SIST-TS CEN/TS 16735:2015
(Main)Postal services - Extensible Common Structure and Representation for Postal Rates - EPR
Postal services - Extensible Common Structure and Representation for Postal Rates - EPR
This Technical Specification defines a uniform structure and meaning for the information that fully represents postal rates for a broad variety of postal products in all mail categories. The postal rates definition is viewed as an important interface between posts and their customers and as such will benefit from standardization. Such representation of postal rates allows automated systems to uniformly use postal rates as they are introduced for new products or updated for existing postal products by postal operators. A postal rate file (PRF) is an XML document, which fully describes postal products rates. It contains all necessary and sufficient information for both postal operators and their customers to efficiently create, respectively acquire, update and process postal product rates. The structure, types and constraints of XML elements in an XML document are defined by an XML schema. The Extensible Postal Rates (EPR) schema is the XML schema that governs Postal Rate Files.
This Technical Specification contains a complete description of the EPR schema, its hierarchical structure, information types and semantics of its elements.
This Technical Specification neither defines nor constraints how postal rates are created by postal operators but rather provide a powerful and flexible tool that supports efficient rates definition, management and distribution.
This Technical Specification does not define communication protocols that can be used by posts to distribute postal rates files to their customers. Suitable communication protocols are typically well known and already standardized (for example: Web Services, File Transport Protocol, email, etc.). The standard also does not define valuation of postal products as applied by postal operators and their customers.
Postalische Dienstleistungen - Erweiterungsfähige gemeinsame Struktur und Repräsentation von Posttarifen - EPR
Services postaux - Structure commune extensible et représentation pour les tarifs postaux
Poštne storitve - Razširljiva skupna struktura in prestavitev poštnih tarif - EPR
Ta tehnična specifikacija določa enotno strukturo in pomen informacij, ki v celoti predstavljajo poštne tarife za široko paleto poštnih proizvodov v vseh poštnih kategorijah. Opredelitev poštnih tarif je pomemben vmesnik med poštnimi službami in njihovimi strankami, ki jim bo standardizacija koristila. Takšna predstavitev poštnih tarif omogoča avtomatiziranim sistemom enotno uporabo poštnih tarif, ko operaterji uvedejo nove ali posodobijo obstoječe poštne proizvode. Datoteka s poštnimi tarifami (PRF) je dokument XML, ki v celoti opisuje poštne tarife proizvodov. Vsebuje vse potrebne in zadostne podatke za poštne operaterje in njihove stranke, da lahko učinkovito ustvarjajo oziroma pridobijo, posodobijo ter obdelajo poštne tarife proizvodov. Strukturo, vrste in omejitve elementov XML v dokumentu XML opredeljuje shema XML. Shema EPR (Extensible Postal Rates) je shema XML, ki ureja datoteke poštnih tarif.
Ta tehnična specifikacija vsebuje popoln opis sheme EPR, njene hierarhične strukture, vrste informacij in semantike njenih elementov.
Ta tehnična specifikacija ne opredeljuje niti omejuje načina, kako operaterji ustvarjajo poštne tarife, ampak zagotavlja zmogljivo in prilagodljivo orodje, ki podpira učinkovito določanje, upravljanje ter distribucijo tarif.
Ta tehnična specifikacija ne definira komunikacijskih protokolov, ki jih lahko poštne službe uporabljajo za distribucijo datotek poštnih tarif svojim strankam. Primerni komunikacijski protokoli so praviloma dobro znani in že standardizirani (na primer: spletne storitve, FTP (File Transport Protocol), e-pošta itd.). Standard tudi ne opredeljuje vrednotenja poštnih proizvodov, ki ga uporabljajo poštni operaterji in njihove stranke.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST-TS CEN/TS 16735:2015
01-maj-2015
Poštne storitve - Razširljiva skupna struktura in prestavitev poštnih tarif - EPR
Postal services - Extensible Common Structure and Representation for Postal Rates -
EPR
Postalische Dienstleistungen - Erweiterungsfähige gemeinsame Struktur und
Repräsentation von Posttarifen - EPR
Services postaux - Structure commune extensible et représentation pour les tarifs
postaux
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TS 16735:2015
ICS:
03.240 Poštne storitve Postal services
SIST-TS CEN/TS 16735:2015 en
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
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SIST-TS CEN/TS 16735:2015
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SIST-TS CEN/TS 16735:2015
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
CEN/TS 16735
SPÉCIFICATION TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHE SPEZIFIKATION
March 2015
ICS 03.240
English Version
Postal services - Extensible Common Structure and
Representation for Postal Rates - EPR
Services postaux - Structure commune extensible et Postalische Dienstleistungen - Erweiterungsfähige
représentation pour les tarifs postaux gemeinsame Struktur und Repräsentation von Posttarifen -
EPR
This Technical Specification (CEN/TS) was approved by CEN on 30 September 2014 for provisional application.
The period of validity of this CEN/TS is limited initially to three years. After two years the members of CEN will be requested to submit their
comments, particularly on the question whether the CEN/TS can be converted into a European Standard.
CEN members are required to announce the existence of this CEN/TS in the same way as for an EN and to make the CEN/TS available
promptly at national level in an appropriate form. It is permissible to keep conflicting national standards in force (in parallel to the CEN/TS)
until the final decision about the possible conversion of the CEN/TS into an EN is reached.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United
Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2015 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TS 16735:2015 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
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Contents Page
Foreword .4
Introduction .5
1 Scope . 10
2 Normative references . 10
3 Terms and definitions . 10
4 Symbols and abbreviations . 13
5 General Concepts . 13
5.1 Extensible Common Structure and Representation for Postal Rates (EPR) . 13
5.2 Using EPR for design, communication and processing of Postal Rates . 18
5.3 Time . 18
6 EPR XML Schema . 19
6.1 Introduction . 19
6.2 Structure of EPR Type . 19
6.2.1 General . 19
6.2.2 EPR attributes . 24
6.3 Dimensional weight . 25
6.4 Calculated weight . 27
6.4.1 General . 27
6.4.2 Weight rounding . 28
6.5 Zone or Distance . 29
6.6 Calculated distance . 30
6.7 Base amount . 31
6.7.1 General . 31
6.7.2 Amount rounding . 35
6.8 Distance and weight based fees . 36
6.9 Dimension-based fees . 37
6.10 Value-based fees. 38
6.11 Quantity-based fees . 39
6.12 Amount-based fees. 40
6.13 Date-based fees . 41
6.14 Value added fees. 42
6.15 Generic fees . 43
6.16 Taxes . 44
6.17 Customs charges . 45
6.18 EPR validity . 46
6.19 Terms and agreements . 47
6.20 Information for human consumption . 47
6.21 Foundation types . 48
6.21.1 Table2D type . 48
6.21.2 RowType type . 51
6.21.3 DataElementType type . 51
6.21.4 AlgorithmAndValue type . 52
6.21.5 TimePeriodType type . 52
6.21.6 UpuDate type . 53
6.21.7 DataIntegrityInfoAlgorithm type . 53
6.21.8 DataIntegrityInfoAlgorithmEnum enumeration . 53
6.21.9 CodeListType type . 54
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Annex A (informative) Example of EPR definition file – La Poste COLISSIMO OUTRE-MER . 55
Annex B (informative) Example of EPR definition file – USPS First Class Single Piece . 58
Annex C (informative) Example of XML schema for base amount calculation using product key
input . 62
Annex D (informative) EPR schema files . 67
Annex E (informative) Intellectual property . 75
Bibliography . 77
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Foreword
This document (CEN/TS 16735:2015) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 331 “Postal
services”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to announce this Technical Specification: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
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Introduction
Standards are important prerequisites for effective postal operations and for interconnecting the global
network. Significant efficiency can be gained by implementing standards that define interconnectivity between
postal operators and their customers. The postal sector is now facing the most challenging period in its long
history. On the one hand, up to a few years ago the postal sector in its letter mail market has not faced
competition from new entrants as a result of the historic reserved areas and letterbox monopoly. On the other
hand it is confronting formidable competition from outside of its traditional boundaries (this type of competition
is frequently referred to as “electronic substitution” or “electronic diversion”). One of the most effective
responses to competitive pressure is innovation. Innovation involving an extensive use of modern information
technology has proven to be particularly effective in many fields. However, information technology, while
deeply permeating many aspects of the postal system, still lacks significant penetration when it is applied to
postal product innovation, marketing and distribution. To alleviate this shortcoming UPU in collaboration with
CEN/TC 331 developed and published the standard UPU S54. This standard is aimed at making a significant
step forward in enabling more effective use of information technology in these areas. The standard however
does not fully address effective computer-aided management of postal rates by both postal operators and
their customers. This Technical Specification has been developed to provide postal operators, carriers, their
customers and mailing industry at large with a tool designed for computerized creation, management and
distribution of postal rates.
Mail communication involves a complex process of mail item production, induction, processing, transportation
and delivery. It consists of a sequence of information and physical activities. The physical activities (required
for mail item production, induction, sort, transportation and delivery) are supported by information processing
activities that play an increasingly important role in the overall system. Complexity of the mail communication
system also stems from the fact that different processes and activities (both physical and informational) are
performed by different parties that are only loosely integrated and thus generally do not make optimal use of
available information. In order to achieve a higher level of integration and better meet increasingly demanding
requirements of customers, the mail communication system requires that different parties, entities and
processes within the system should be integrated together via a set of standardized interfaces.
One of the most important interfaces is the set of rates for postal products. This is viewed in this Technical
Specification as an information interface between posts (postal operators) and their customers, both mail
senders and mail recipients. More specifically, from an information viewpoint, postal rates are data files that
are created and managed by postal operators and carriers and distributed/shared with their customers.
By defining postal rates using a computerized description resulting in a standardized electronic document
(postal rate file), postal operators can enable its customers to more effectively review and choose products
suitable for their communication needs as well as provide for automated computing and application of postal
rates during mail generation and finishing process.
The criteria that the postal rate file (as an information object) should meet are completeness, non-redundancy,
consistency and unambiguous interpretation by mailers’ equipment.
In order to meet these criteria it is necessary to make rate information communications and processing
computerized and automated, thus achieving ubiquity, consistency, speed and error tolerance typical for
internet-based information exchanges.
This Technical Specification is an information description and presentation document. It is intended as a
powerful and flexible tool capable of supporting both human and machine descriptions of postal rates with
arbitrary complexity. In accordance with this Technical Specification, postal rate data files are messages that
are structured in accordance with a specialized data representation language named Extensible Common
Structure and Representation for Postal Rates (EPR). The EPR is organized as an application-specific version
of the XML. It consists of flexible and adaptable constructs (elements) and thus by its very definition is
extensible.
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The EPPML standard (UPU S54-2) only briefly touches postal product prices (postal rates) and their use and
communication. It defines rates communication by post and their acquisition by postal customers in a flexible
manner leaving all technical details and structures of rate data outside of its scope. This Technical
Specification is aimed at filling this gap.
Postal operators, their suppliers, mailing industry and mailing community at large developed many ad hoc
rates structures and communication mechanisms designed to work in specific postal environments. In many
instances the process of creating, updating and communicating postal rates (tables) is costly and time-
consuming while there is a growing need to have fast (e.g. at the speed of the internet) distribution of rates
and rate updates from postal operators to their customers (mailers and in some instances also mail
recipients). Traditional methods as they are practiced today by a vast majority of postal operators involve
distribution of postal rates to customers via physical documents or electronic documents that are not designed
for automated interpretation and processing by computers. In case of commercial mailers who mail from tens
to millions of mail unit per day this results in a manual process of rate data translation into data structures
suitable for computer processing by mail generation and finishing equipment. This process is most frequently
performed by trained professionals employed by the mailing industry (typically manufacturers of just
mentioned mailing equipment), at a large cost and inconvenience to mailers and postal operators. However,
an examination of postal rate data (typically rate tables) and their communication mechanisms as practiced by
a majority of technically advanced postal operators revealed mostly common structure, features and
approaches. This suggests that there has to exist a common, flexible and extensible data structure suitable for
use as a basis for automated postal rate management and communication in all mailing environments, from
SMEs to large enterprises. Modern general data representation language such as XML can be adapted for the
purpose of defining such a structure, which is referred below as the Extensible Common Structure and
Representation for Postal Rates or the EPR.
This Technical Specification presents detailed and practical description of the EPR while leaving decisions
and implementation of actual postal product pricing (e.g. valuation) to postal operators, their regulators (if any)
and the mailing industry. Postal operators and mailing industry can use this Technical Specification, as a
guidance document for the development of their own software tools that, when implemented, will allow quick
and cost effective postal rate management process.
This Technical Specification should be viewed by postal operators, their suppliers and mailing industry at large
as a valuable data representation standard and a tool that will facilitate all stages of postal rates life-cycle
processing and management from creation by postal operators to installation and use in customer mailing
equipment and ultimate disposal.
“Postal products” are referred to below simply as “products”. The reader is referred to the UPU S54 standard
for detailed discussion and definition of various aspects and attributes of postal products. Postal products are
always associated with postal rates, which is a specific established term for postal product prices. When a
class of the mail unit (i.e. letter, flat or parcel) is not mentioned it usually implies any suitable class. This
Technical Specification uses the established definition and terminology for the “mail unit” as a physically
constrained unit consisting of one or more mail items and/or lower level mail units, together with the means of
constraint (as defined in the UPU Standards glossary). The terms “mailer” and “sender” are used
interchangeably.
The notion of the postal product is a complex one. Unlike common products (food, clothing, books), that are
bought and consumed every day, postal product consumption requires significant cooperation between
product producers (postal operators and carriers) and consumers (mailers and recipients). An important part
of cooperation involves computation of the rate for a postal product that is to be paid to a postal operator
offering this product for sale. This computation is commonly known as a “rating” or “rating process” and most
frequently performed during mail unit generation and finishing process that takes place in a mailer’s
environment (this is due to prepayment requirement imposed by majority of postal operators or simply
because of a need of the mailer to know the charges before the product is purchased). The rating process
requires knowledge of three fundamental components, namely (a) measurable, computable or stored
attributes of the mail unit to be mailed and the product to be used by the mailer in association with this mail
unit, (b) prices or rates for postal products (typically postal rates tables), and (c) an algorithm that inputs (a)
and (b) and outputs the rate for the mail unit and the associated product chosen by the mailer. The most
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common computational algorithm is known as a “look-up table” algorithm, which refers to a traditional human
method of price determination when rates tables for each category of products are indexed by the attributes of
mail unit and postal product (such as weight, distance from origination to destination, level of presort or
worksharing, etc.). The algorithm is a simple search in a table whose rows and columns are indexed. The
algorithm is normally stable and known in advance to both mailers and postal operators. Thus, for every act of
mail rating, the detailed description of the algorithm does not need to be shared between mailers and postal
operators. In this manner, the rate computation for an individual mail unit requires obtaining information from
two sources, one controlled by the mailer (the mail unit itself and the product to be used in conjunction with
the mail unit) and one controlled by the postal operator (postal rates tables). The main purpose of this
Technical Specification is codification of a broad variety of postal rates tables in a standardized manner
suitable for effective (without human involvement) computer processing in a mailer’s environment.
Postal customers are traditionally divided into several categories depending on the volume of mail units they
produce and send and the level of automation and equipment they use for mail production.
There are individual users who create a few mail units using manual process. For the individual users many
postal operators provide access to a postal website where such users can rate their mail using a feature
typically known under the name ”postal calculator” or “calculator”. In this case while being connected to a
postal website the user enters all relevant parameters of the mail unit and product and obtains the price for the
service (rate). Individual users will have little benefit from this Technical Specification and thus are not a main
target for its implementation.
Then there are small and medium size enterprises and businesses (SMEs), which typically produce and rate
from tens to a few hundreds of mail units per day and use computerized mail finishing equipment such as
mailing and franking machines. These users depend on manufacturers of mailing equipment for having up to
date postal pricing (rate) information since rating in this environment is done automatically by the mailing
machine. These users buy a broad variety of postal products (from letter mail to express and parcel products)
and are expected to greatly benefit from this Technical Specification. For example pricing for postal products
marketed to this class of customers can be updated and communicated to their mailing equipment instantly
providing for a great speed, flexibility and convenience, which is very desirable.
Finally there are large enterprises that produce thousands and even millions of mail units per day using
sophisticated high speed mail generation and finishing equipment such as inserters, mail assembly conveyors
and the like. This type of customers frequently uses the so-called “negotiated rates” that are not published.
The number of such customers is relatively small and they frequently have technical professionals involved in
mailing (and rating) process. They are also expected to benefit from this Technical Specification since it will
allow for quicker and more efficient rate updates and communication. For example a nimble and effective
dynamic capacity management by postal operators involves stimulation of sales by lowering product prices
where there is an excessive unutilized capacity for delivery of such products. This Technical Specification is
aimed at enabling this capability by providing means for computer-to-computer communication and processing
of postal rates.
With implementation of this Technical Specification postal operators and carriers are expected to achieve
increased flexibility of new products introductions, nimble rates management commensurate with market and
capacity conditions and will be able to introduce and verify new pricing models. Note that introduction of new
products require many activities other than rating. These activities are outside of the scope of this Technical
Specification.
This Technical Specification is applicable to all categories of postal products without restrictions.
Graphically, traditional rate management process can be represented by the following figure:
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Figure 1 — Manual postal rates management and distribution process
Activities that take place in the postal environment (product planning, designing, costing and pricing) end up
with the distribution of postal rates (predominantly organized as tables) to customers and their suppliers
(mailing equipment manufacturers). In the traditional rates management process the rates data are organized
for human consumption and requires quite significant manual (programming) effort to be converted into
computer processable data at the major expense and inconvenience to mailers and postal operators. This
Technical Specification is designed to provide a description of a rate data structure that when implemented
will allow to replace the traditional postal rates management and distribution process by a new process
graphically represented by the following figure:
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Figure 2 — Automated postal rates management and distribution process
In the automated rates management process postal rates data are organized for computer-to-computer
communication. Rates computation in Figure 1 and Figure 2 implies mail rating algorithm, which automatically
inputs and processes EPR data structured in accordance with the present Technical Specification.
The main body of this Technical Specification contains six substantive clauses and five informative annexes:
General Concepts: explains concepts and describes the application of EPR in defining postal rates by postal
operators and processing them by mailers’ computerized equipment.
EPR XML Schema: defines the EPR schema using subclauses each dedicated to a specific element of the
schema. Whenever possible each element is provided with a detailed description, a motivation for its specified
organization and an example.
However, the structure of the EPR schema enables significant flexibility in the representation of postal rates.
Postal product pricing experts are encouraged to explore this flexibility of representations of postal rates
supported by EPR and to identify those that are most suitable to their environment that is by necessity post-
specific.
Expected readership of this Technical Specification includes postal financial, marketing and product
development experts, and IT professionals as well as technical professionals in the mailing industry. Technical
implementation of this Technical Specification requires proficiency with XML concepts and constructs and thus
implementation related information in this document is intended primarily for IT professionals. Experts in other
fields (e.g. finance, marketing and product development and inspection) will find it useful to read the
Introduction and General Concept clauses and are encouraged to work in concert with IT professionals toward
building an effective EPR-based rate management process.
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