Case study
“We don’t have room for the returns anymore”, one of our old customers once complained. Not only did the printer have to be replaced after printing a few thousand return forms (because of the glue on the form), but the returned forms also had to be put into the files, which sometimes was delayed by a few weeks. Our client asked if the soon-to-debut Electronic Delivery Receipt could be integrated into Indecs?
After clarifying the exact needs and services provided by Magyar Posta, intensive software development started and the Indecs ePost module was soon ready. From then on, there were no more printing, silabising of the soaked and scribbled-up returned forms: from here on, everything was done electronically, as quickly and accurately as possible.
ePOST MODUL
The ePost module is an integrated solution in the Indecs system that allows the management and automated processing of electronic dispatch lists (EDL) and electronic delivery receipts (EDR). This module is primarily designed to simplify and automate the tracking and administration of mail items, which is particularly useful for organisations with a volume of mail of more than a few letters.
EDL and its management
The electronic dispatch list (EDL) facilitates the submission of postal items. In the Indecs system, the letter is first created and the system automatically assigns a unique tracking number to the mailing. This tracking number helps to identify and track the letter throughout the mailing process. Once the EDL is created, the data is automatically uploaded to the postal company’s SFTP server.
The automated process requires the establishment of a SFTP connection to the postal service and the generation of public and private keys to access the SFTP server. In addition, it is necessary to validate the barcodes by the postal company and to request the appropriate range of rag numbers used by Indecs to identify the mail items. The EDL transfer is therefore seamless and automatic, requiring minimal human intervention.
EDR and its processing
The electronic delivery receipt (EDR) is a confirmation from the postal company that proves whether or not the parcel has been delivered and the reasons why. The EDR is prepared by the postal company and made available on the SFTP server. The Indecs system automatically downloads the EDR files from a predefined location, which contain the image of the receipt in PDF format and detailed return information.
Once the EDRs are downloaded, the Indecs system automatically processes this data and integrates it into the message exchange. This allows users to view the image of the EDR and the detailed return information in the message exchange. The return information is also recorded in the case log, which helps to keep track of the messages and to deal with any problems quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, the system generates an alert in the operator’s log to notify users of important return information.
Rag number management
The ePost module supports the handling of rag numbers for registered mail with return receipt and plain identified mail. The assignment of rag numbers is done automatically in the Indecs system, just like the barcodes generated from them.
Summary
The ePost module, as part of the Indecs system, significantly automates and simplifies the handling of postal items. The automatic uploading and downloading of electronic mailing lists and delivery receipts via SFTP, the processing of detailed return information and the management of tracking numbers all contribute to faster, more accurate and reliable postal processes. Once the prerequisites have been met, the system minimises human intervention, thereby reducing the potential for errors and increasing administrative efficiency.