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Helping to Save Your Treasure
 If you haven't already taken advantage of postal discounts by using the Postnet barcode, this is the time to start using the IMBC (Intelligent Mail barcode). And, if you are now receiving discounts on your mailings by using the Postnet barcode, as of May 2011 you must implement the IMBC (Intelligent Mail Barcode) in order to continue getting discounts from the USPS. This new technology also gives you improved tracking ability and address correction services, as well as even greater discounts if you are using the full service bar code options for qualified mailings.
FormSprint has fully supported this barcode since ancient times (OK, not since the days of the pharoahs) and we have customers who will testify to its ease of implementation and the benefits that it has brought to their businesses.
The barcode itself is composed of five parts:- The Barcode Identifier - two digits identifying the degree of pre-sorting the mail piece received before being presented for delivery.
- The Service Type Identifier - a three digit value representing the class of the mail and services requested.
- The Mailer ID - this is a 6 or 9-digit number assigned by the USPS for your business. You will be assigned a nine digit number unless your mail count exceeds 40 million pieces in a year.
- The Sequence number - this is a six or nine digit number you assign for this particular piece of mail. If you have a 9-digit Mailer ID, you have only 6-digits available for your unique sequence number.
- ZIP code - this is the 5, 9 or 11 digit ZIP code.
There are many services available to mailers and considerable discounts to be had if you take full advantage of the options available. It's simple to get started, you need only check with your local post office and get your Mailer ID, and check with us if you'd like help setting up your form to include the IMBC barcode. FormSprint can also provide ways to sort your mailings and provide summary files, if need be. You may just find that the USPS and FormSprint can help you save some of your precious treasure. |
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Getting the Treasure from One App to Another
 For some time now FormSprint has had the ability to create Comma Separated Variable (CSV) files from data taken from a spool file during normal processing. The file could then be imported into spreadsheets and other applications for reporting or other purposes. Version 2 makes it easy to pick columns and rows to facilitate file creation when the layout of the input spool file is similar to the desired CSV file. By indicating the starting input row and column, the CSV function can write a column of numbers to any column/row of the output file. The file can be distributed to as many output IFS locations as desired.
"Print-if" processing is also supported. Whether or not data is written to a CSV file, can be controlled by first checking for one or more characters or numbers in a particular position in the spool file. CSV files can also be automatically emailed using FormSprint Power Email. This makes timely delivery of pertinent information to users, management or customers easy.
If you think you might have an application for CSV creation give us a call. We'll be happy to discuss it with you and even help you set it up. CSV creation is a part of FormSprint. FormSprint Power Email is an optional module.
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FormSprint Power Email Update
 FormSprint Power Email is an optional module designed to automatically email FormSprint output. Invoices and purchase orders, for instance, can be automatically emailed to customers or vendors. Internal copies can be
printed. Some of our users use Power Email to email reports to their users rather than print them, saving time and paper.
FormSprint Power Email has continued to grow and evolve in response to input from our users. One valuable addition is the ability to write lines of text from the spool file to the body of the email. Multiple different file names can be used to send different template messages to different recipients. Data accumulates in each message file whenever the MESSAGE function is used until the end of the spool file. This cumulative approach lets you summarize data from the spool file to the template so you could be extracting different
information from each page and the availability of multiple message files permits tailoring messages for each recipient. For example, you could provide a list of invoice numbers and their amounts for one recipient and different summary information for another recipient.
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