SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT Q-MAIL XML file required? Barcodes for 2009? What about the 2007 Version 9 Specs? What about the 2004 Version 9 Specs? Is Q_MAIL Canada-Post SERP-Certified? What are the benefits of testing? What is Dimensional Mail? Some bags have only 2 bundles when the minimum is 4 or 6. Why? Why are some trays/tubs made with just 12 pieces or even less? What is "full" and what is "90% full" for trays/tubs? If I "fill" a tray to 90%, then it's over 25kg -what do I do? What is the "PRO" version? Why do I sometimes get bundles of 4 or 5, when the minimum is 8? What about containers - monos and skids etc? How do I get Q_MAIL to process Publications Mail and calculate the postage? Can Q_MAIL check for empty address lines? I have other questions you should answer here. XML file required? Starting in 2009, a new file will be produced by presort software - an XML file that has basically all the items in the current reports in one file. This file is to be transmitted to CPC when submitting ESOM data using their Electronic Shipping Tools. See our Q_MAIL page for a link to a copy of CPC's release regarding all this. Barcodes for 2009? Yes. Starting in 2009, it will be a requirement that barcode data be printed on tub labels and tie-out labels. This means that a printer is required that can print the barcodes. (A standard desk-top laser capable of 600 dpi is sufficient). We will be supplying a printing program for printing tub labels, tie-out labels, as well as mono labels, facing slips, and bag keeper labels. This will include all artwork, so that pre-printed labels will not be necessary. There will also be a new, larger tub label that is 6" wide rather than 5.25" wide. So new forms will be required. See our Q_MAIL page for a link to a copy of CPC's release regarding all this. What about the 2007 Version 9 Specs? As of November 20th. 2006, Q_MAIL has been successully tested in all categories, exactly the same categories as for the current version. This includes (for the PRO version) monos, skids (pallets), and brickpiling options. The new version will be shipped in November/December to all users, and that release will include BOTH the current logic AND the new logic (including version number changes). Since the change in logic will be triggered by the CPC effective dates embedded in the data files, the changeover to the new "2007" rules will be practically transparent for all Q_MAIL users. What about the 2004 Version 9 Specs? As of July 25th. 2003, Q_MAIL has been successully tested in all categories, exactly the same categories as for the current version. This includes (for the PRO version) monos, skids (pallets), and brickpiling options. The new version will be shipped in the fall to all users, and that release will include BOTH the current logic AND the new logic (including version number changes). Since the change in logic will be triggered by the CPC effective dates embedded in the data files, the changeover to the new "Release 9" rules will be practically transparent for all Q_MAIL users. Is Q_MAIL Canada-Post SERP-Certified? Yes! CPC started testing LCP software in December, 2000. Q_MAIL passed all testing phases in January, 2001. Mailers MUST be using "recognized" software for any mailings deposited on or after October 1, 2001 in order to access presort discounts for postage. Any mailings prepared using NON-SERP-Certified software will be charged entirely at Residue rates - a whopping 25% increase in some cases. Q_MAIL was tested for LetterMail, AdMail, Pub Mail, and Dimensional AdMail, as well as its ability to sort for Monotainers, Pallets and Brick-Piling options, and passed in all areas of testing. What are the benefits of testing? Apart from the obvious confidence you will have in the software, there are other immediate benfits. Your mail WILL NOT BE REJECTED if a fault is found in the software. Of course, if you cause the problem by specifying wrong data, weights, class of mail, limits, etc. - items which are under your control - then the mail may well be rejected. But if it's the fault of the software, your mail will still be accepted, CPC will notify us and they and we will conduct a review of the software. It has always been extremely rare for Q_MAIL to cause mail rejection in the past, and we have always been able to work with CPC to allow the mail to pass with as little impact as possible. But with the testing and recognition of Q_MAIL, CPC policy is that even this will not happen - your maill WILL be accepted. So there will be no "re-working" of mail simply because an RVU person thinks there is an error in the software - whether the error is real or imagined. What is Dimensional Mail? Dimensional Mail is a new class of mail which became available October 1, 2000, and allows AdMail users to mail items too bulky for AdMail. Please check with CPC for full details. It is essentially a sub-set of AdMail, and can be prepared using Q_MAIL. Tub (Tray) processing is required, and there are 3 mail-piece sizes - Small, Medium and Large. Some bags have only 2 bundles when the minimum is 4 or 6. Why? Small bags require at least EITHER 4 bundles OR 3.5 Kg. Large bags require at least EITHER 6 bundles or 7 Kg. So if the mail piece is heavy (say 220 gms), then a smaller number of pieces than 4 (or 6) bundles will suffice to make a bag. In this example, 16 pieces, comprised of 2 bundles (or even 1 bundle) would be correctly placed in their own bag (3520 gms, small bags). This is not an option or a feature, but is a CPC requirement. It is especially noticeable on low density small mailings with a heavy mailing piece. Why are some trays/tubs made with just 12 pieces or even less? The new rules call for at least one full container (tub) going to a delivery office. If more than one tub is involved, ALL tubs must be full (i.e. at least 90% full) except the last one, which may have as little as one bundle - even a part-bundle in some cases. Sequence integrity must be maintained within that part-tub, so the mailer must use rubber bands, padding, or whatever is reasonable to retain the integrity of the sorted sequence in that tub. The above only applies to tubs, NOT to bags. What is "full" and what is "90% full" for trays/tubs? Canada Post has diagrams of how to calculate the "full" definition, which is essentially 90% of the total that would physically fit into a tray. This 10% allows for variations in actual versus theoretical maximums. It is this "90%" number that you would supply to Q_MAIL as TUB=. Q_MAIL stops when it reaches the specified number you gave it as TUB=, BUT it will continue to the end of the bundle it was working on at the time, meaning that it will likely exceed the (90%) maximum specified. This will use up some of the 10% "slack". Unless your bundle max is more than 10% of the true 100% full figure, then there will never be too much allocated to a tray. If the bundle max is more than 10% (and density is such that the current bundle contains the maximum - most times it won't even be close), then either reduce the bundle max, or reduce the TUB= number as appropriate. So simply put, if the ABSOLUTE PHYSICAL MAXIMUM that would fit into a crammed tray is 500, then you should specify TUB=450, and probably BUNDLE=50. If I "fill" a tray to 90%, then it's over 25kg - what do I do? Bags and trays are limited to 25kg no matter what. So if 90% fill is more than 22.5kg, then reduce the tray/bag maximum until it no longer exceeds 22.5kg. The fact that this then means a tray will only be, say, 70% full by size is not important in this case. (22.5kg is 90% of 25kg). Since Q_MAIL will finish the current bundle when it hits the maximum, some trays will be slightly over the specified maximum - which is one of the reasons for the "90%" calculation. What is the "PRO" version? Formerly called the "high-speed" version, the PRO version is faster than the standard version. It also has the required logic for Mono, Skid and Brickpiling of mailings. "High-speed" is a mis-nomer now, but back in the days of '486 CPUs and DOS, this version was as much as 10 to 15 times faster than the standard version. With faster CPUs and disk drives, the speed differential is not so obvious. Also, since both standard and PRO measure through-put in the millions per hour - faster than any competing product - having a "non-fast" version implied slowness for the standard version, which was certainly not the case. If you are processing up to 50,000 records at a time, total time is measured in seconds, so doubling or tripling the speed would be of no great value, and the PRO version would not be worth the extra costs. For larger mailers and service-bureaux, where it is common to process hundreds of thousands of records several times a day, the PRO version comes into its own. Add to this extra speed the ability to handle monotainers or skids, and that's where the benefits really show up. Why do I sometimes get bundles of 4 or 5, when the minimum is 8? The minimum bundle size for Admail is NOT 8. It has never been 8. The minimum to QUALIFY for Admail at a specific "level" is 8. Once you have 8 or more, then those items must be bundled. CPC states that a maximum bundle must be 4 inches for s/l, 8 inches for over-sized. But they also state that these maximums "MAY be reduced for ease of handling". So if your mail piece is 1/3" thick, and you reasonably decide "ease of handling" is 3 inches, then the maximum bundle size would be 9. If you actually have 11 pieces qualifying at a certain level, then 11 is too much for one bundle, and so they are split into a bundle of 6 and a bundle of 5. The only way to prevent this, and the ensuing endless arguments with RVU, is to always specify a maximum bundle of 1 less than double the qualifying minimum. In other words, 15 for Admail, 11 for Pub Mail, 9 for Lettermail, and 7 for Catalog Mail. If these numbers still mean a bundle that is too thick for "ease of handling", then you can (properly) reduce them, or you can live with the fact that the bundle is too thick and complain to CPC - Presortation Help Line - 1-800-363-3459. What about containers - monos and skids etc? We have enhanced Q_MAIL to handle monos, skids, pallets, and brick-piling, but these features are only available in the PRO version of Q_MAIL. Full notes are included with the new version 2.1 already shipped. "MONO=24, TUB=500, BUNDLE=50" for example would process bundle-maximums of 50 pieces, with a full tub being 500 pieces, and a mono to contain a max of 24 tubs (trays). Any other rules about minimum numbers required by CPC are automatically handled from there by Q_MAIL. How do I get Q_MAIL to process Publications Mail and calculate the postage? Simply make the entry CLASS=CPM in the control file. The rest is handled automatically. CLASS=2 was used when 2nd. class mail had far too many rates to be able to build rate tables. For logic, the only difference between CLASS=2 and CLASS=CPM is the calculation of postage. Other classes of mail are: LetterMail - CLASS=1; AdMail - CLASS=3; and Catalog Mail - CLASS=4 (although you must also specify NDG=YES for Catalog mail). Postage cannot be calculated at present for Catalog mail. Can Q_MAIL check for empty address lines? Yes. By adding ST1=xx and ST1LEN=yy (xx being the position, yy being the field length), and/or ST2 and ST2LEN, Q_MAIL will check for the presence of data in EITHER of these fields. If no data are there, then the record will be rejected and placed in the reject file. Similarly, CITY=xx and CITYLEN=yy will cause the city field also to be checked for the presence of data. Do not use CITY/CITYLEN if the city "floats" up into the street lines, or too many records will be rejected due to the absence of the City field. I have other questions you should answer here. Please send your suggestions for inclusion to us. If they would be of general help, we'll post the answer here.