With
the implementation of Intelligent Mail comes the addition of new postal
acronyms. One of the most widely used is "CSA,"Â which is the abbreviation for
Customer/Supplier Agreement. A CSA is a written agreement between the United
States Postal Service (USPS) and a commercial mailer and is designed to spell
out the requirements for origin-entry mail preparation and the
acceptance-window times necessary for mail to be considered entered into the
postal network. CSAs may also include schedules of transportation times, mail
containerization specifications, designated postal mail facility entry
locations and time-sensitive mail entry instructions.
Intelligent Mail and CSAs
CSAs have been used in the past with commercial mailers who dealt with
time-sensitive mailings, had very large volumes of mail or encountered other
special situations that called for such agreements to be in place. With
Intelligent Mail, however, the use of CSAs is greatly increasing. Since these
agreements detail timeframes for which mail is considered to be entered into
the postal stream, this serves as the point of reference for the
"Start-The-Clock" designation, or "Day 0" for mail tracking
purposes. In order for mail to be considered as entered on Day 0, it needs to
be presented to the USPS by the mailer within the acceptance-window times
detailed in the agreement. This helps eliminate any misunderstanding between
mailers and the USPS as to when the tracking "clock" starts.
Customized Mail Preparation
CSAs are also used in situations where mail preparation may vary from the
required or optional regulations in the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). These
situations usually occur when such mail-prep variations are for the mutual benefit
of the USPS and the mailer. An example would be when the mailer performs a
finer-level sortation on portions of the mail, and, in exchange, the USPS
allows a later acceptance time for this mail since it will actually result in
less processing and/or transportation for the USPS.
Benefits of CSAs
In addition to defining the mail acceptance windows for "Start-The-Clock"
purposes, CSAs can provide a number of other benefits:
- Synchronizing
the acceptance of business mailings with USPS mail processing operating plans
- Aligning
the Postal Service's processing and network capacity with workload demand
- Reducing
the randomness of volume arrival at USPS facilities
- Allowing
the Postal Service to optimize mail flow through its processing plants
- Informing
mailers of service expectations based on the time of origin entry
Participating in CSAs
If you are not currently mailing using CSAs and are interested in finding out
how to participate, you should contact your local Business Mail Entry office. Participating
mailers are able to access their CSA information electronically through the Business Customer Gateway but must first add
the CSA to their profile. For additional information on CSA's, please refer to
the USPS Guide to Customer/Supplier Agreements.
