DELIVERING THE COUNT
USPS EARNS PRAISE FOR EFFORTS SUPPORTING 2010 CENSUS
The Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) proved its worth during the 2010 Decennial Census, saving the Census Bureau millions of dollars and providing data the Postal Service could use to plan and schedule cost-effective handling and transportation of Census mailings.
For the Postal Service, its primary role in the 2010 Decennial Census consisted of delivering six mailings totaling some 420 million mailpieces to households and handling approximately 90 million return mailpieces.
The six mailings included a Selected Advance Notification (10 million), Advance Notification (119 million), Survey Questionnaires (119 million), Reminder Postcards (138 million), Blanket Survey Questionnaires (25 million) and Target Survey Questionnaires (9.9 million).
The IMb was used with the first four mailings, with performance data provided to the Census Bureau to help it effectively target and manage the last two mailings. This Full Service IMb data provided valuable information to Census and USPS, allowing both agencies to increase efficiencies and reduce costs. Although the Census effort is ongoing, the major thrust of the mailings and responses has concluded.
There was “simply no way” the Commerce Department could have completed the program on its own, said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, whose department oversees the Census Bureau.
“The mail response rate was much higher than anyone thought possible,” said Locke, who applauded the Postal Service for its support and help to bring the program in under budget.
