings will vary from issue to issue due to piece weight, ad content and overall circulation.
Each issue, you’ll receive a statement of what local postage would have been, a postage statement reflecting the postage after co-mailing and an invoice from us that details transportation, distribution, and co-mailing charges. To figure your actual savings on a given mailing, just subtract the total charges for transportation, distribution and co-mailing, as well as the co-mailing postage, from the original local-entry postage. And my magazines will arrive in better shape? Almost certainly. Since they’ll enter the mail stream closer to their ultimate point of delivery, there’ll be much less handling by the USPS—and this is a real advantage. Each process your mail has to go through to get to its final destination increases the potential for damage—and the more you can bypass, the fewer the chances that your magazines will be damaged while in the possession of the USPS. Will it take longer for my readers to receive their magazines? Probably not. Right now, when we move the mail off our dock onto the USPS truck, we notify you that we’ve mailed your product. In the new process, we’ll notify you when your books have been delivered to the appropriate USPS entry points (typically one of the Sectional Center Facilities, or SCFs). Delivery to your readers will generally occur within two days of the mail’s receipt at the remote entry point. The thing to keep in mind is that, although the USPS claims that the average delivery time for periodical mail is within seven days of entry, it can take anywhere from five to 40 (yes, in some cases, 40!) days for your mail to be delivered using the current local-entry process. Coming out of the co-mailing operation, all of the mail is palletized—and a high percentage is entered as carrier-route bundles. The mail is immediately dispatched into the transportation network, with delivery beginning on Day 4 after the co-mail pool start-up. Cycle after cycle, assuming that you submit your files to us on schedule, your magazine will be delivered at the same time of the month and customer complaints should be greatly reduced. Your office copies, non-USPS shipments, foreign mail, polybagged mail and any version of less than 5,000 copies will be handled as they are now. The magazines that qualify for co-mailing will be dispatched to Bolingbrook by truck in time to hit the next co-mailing pool—usually the next day. Once it arrives at the co-mail facility, the mail is queued for the next pool start-up. Currently, there are two to four pools a week, with one or two started on Tuesday and another one or two on Friday. It takes three days for the whole co-mail pool to be produced, but mail is entering the distribution system as soon as it is produced. Some mail pieces may even be delivered before the whole run is finished. In short, although it’ll take the mail a week or so longer to get into the hands of the USPS, the system moves the freight so close to the final destination that it can be delivered within a day or two—so it actually gets to your readers faster. What day does the Standard mail pool run? Currently, there is no pool for Standard mail. If there is Standard mail that can be drop-shipped at a net savings, it will leave here daily, along with other drop-ship mail or magazines destined for co-mailing. Will you truck mail to Bolingbrook on weekends? Although we may truck materials to Bolingbrook on a non-business day in a crisis situation, you should plan your schedule on the assumption that trucking will take place Monday-Friday only. You keep talking about “qualified" mail(ings). What does that mean? To qualify for co-mailing, a mail piece must meet the following specifications:
The Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) is an electronic postage payment system offered by the USPS—and required for co-mailing. In fact, the USPS is moving toward requiring electronic payment from all mailers in the future. Essentially, it’s like having a debit against your personal checking account for your mortgage payment each month. Once your CAPS account is set up, the exact amount of funds necessary for payment will be deducted from the bank account you’ve specified each time your mail is entered in Bolingbrook. Please note that a CAPS trust account does not meet QWL processing requirements. Most publishers find this a much more convenient system, since it eliminates the need to write a check and funds are not withdrawn from your account until the next business day after the mail has been accepted. There are no fees for setting up or maintaining a CAPS debit account. Our Mailing Services department can help you establish this account. Get more information about CAPS debit accounts here. Why do I need an additional entry point? For periodical mail, the USPS requires that a publisher open an “entry point” wherever postage is collected. Since the mail is created and verified—and the postage collected—in Bolingbrook, Illinois, each participant must open an entry point there. The fee is $65.00, made payable to Postmaster, USPS, 105 Canterbury Lane, Bolingbrook, IL 60440; you can download the application form here. If you need assistance with the paperwork, please contact our Mailing Services department. Why do I need to switch to inkjet labeling? Because the co-mailing machine uses advanced sortation technology to select from among 30 different titles to create each bundle, it’s essential that labels be provided as electronic data, and that the white area for the labels be located in a standard physical location on all 30 of those titles. This means that you'll need to create an inkjet knock-out box on your cover in either of two predefined areas. Please note that the left-hand position indicated on the second template may be used whether or not the messaging area is used as well. Should I be concerned about variable thicknesses due to inserts? Not as long as the magazine does not exceed .375" at its thickest point. The co-mailing machine has a floating table that adjusts the distance between the inkjet head and the printing substrate on the fly, from one book to the next. Do I have to have a knock-out box on every copy? If you don’t want a white box on magazines that won’t be mailed (such as show copies), we can attach a blank paper label to provide a space for inkjet addressing, for an additional fee. This may be a cost-effective solution if you want to avoid the expense of additional versions. Can I use that same knock-out box for messaging on show or office copies? Yes. Because your office copies will not go to Bolingbrook, we can put any message you wish in the "address box" — within the physical limits of the box. What about inkjetting over a UV coating? No problem. Inkjet addressing can be applied over a UV coating. Do I have a choice of font/color/point size for messaging? While you may have a choice at some point in the future, right now our focus is on keeping postal increases at bay. Why can’t I inkjet inside the magazine? Mechanically, there’s no way to open your book on the co-mailing machine. If inside inkjetting is a requirement, we’ll need to do it at the time of binding, which will require that your mail be entered locally at prevailing local-entry postage rates. Can polybagged magazines be co-mailed? Because current co-mailing technology doesn’t yet allow for polybagged product to be fed into the co-mailing line, magazines that must be polybagged will continue to be entered locally, at prevailing local-entry rates. Do I need to increase my spoilage percentages? This question is still being reviewed; in the meantime, we will adjust for any necessary spoilage. You do not need to make any adjustments to your counts. No need to sign up. If you’re a periodical mailer with a qualified mailing, you’ll simply need to supply us with electronic mail files, open a CAPS account and set up an additional entry point in Bolingbrook, IL. Although co-mailing is available only for periodical mail, we’ll drop-ship Standard mail as long as you’ll see an overall savings. If you’re a Standard mailer, all you have to do is supply us with electronic mail files. We’ll prepare your mailings for drop-shipping and bill you for those services. The additional charges for distribution will be more than offset by the savings you’ll see on your postage statement. What if I have more questions? Current customers should e-mail any additional questions to their Account Managers; prospective customers should contact their Account Executives.
Copyright 1997 - 2008, United Litho, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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