M/312 - Postal services

This European Standard specifies complaints handling principles related to domestic and international postal services. It applies to both national and cross border services. The standard also gives guidance for compensation and redress procedures.
This European Standard may be applied to all types of postal service both Universal service and non-universal service and by all types of postal organizations. It defines various types of complaints and establishes a methodology for handling complaints in order to improve the service given to postal users. It also gives guidance for complaints handling processes to be set up by postal service providers in order to improve quality of service.
This European Standard provides guidelines beyond the requirements given in ISO 10002 and ISO 9001 in order to consider both the effectiveness and efficiency of a complaint handling process, and consequently the potential for improvement of the performance of an organization. When compared to ISO 9001, the objectives of customer satisfaction and product quality are extended to include the satisfaction of interested parties and the performance of the organization.
This European Standard is applicable to the processes of the organization and consequently the quality management principles on which it is based can be deployed throughout the organization.
It should be noted that the number of complaints received might not be related to the level of service given. A large number of complaints may on the contrary reflect the effectiveness of the postal operator's complaint handling process.

This European Standard specifies complaints handling principles related to domestic and international postal services. It applies to both national and cross border services. The standard also gives guidance for compensation and redress procedures.
This European Standard may be applied to all types of postal service both Universal service and non-universal service and by all types of postal organizations. It defines various types of complaints and establishes a methodology for handling complaints in order to improve the service given to postal users. It also gives guidance for complaints handling processes to be set up by postal service providers in order to improve quality of service.
This European Standard provides guidelines beyond the requirements given in ISO 10002 and ISO 9001 in order to consider both the effectiveness and efficiency of a complaint handling process, and consequently the potential for improvement of the performance of an organization. When compared to ISO 9001, the objectives of customer satisfaction and product quality are extended to include the satisfaction of interested parties and the performance of the organization.
This European Standard is applicable to the processes of the organization and consequently the quality management principles on which it is based can be deployed throughout the organization.
It should be noted that the number of complaints received might not be related to the level of service given. A large number of complaints may on the contrary reflect the effectiveness of the postal operator's complaint handling process.

In addition to EN 13850:2012 Postal Services - Quality of Service - Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services for single piece priority mail and first class mail, this European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of domestic and cross-border non-priority single piece mail, collected, processed and delivered by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of all types of single piece addressed letter mail with defined transit-time service levels offered to the customer. This standard is applicable to the measurement of End-to-End single piece non-priority mail services.
This European Standard has been developed from and is compatible with the requirements of EN 13850:2012. As such, surveys for both priority and non-priority single piece mail may be undertaken concurrently whilst reporting separate estimates of priority and non-priority transit times.
The overall transit time quality-of-service result is to be expressed as the percentage of mail delivered within (J + n) days end-to-end according to the EU Postal directive .
This European Standard relates to the measurement of so-called “normal” services given to private persons / households and smaller businesses that post mail at street letter boxes, over the counter at post offices, have bring services from their offices or give their mail directly at postal service operators’ sorting centres.
For technical reasons this European Standard may not in all parts be suitable for the measurement of very small volumes of mail and for operators with limited coverage.
This European Standard is not applicable for measuring the end-to-end transit time distribution of large bulk mailers’ services or hybrid mail, which require different measurement systems and methodologies; (see, for example, EN 14534 Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services of bulk mail).

In addition to EN 13850:2012 Postal Services - Quality of Service - Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services for single piece priority mail and first class mail, this European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of domestic and cross-border non-priority single piece mail, collected, processed and delivered by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of all types of single piece addressed letter mail with defined transit-time service levels offered to the customer. This standard is applicable to the measurement of End-to-End single piece non-priority mail services.
This European Standard has been developed from and is compatible with the requirements of EN 13850:2012. As such, surveys for both priority and non-priority single piece mail may be undertaken concurrently while reporting separate estimates of priority and non-priority transit times.
The overall transit time quality-of-service result is to be expressed as the percentage of mail delivered within (J + n) days end-to-end according to the EU Postal directive .
This European Standard relates to the measurement of so-called "normal" services given to private persons / households and smaller businesses that post mail at street letter boxes, over the counter at post offices, have bring services from their offices or give their mail directly at postal service operators’ sorting centres.
For technical reasons this European Standard may not in all parts be suitable for the measurement of very small volumes of mail and for operators with limited coverage.
This European Standard is not applicable for measuring the end-to-end transit time distribution of large bulk mailers’ services or hybrid mail, which require different measurement systems and methodologies; (see, for example, EN 14534 Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services of bulk mail).

This Technical Report takes into account the existing systems for measuring access to postal services and the targets that are already in use in member states. To get an understanding of the existing systems regarding population coverage, a questionnaire entitled “Methodology for the Measurement of Distance to postal Access Points” was circulated to postal operators and postal regulators (see Annex A).

This Technical Report takes into account the existing systems for measuring access to postal services and the targets that are already in use in member states. To get an understanding of the existing systems regarding population coverage, a questionnaire entitled “Methodology for the Measurement of Distance to postal Access Points” was circulated to postal operators and postal regulators (see Annex A).

In applying the European postal directives (97/67/CE and 2002/39/CE), standards regarding the quality of service are to be set and published in relation to the universal services. With the development of the internal market, these standards aim to ensure a better quality of universal services in Europe.
In this context, a project team was mandated (mandate M/312) by the European commission to develop a European standard or standards relating to the quality of access to postal services and to the quality of postal delivery. The work item was under the control of CEN technical committee 331.  A report was produced by the project team which identified information availability with regard to access and delivery as a priority for standard development.  
This Technical Specification is intended to provide a measurement methodology to assess information availability using desk research and a Mystery Shopper Approach.  The Technical Specification does not intend to impose service commitments.  
Information is considered to be one of the key steps in accessing postal services and postal users need to have information available on the proposed services as well as the applicable conditions for access. Increasing the level of information available will inevitably reduce complaints, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and higher overall customer loyalty.

In applying the European postal directives (97/67/CE and 2002/39/CE), standards regarding the quality of service are to be set and published in relation to the universal services. With the development of the internal market, these standards aim to ensure a better quality of universal services in Europe.
In this context, a project team was mandated (mandate M/312) by the European commission to develop a European standard or standards relating to the quality of access to postal services and to the quality of postal delivery. The work item was under the control of CEN technical committee 331.  A report was produced by the project team which identified information availability with regard to access and delivery as a priority for standard development.  
This Technical Specification is intended to provide a measurement methodology to assess information availability using desk research and a Mystery Shopper Approach.  The Technical Specification does not intend to impose service commitments.  
Information is considered to be one of the key steps in accessing postal services and postal users need to have information available on the proposed services as well as the applicable conditions for access. Increasing the level of information available will inevitably reduce complaints, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and higher overall customer loyalty.

Modifications because of:
When EN 14534 was developed it was decided to base it on existing measuring systems already in use among the European Union member states. Since the publication of EN 14534 in 2003 more countries have joined the European Union which have increased the number of cross-border mail flows significantly and therefore made it necessary to adapt the standard accordingly.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard has been developed to make it possible to economically measure a larger number of mail flows from a wider range of countries than the original versions of the standard was made for.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard gives information on how to categorize mail flows for measuring purposes and explain how required accuracy for small and medium sized mail flows can be obtained by measuring under a consecutive number of years.

Modifications because of:
When EN 14534 was developed it was decided to base it on existing measuring systems already in use among the European Union member states. Since the publication of EN 14534 in 2003 more countries have joined the European Union which have increased the number of cross-border mail flows significantly and therefore made it necessary to adapt the standard accordingly.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard has been developed to make it possible to economically measure a larger number of mail flows from a wider range of countries than the original versions of the standard was made for.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard gives information on how to categorize mail flows for measuring purposes and explain how required accuracy for small and medium sized mail flows can be obtained by measuring under a consecutive number of years.

Modification because of:
When EN 14508 was developed it was decided to base it on existing measuring systems already in use among the European Union member states. Since the publication of EN 14508 in 2003 more countries have joined the European Union which have increased the number of cross-border mail flows significantly and therefore made it necessary to adapt the standard accordingly.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard has been developed to make it possible to economically measure a larger number of mail flows from a wider range of countries than the original versions of the standard was made for.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard gives information on how to categorize mail flows for measuring purposes and explain how required accuracy for small and medium sized mail flows can be obtained by measuring under a consecutive number of years.

Modifications because of:
When EN 13850 was developed it was decided to base it on existing measuring systems already in use among the European Union member states. Since the publication of EN 13850 in 2002 more countries have joined the European Union which have increased the number of cross-border mail flows significantly and therefore made it necessary to adapt the standard accordingly.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard has been developed to make it possible to economically measure a larger number of mail flows from a wider range of countries than the original versions of the standard were made for.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard gives information on how to categorize mail flows for measuring purposes and explain how required accuracy for small and medium sized mail flows can be obtained by measuring under a consecutive number of years.

Modification because of:
When EN 14508 was developed it was decided to base it on existing measuring systems already in use among the European Union member states. Since the publication of EN 14508 in 2003 more countries have joined the European Union which have increased the number of cross-border mail flows significantly and therefore made it necessary to adapt the standard accordingly.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard has been developed to make it possible to economically measure a larger number of mail flows from a wider range of countries than the original versions of the standard was made for.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard gives information on how to categorize mail flows for measuring purposes and explain how required accuracy for small and medium sized mail flows can be obtained by measuring under a consecutive number of years.

Modifications because of:
When EN 13850 was developed it was decided to base it on existing measuring systems already in use among the European Union member states. Since the publication of EN 13850 in 2002 more countries have joined the European Union which have increased the number of cross-border mail flows significantly and therefore made it necessary to adapt the standard accordingly.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard has been developed to make it possible to economically measure a larger number of mail flows from a wider range of countries than the original versions of the standard were made for.
Amendment 1 to this European Standard gives information on how to categorize mail flows for measuring purposes and explain how required accuracy for small and medium sized mail flows can be obtained by measuring under a consecutive number of years.

The European Commission emphasises the need to have common rules for the development of community postal services and the improvement of Quality-of-Service (QoS). The Commission has identified requirements for postal QoS-Measurement systems that include: - Independent end-to-end measurement capabilities; - A focus on national and cross-border distribution service performance; - A single, uniform and reliable system for monitoring distribution service performance within the Union. The Commission has acknowledged that the different postal traditions and cultures in Europe would not allow for the establishment of one common unified European measurement system and that national systems should have sufficient freedom to reflect national needs and peculiarities. On the other hand, they should fulfil a defined set of minimum requirements to satisfy the information interests of the Commission, the regulatory authority, postal customers and postal operators themselves. Any regulatory authority is free to adapt to national circumstances where the standard gives room to do so. The objective of the measurement is to estimate the end-to-end transit time QoS given to the customer domestically in each European country and cross-border between the European countries. This European Standard refers to a number of principles and minimum requirements to be applied for the measurement of the end-to-end transit time service level.

This European Standard specifies complaints handling principles related to domestic and international postal services. It applies to both national and cross border services.  Attention is given on how to handle complaints in multiple operator situations. The standard also gives guidance for compensation and redress procedures.
This European Standard may be applied to all types of postal service both Universal service and non-universal service and by all types of postal organizations. It defines various types of complaints and establishes a methodology for handling complaints in order to improve the service given to postal users. It also gives guidance for complaints handling processes to be set up by postal service providers in order to improve quality of service.
This European Standard provides guidelines beyond the requirements given in ISO 10002 and ISO 9001 in order to consider both the effectiveness and efficiency of a complaint handling process, and consequently the potential for improvement of the performance of an organization. When compared to ISO 9001, the objectives of customer satisfaction and product quality are extended to include the satisfaction of interested parties and the performance of the organization.
This European Standard is applicable to the processes of the organization and consequently the quality management principles on which it is based can be deployed throughout the organization. The focus of this European Standard is the achievement of ongoing improvement, measured through the satisfaction of customers and other interested parties.
It should be noted that the number of complaints received might not be related to the level of service given. A large number of complaints may on the contrary reflect the effectiveness of the postal operator's complaint handling process.
This European Standard consists of guidance and recommendations and is neither intended for certification, regulatory or contractual use, nor as a guide to the imple

This European Standard specifies complaints handling principles related to domestic and international postal services. It applies to both national and cross border services.  Attention is given to how to handle complaints in multiple operator situations. The standard also gives guidance for compensation and redress procedures.
This European Standard may be applied to all types of postal service both Universal service and non-universal service and by all types of postal organizations. It defines various types of complaints and establishes a methodology for handling complaints in order to improve the service given to postal users. It also gives guidance for complaints handling processes to be set up by postal service providers in order to improve quality of service.
This European Standard provides guidelines beyond the requirements given in ISO 10002 and ISO 9001 in order to consider both the effectiveness and efficiency of a complaint handling process, and consequently the potential for improvement of the performance of an organization. When compared to ISO 9001, the objectives of customer satisfaction and product quality are extended to include the satisfaction of interested parties and the performance of the organization.
This European Standard is applicable to the processes of the organization and consequently the quality management principles on which it is based can be deployed throughout the organization. The focus of this European Standard is the achievement of ongoing improvement, measured through the satisfaction of customers and other interested parties.
It should be noted that the number of complaints received might not be related to the level of service given. A large number of complaints may on the contrary reflect the effectiveness of the postal operator's complaint handling process.
This European Standard consists of guidance and recommendations and is neither intended for certification, regulatory or contractual use, nor as a guide to the imple

This Technical Report is an implementation guide to EN 14534 for use by postal operators, regulators and those responsible for commissioning, carrying out, or auditing the measurement of postal service quality. It gives information, which will facilitate the implementation of EN 14534. It gives an overview of the processes required and factors to consider when measuring quality of service. It provides guidance on alternative approaches allowed in the standard including how to select and calculate alternative or additional discriminant factors and methods for weighting of strata. It describes a process for implementation of the measurement system, and provides examples and clarification on specific requirements of EN 14534. It gives information on how to interpret the test results obtained by measurement according to the standard.
This Technical Report does not alter in any way the requirements of EN 14534. It is concerned with technical issues in the implementation of the measurement system. The Technical Report provides guidance but it does not specify how the regulators shall enforce and monitor the use of the standard since this is the responsibility of the European Commission and the national regulatory authorities themselves.

This European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of the domestic and crossborder, priority and non-priority, bulk mail, collected, processed and distributed by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of addressed bulk mail. End-to-end is defined as from the point mail is placed into the collection/acceptance system under the responsibility of the postal operators, to the final delivery point under the responsibility of the postal operators. For the purpose of this European Standard, bulk mail can include all types of addressed bulk mail: letter mail, direct mail, magazines, and newspapers, unless otherwise indicated. The overall quality of service result should be expressed as the percentage of mail delivered within J + n days endto- end according to the EC postal directive or the percentage of mail delivered by, on or between expected dates. The measurement should be in whole days and not be restricted by reference to a specific time of day for delivery. The European Standard can be used to assess the performance of postal operators for specific products or services at a national level or for an individual or a group of customers. It specifies a set of requirements for the design of a quality of service measurement system for bulk mail, involving the selection and distribution of test mail sent and received by selected panellists. The test mail sample design gives the specifications for the mail to be representative of real mail flows. This European Standard relates to the measurement of services offered to businesses that have pick ups at their offices or give their mail to postal service operators. If a third party agent acts for the postal operator then the time the mail is handed over to the agent should form part of the measurement. Where a third party agent acts for the sending customer then the measurement should be from the point when mail is handed over to the postal operator. This European standard includes specifications for the quality control and auditing of the measurement system. In certain circumstances this European Standard allows a choice between alternatives or deviations to be made subject to the approval of the regulator. This approval is only necessary if the product or service is within the universal service obligation.

This European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of the domestic and cross-border, priority and non-priority, bulk mail, collected, processed and distributed by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of addressed bulk mail. End-to-end is defined as from the point mail is placed into the collection/acceptance system under the responsibility of the postal operators, to the final delivery point under the responsibility of the postal operators.
For the purpose of this European Standard, bulk mail can include all types of addressed bulk mail: letter mail, direct mail, magazines, and newspapers, unless otherwise indicated.
The overall quality of service result should be expressed as the percentage of mail delivered within J + n days end-to-end according to the EC postal directive or the percentage of mail delivered by, on or between expected dates. The measurement should be in whole days and not be restricted by reference to a specific time of day for delivery.
This quality of service indicator does not measure the postal operator’s overall performance in a way which provides direct comparison of postal service operators, and does not include other service performance indicators than those related to transit time. In particular this European Standard does not measure whether the timing of collections meets customers’ requirements.
The European Standard can be used to assess the performance of postal operators for specific products or services at a national level or for an individual or a group of customers.
The European Standard should not be used to assess the overall performance of a group of products or services which have other service specifications in terms of transit time expectation.
It specifies a set of requirements for the design of a quality of service measurement system for bulk mail, involving the selection and distribution of test mail sent and received by selected pan

This Technical Report is an implementation guide to EN 14534 for use by postal operators, regulators and those responsible for commissioning, carrying out, or auditing the measurement of postal service quality. It gives information, which will facilitate the implementation of EN 14534. It gives an overview of the processes required and factors to consider when measuring quality of service. It provides guidance on alternative approaches allowed in the standard including how to select and calculate alternative or additional discriminant factors and methods for weighting of strata. It describes a process for implementation of the measurement system, and provides examples and clarification on specific requirements of EN 14534. It gives information on how to interpret the test results obtained by measurement according to the standard.
This Technical Report does not alter in any way the requirements of EN 14534. It is concerned with technical issues in the implementation of the measurement system. The Technical Report provides guidance but it does not specify how the regulators shall enforce and monitor the use of the standard since this is the responsibility of the European Commission and the national regulatory authorities themselves.

This Technical Report specifies methods for measuring the transit time results of domestic and cross-border parcels, collected, processed and delivered by postal service providers. Transit time is the time elapsed between initial and final scan of the item. The initial scan may occur at varying points within the pipeline (e.g. point of posting, entry into the first sorting centre). Similarly the final scan may occur at e.g. exit from the last sorting centre, final delivery.
Therefore there are two different categories of transit time:
1.   End-to-End
A true end-to-end transit time measure may only be possible for some items recorded in the track and trace system. End-to-end is defined as from the point parcels are placed into the collection/acceptance system under the responsibility of the postal operators, to the final delivery point under the responsibility of the postal operators. In many instances postal operators do not extend track and trace to the final delivery point.
These items may not cover the total parcel flow. Generally the results of this subset cannot be taken as representative of the total flow, but this subset may represent a particular sector, e.g. single parcels sent over a post-office counter to single receivers. The transit time results of purely this subset are of public concern.
2.   Non End-to-End
If initial and/or final scans occur in the sorting centres for at least some parcels, it is possible to calculate the transit time between sorting centres, e.g. first-sorting-centre-to-last-sorting-centre. This can be done to calculate transit time results for all parcels in the total flow - this may be reasonable for internal purposes. The objective of the measurement to estimate the transit time quality of service given to the customer can only be achieved, if the time elapsed between posting and first scan and between delivery and last scan respectively can be estimated (eventually by the customer).
The overall transit time quality of service

This Technical Report is an implementation guide to EN 13850 and its amendments for use by postal operators, regulators and those responsible for commissioning, carrying out, or auditing the measurement of postal service quality. It gives information, which will facilitate the implementation of EN 13850. It gives an overview of the processes required and factors to consider when measuring quality of service. It provides guidance on alternative approaches allowed in the EN 13850 including how to select and calculate alternative or additional discriminant factors and methods for weighting of strata. It describes a process for implementation of the measurement system, and provides examples and clarification on specific requirements of EN 13850. It gives information on how to interpret the test results obtained by measurement according to the standard.
In all places where references in this Technical Report are made to EN 13850 it should be understood that it includes all amendments to EN 13850. This Technical Report does not alter in any way the requirements of EN 13850. It is concerned with technical issues in the implementation of the measurement system. The Technical Report provides guidance but it does not specify how the regulators shall enforce and monitor the use of the standard since this is the responsibility of the European Commission and the national regulatory authorities themselves.
Parts of this Technical Report may also be considered for guidance when implementing the following quality of service standards:
-   CEN/TS 14773, Postal services - Quality of service - Measurement of loss and substantial delay in priority and first class single piece mail using a survey of test letters
-   EN 14508, Postal services - Quality of service - Measurement of transit time of end-to-end services for single piece non-priority and second class mail
-   EN 14534, Postal services - Quality of service - Measurement of transit time of end-to-end services for bulk mail

This Technical Report specifies methods for measuring the transit time results of domestic and cross-border parcels, collected, processed and delivered by postal service providers. Transit time is the time elapsed between initial and final scan of the item. The initial scan may occur at varying points within the pipeline (e.g. point of posting, entry into the first sorting centre). Similarly the final scan may occur at e.g. exit from the last sorting centre, final delivery.
Therefore there are two different categories of transit time:
1.   End-to-End
A true end-to-end transit time measure may only be possible for some items recorded in the track and trace system. End-to-end is defined as from the point parcels are placed into the collection/acceptance system under the responsibility of the postal operators, to the final delivery point under the responsibility of the postal operators. In many instances postal operators do not extend track and trace to the final delivery point.
These items may not cover the total parcel flow. Generally the results of this subset cannot be taken as representative of the total flow, but this subset may represent a particular sector, e.g. single parcels sent over a post-office counter to single receivers. The transit time results of purely this subset are of public concern.
2.   Non End-to-End
If initial and/or final scans occur in the sorting centres for at least some parcels, it is possible to calculate the transit time between sorting centres, e.g. first-sorting-centre-to-last-sorting-centre. This can be done to calculate transit time results for all parcels in the total flow - this may be reasonable for internal purposes. The objective of the measurement to estimate the transit time quality of service given to the customer can only be achieved, if the time elapsed between posting and first scan and between delivery and last scan respectively can be estimated (eventually by the customer).
The overall transit time quality of service

In addition to EN 13850:2002 Postal Services - Quality of Service - Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services for single piece priority mail and first class mail, this European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of domestic and cross-border non-priority single piece mail, collected, processed and distributed by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of all types of single piece addressed letter mail.
This European Standard has been developed from and is compatible with the requirements of EN 13850:2002. As such, surveys for both priority and non-priority single piece mail may be undertaken concurrently whilst reporting separate estimates of priority and non-priority transit times.
The overall transit time quality-of-service result is to be expressed as percentage of mail delivered within J + n days end-to-end according to the EU "Postal directive" .
This European Standard relates to the measurement of so-called "normal" services given to private persons / households and businesses that post mail at street letter boxes, over the counter at post offices, have pick ups at their offices or give their mail directly at postal service operators’ sorting centres.
For technical reasons this European Standard may not in all parts be suitable for the measuring of very small volumes of mail and for operators with limited coverage.
This European Standard is not applicable for measuring the end-to-end transit time distribution of large bulk mailers’ services and hybrid mail, which require different measurement systems and methodologies.

In addition to EN 13850:2002 Postal Services - Quality of Service - Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services for single piece priority mail and first class mail, this European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of domestic and cross-border non-priority single piece mail, collected, processed and distributed by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of all types of single piece addressed letter mail.
This European Standard has been developed from and is compatible with the requirements of EN 13850:2002. As such, surveys for both priority and non-priority single piece mail may be undertaken concurrently whilst reporting separate estimates of priority and non-priority transit times.
The overall transit time quality-of-service result is to be expressed as percentage of mail delivered within J + n days end-to-end according to the EU "Postal directive" .
This European Standard relates to the measurement of so-called "normal" services given to private persons / households and businesses that post mail at street letter boxes, over the counter at post offices, have pick ups at their offices or give their mail directly at postal service operators’ sorting centres.
For technical reasons this European Standard may not in all parts be suitable for the measuring of very small volumes of mail and for operators with limited coverage.
This European Standard is not applicable for measuring the end-to-end transit time distribution of large bulk mailers’ services and hybrid mail, which require different measurement systems and methodologies.

This Technical Report is an implementation guide to EN 13850 and its amendments for use by postal operators, regulators and those responsible for commissioning, carrying out, or auditing the measurement of postal service quality. It gives information, which will facilitate the implementation of EN 13850. It gives an overview of the processes required and factors to consider when measuring quality of service. It provides guidance on alternative approaches allowed in the EN 13850 including how to select and calculate alternative or additional discriminant factors and methods for weighting of strata. It describes a process for implementation of the measurement system, and provides examples and clarification on specific requirements of EN 13850. It gives information on how to interpret the test results obtained by measurement according to the standard.
In all places where references in this Technical Report are made to EN 13850 it should be understood that it includes all amendments to EN 13850. This Technical Report does not alter in any way the requirements of EN 13850. It is concerned with technical issues in the implementation of the measurement system. The Technical Report provides guidance but it does not specify how the regulators shall enforce and monitor the use of the standard since this is the responsibility of the European Commission and the national regulatory authorities themselves.
Parts of this Technical Report may also be considered for guidance when implementing the following quality of service standards:
-   CEN/TS 14773, Postal services - Quality of service - Measurement of loss and substantial delay in priority and first class single piece mail using a survey of test letters
-   EN 14508, Postal services - Quality of service - Measurement of transit time of end-to-end services for single piece non-priority and second class mail
-   EN 14534, Postal services - Quality of service - Measurement of transit time of end-to-end services for bulk mail

This European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of the domestic and cross-border priority single piece letter mail, collected, processed and distributed by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of all types of single piece addressed letter mail. End-to-end is defined as from the point mail is placed into the collection/acceptance system under the responsibility of the postal operators, to the final delivery point under the responsibility of the postal operators.
The overall transit time quality-of-service result is to be expressed as percentage of mail delivered within
J + n days end-to-end according to the EC postal directive.
This quality of service indicator does not measure the postal operator’s overall performance in a way that provides direct comparison of postal service operators, and does not include other service performance indicators than those related to transit time. In particular this European Standard does not measure whether the timing of the last collection of the day meets customer’s requirements.
It specifies a set of requirements for the design of a quality of service measuring system for single piece priority mail, involving the selection and distribution of test item sent and received by selected panellists. The sample design gives the specifications for the item to be representative of the real mail flows.
This European Standard relates to the measurement of the so-called "normal" services given to private persons / households and businesses that post mail at street letter boxes, over the counter at post offices, have pick ups at their offices or give their mail directly at postal service operators sorting centres.
For technical reasons this European Standard may not in all parts be suitable for the measuring of very small volumes of mail and for operators with limited coverage.
This European Standard is not applicable for measuring the end-to-end tran

This European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of domestic and cross-border Single Piece Priority Mail (SPPM), collected, processed and delivered by postal service operators. It considers methods using representative end-to-end samples for all types of single piece priority mail services for addressed mail with defined transit-time service levels offered to the customer. This standard is applicable to the measurement of End-to-End priority mail services.
The standardised QoS-measurement method provides a uniform way for measuring the end-to-end transit time of postal items. Using a standardised measurement method will assure that the measurement will be done in an objective and equal way for all operators in accordance with the requirements of the Directive 97/67/EC and its amendments.
It is not the purpose of this standard to measure the postal operators’ overall performance in a way that provides direct comparison of postal service providers.
This European Standard relates to the measurement of the SPPM services given to household and business customers that post mail at street letterboxes, over the counter at post offices or have pick-ups at their offices. To cover flows with smaller mail volumes this European Standard includes flexibility areas for adapted implementation. For technical reasons this European Standard may not be suitable for the measurement of very small volumes of mail.
The end-to-end service measured may be provided by one operator or by a group of operators working either together in the same distribution chain or parallel in different distribution chains. This European Standard is not applicable for the measurement of end-to-end transit times in fields of study with more than one induction operator (Multi-Operator Environments), which require different methodologies. The method for end-to-end measurement specified in this European Standard is also not designed to provide results for the measurement of parts of the distribution chain.
This European Standard is not applicable for the measurement of end-to-end transit times of bulk mailers’ services and hybrid mail, which require different measurement systems and methodologies (see, for example, EN 14534 Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services of bulk mail).
This European Standard includes specifications for the quality control and auditing of the measurement system.
This European Standard does not specify:
-   the minimum acceptable level of accuracy that will be required by the national regulatory authority;
-   the target(s) that the regulatory authority might set;
-   how the regulatory authority should determine whether the target(s) have been met.

This European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of the domestic and cross-border priority single piece letter mail, collected, processed and distributed by postal service operators. It considers methods using a representative end-to-end sample of all types of single piece addressed letter mail. End-to-end is defined as from the point mail is placed into the collection/acceptance system under the responsibility of the postal operators, to the final delivery point under the responsibility of the postal operators.
The overall transit time quality-of-service result is to be expressed as percentage of mail delivered within
J + n days end-to-end according to the EC postal directive.
This quality of service indicator does not measure the postal operator’s overall performance in a way that provides direct comparison of postal service operators, and does not include other service performance indicators than those related to transit time. In particular this European Standard does not measure whether the timing of the last collection of the day meets customer’s requirements.
It specifies a set of requirements for the design of a quality of service measuring system for single piece priority mail, involving the selection and distribution of test item sent and received by selected panellists. The sample design gives the specifications for the item to be representative of the real mail flows.
This European Standard relates to the measurement of the so-called "normal" services given to private persons / households and businesses that post mail at street letter boxes, over the counter at post offices, have pick ups at their offices or give their mail directly at postal service operators sorting centres.
For technical reasons this European Standard may not in all parts be suitable for the measuring of very small volumes of mail and for operators with limited coverage.
This European Standard is not applicable for measuring the end-to-end tran

This document specifies a methodology that allows postal operators to define specific statements of mailing submission customised according to their environment and applications.
The document defines information requirements for existing generic postal information processing applications related to major postal functions, namely operations, finance and marketing by specifically identifying the information that could be collected within the mailer’s domain and transmitted to the postal domain.
In addition, this document defines the organisation of data into messages by describing data content, format and communication protocol suitable for communication of data originating in the mailer’s domain.
The specification also provides a detailed analysis and recommendations for implementing application level security threats and countermeasures particularly relevant for postal revenue protection in controlled mail entry settings.
Finally, this document provides several examples of concrete statements of mailing submissions and an example of a secure communication protocol recommended for transmission of such statements.
NOTE   The SMS describes letter mail or flats that are submitted for distribution and would not deal explicitly with content of letters or flats whether it concerns customs or any other party that could in principle be interested in knowing the content of these mail entities.

This document specifies a methodology that allows postal operators to define specific statements of mailing submission customised according to their environment and applications.
The document defines information requirements for existing generic postal information processing applications related to major postal functions, namely operations, finance and marketing by specifically identifying the information that could be collected within the mailer’s domain and transmitted to the postal domain.
In addition, this document defines the organisation of data into messages by describing data content, format and communication protocol suitable for communication of data originating in the mailer’s domain.
The specification also provides a detailed analysis and recommendations for implementing application level security threats and countermeasures particularly relevant for postal revenue protection in controlled mail entry settings.
Finally, this document provides several examples of concrete statements of mailing submissions and an example of a secure communication protocol recommended for transmission of such statements.
NOTE   The SMS describes letter mail or flats that are submitted for distribution and would not deal explicitly with content of letters or flats whether it concerns customs or any other party that could in principle be interested in knowing the content of these mail entities.