Automated Mail Sort Plan Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual generation of sort plans and analysis of mail processing results is time-consuming and inefficient, leading to increased labor and material costs, as well as limited postal discounts due to suboptimal sorting strategies.

Innovation Solution

A user-friendly system and method that automates the generation of optimized sort plans by processing and analyzing historical mailing data, using tools like OpteSort, OpteMerge, and OpteTrend to minimize Pass 2 handling, reduce labor costs, and enhance visibility of operator and customer performance, while reducing operator error and expediting processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual analysis of past mail processing performance is used to improve sort plans, then some benefits may be achieved, but the process is very time consuming and subjective

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesort plan qualityVSAvoidanalysis time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical analysis with an automated computer-based system that uses optical character recognition, barcode reading, and database querying to automatically analyze past mail processing performance and generate optimized sort plans, eliminating subjectivity and time consumption while improving reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by automatically generating sort plans based on historical data analysis without requiring manual intervention, allowing the system to improve its own performance through automated learning from past mail processing results

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of energy

If user generated sort plans are used to sort mail to direct ZIP Code destinations, then postal discounts are achieved, but bins receiving mail to multiple ZIP Codes require reprocessing on subsequent passes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepostal discountVSAvoidsorting efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the mail set composition before sorting and pre-optimizes the sort plan to anticipate which bins will receive multi-ZIP code mail, allowing advance preparation to minimize or eliminate the need for reprocessing while maintaining postal discount qualifications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sort plan is made dynamic by automatically adjusting bin assignments and sort strategies based on the actual composition and volume characteristics of the current mail set, rather than using static predetermined plans, thereby optimizing both postal discount achievement and elimination of reprocessing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the number of bins is limited in the sorter, then the device complexity is reduced, but mail that does not end up in a bin must be grouped in a holding bin and reprocessed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesorter configurationVSAvoidmail processing throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of mail destination distribution and pre-optimizes bin assignments to maximize utilization of the limited number of bins, ensuring that mail is efficiently distributed across available bins before sorting begins, thereby minimizing holding bin requirements and reprocessing needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9901958B1System and method for optimizing a mail document sorting machine

Publication Date: 2018.02.27 NAT PRESORT LLC

AI summary

A system and method for optimizing mail sorting equipment based upon various commingled data files and user selected options includes a sorter, an optimizing system, and a computer for optimizing the sort plan based upon the data files and user settings.