Postal Guide
- Canada Postal Guide

Last updated: 2006-09-18

Section G

Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions

Table of Contents

What Is It?
Inputs
Delivery Outputs
Features
Benefits
Pricing Information

Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions are physical and electronic communication (mail) production and delivery management services directed at both the mid-market and enterprise mailer (“Sender”). These solutions transform a sender’s communications from raw or print-ready data into the necessary and appropriate form of information (i.e., document) and delivers them physically or electronically, dependant on recipient preference. The process of transformation from data to information includes formatting the data and message as appropriate for the sender’s or receiver’s negotiated and individually-specified choice of channel medium.

The key values of Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions are the services and activities that comprise the management of the end-to-end communication process from a single input file transformed into the desired outputs.

Inputs to top of page

Customers of Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions can submit data electronically via the Internet using secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or physically via a variety of physical media formats, including:

CD/DVD
magnetic tape

Acceptable File Formats

Advanced Function Printing (AFP)
System Data Format (SDF)
Portable Document Format (PDF)
Metacode
Postscript (PS and EPS)
most Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) proprietary formats (e.g., SAP, Oracle, etc.)
Variable Character Delimited (text) Format
Ashton Tate/Borland dBase II, III, IV, or compatible (DBF)
Lotus Worksheet or similar (WK)
MS Access (MDB, ADP)
Text (TXT, CSV, TAB, RTF)
Excel (XLS, XLW); Word (DOC)

Delivery Outputs to top of page

Physical Mail or Courier

Sender files are electronically sorted, prepared and securely forwarded to one or more mail production facilities across the country.

The proximity and integration with Lettermail operations results in faster processing and ultimately quicker local delivery.

epost™

Secure and certain electronic delivery through Canada Post’s electronic bill presentment (EBP) service. epost can present documents as a PDF displayed within a browser window or as an HTML webpage. epost presents information to the receiver along with links to more commercial messaging and online payment.

Mail is available to the receiver securely via the receiver’s pre-determined epost mailbox presented at the epost website or within various financial institutions’ bill payment websites. Delivery is guaranteed for the date specified by the sender.

Secure Email

Senders may choose to deliver PDF documents to their Recipients’ email inboxes, securing them through Canada Post’s electronic delivery securing services and capabilities such as PosteCS™ and Electronic Postmark™ (EMP). Delivery to the designated email can be confirmed, but receipt is not guaranteed.

For senders whose electronic communication does not warrant security, privacy, and confidentiality, Multi Channel Presentment Solutions can route messages to recipients via email as a sender-specific mail message with a PDF-format attachment. Due to the nature of Internet email, delivery is not guaranteed.

Fax

Senders may opt for fax delivery of documents. PDF file versions of the document are transmitted directly to the facsimile number via an inline fax server.

Features to top of page

Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions have the following features:

data input transformation to AFP file type for consistent output processing
destination document creation suited to Customers’ designated delivery channel(s) and media
auto-channeling of output document to either lowest-cost alternative or Customer-prescribed output option (as requested)
archiving of individual output documents and input data
fail-safe delivery channel rollover, to physical mail, within 24 hours of any delivery failure in primary delivery channel.
secondary channel preference if failure occurs within first option.
includes full re-submission of receiver’s transaction document to the secondary channel choice
channel preference update between sender and receiver
concurrent delivery via physical and multiple electronic channels as requested

Professional Services

Customer setup
Mailing preference and specification setup, including the development of print-ready output template(s) from raw data for each channel
Options (such as forms design, custom programming (i.e., applying Customer-specific business rules)

Mail Consolidation

mailing list accuracy and updating
address accuracy analysis on mailing lists to identify deficient addresses
address accuracy correction of deficient addresses from a list, plus a detailed report on addresses that can not be corrected
address accuracy certification to prove qualification for certain postage rate incentives
address list maintenance (merging and purging address lists, genderizing names etc.)
high resolution printing in black and white with highlight colours and full colour printing available
production inventory management and climate-controlled storage
electronic capture of Customer response to email messages

Reports

volume summary for each delivery channel used for all mailings
undeliverable messages statistics by channel for all mailings (epost, email and fax)

Benefits to top of page

Expedite and Simplify

Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions reduce the time it takes to produce and send your transaction mail. It is a one-stop, single point of contact service that transforms and produces your billing or statement data files into bills, invoices, or statement documents for any physical or electronic delivery method.

Cost Reduction

free up assets used in running production facilities and warehousing communication materials
save by consolidating for economies of scale
gain access to bundled pricing

NOTE:
Prices are based on volume and other criteria. Product features are subject to terms and conditions.

Private and Secure Communication

Canada Post keeps the Customer’s data and physical or electronic documents private and secure throughout the production and delivery process in accordance with it’s privacy commitment to Canadians.

Leverage Canada Post’s National Network

Canada Post has strategically located print sites across Canada to minimize delivery time, and provide a failover backup system in case of printer failure in the primary specific site.

Pricing Information to top of page

To obtain pricing information, contact a Canada Post Sales Representative by calling 1 800 363-4763, or email to electronic.services@canadapost.ca