To: MTAC Association Executives and Representatives
Please find below an important message from Steve Kearney and Don Harle, Postal and Industry MTAC Co-Chairs respectively, concerning the MTAC Industry Volume Survey.
May 27, 2009
TO: MTAC Association Executives and Representatives
SUBJECT: MTAC Industry Volume Survey - Online Link Now Ready
We appreciate that the MTAC Leadership has embraced the idea of involving MTAC associations in the Postal Service's outlook for mail volume. We also appreciate the seriousness with which many MTAC association members will treat this initial survey. And we understand that it does involve significant work to complete the survey as accurately as possible. We would not be asking for this input if your outlook were not critically important in determining the very near future of the U.S. Postal Service and the mailing industry. Thank you for your contribution to this survey, and we look forward to further collaboration in coming months.
As communicated to you this past May 11, MTAC and the Postal Service are co-sponsoring this industry volume survey (online link provided below) to help understand the trend of future mail volumes. We need your help to forward this link to your respective members asking that only one person in each member company or organization provide his/her best estimate about future mail volumes. It is understood that this person may have to consult mailing documents and/or other individuals to provide the answers. We recognize mailing plans for 2009, 2010 and 2011 may be uncertain, but we are asking for best estimates.
The online tool we are using is called SurveyMonkey which should facilitate the gathering of large numbers of respondents who will most likely have a wide range of projections. Instructions are included here and within the survey itself. Please stress with your members that individual responses will be kept confidential. When developing estimates for questions respondents should know that this survey assumes that there will be no exigent price increases above the CPI, no structural changes at the Postal Service and that the current business model continues including 6 - day delivery.
Estimated volumes are requested (in pieces, not dollars) for 10 classes of mail where there is usage of these classes, for the Postal Service fiscal years of '08, '09, '10 and '11. FYI each fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. The classes being surveyed are as follows:
If a company does not use a particular class of mail the respondent should click on the "no" button and he/she will be skipped ahead. If the respondent does not feel he/she can provide estimates for all 4 fiscal years for a class of mail, they should click on the "skip" button and they will be skipped ahead. This ensures we will not receive incomplete information. Please note that an asterisk indicates a required answer. If the respondent fails to answer any of these required questions, he/she will be unable to complete the survey. When entering numbers respondents should not use commas or periods as these are not accepted in number response boxes. Respondents should keep in mind that if piece volumes are minuscule for a specific class for their company a relatively small number or even a "0" can be entered as a valid response. During the survey respondents may back up to change an answer by clicking on the "Prev" button. They may also exit the survey and return at a future time to complete it. Once the respondent has clicked on the "Done" button on the last page they may not make any additional changes.
Please note responses are requested by cob Wed June 10. This short time frame is requested since Postal Service management and the USPS Board of Governors need this information as soon as possible. The online survey link is as follows:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/MTAC
Thanks in advance for your participation.
Stephen M. Kearney Donald L. Harle
Postal Co-Chair, MTAC Industry Co-Chair, MTAC