Shipment Planning

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for generating a drop plan for a mailing containing a plurality of mailpieces. Tracking data may be received for mailings sent by a plurality of mailers, and estimated delivery times determined based upon the tracking data. A mailer may specify a delivery goal for a mailing and, based upon upon the estimated delivery times and the delivery goal, a drop plan for the mailing may be generated, which specifies at least one drop location for at least a portion of the mailing. The mailer also may modify the drop plan, such as by specifying additional constraints, modified attributes of the drop plan, additional or updated goals for the mailing, or the like.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for controlling a printer, the method comprising:
 generating, by a forecast system, a drop plan for an automation mailing of mail pieces, the drop plan having a form configured to be received by a control system of the printer, the form controlling operation of the printer such that wear on the printer when printing the mail pieces under a control of the drop plan is less than wear on the printer when printing the mail pieces absent the control of the drop plan; and   transmitting, by the forecast system and via a network, the drop plan to the printer.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 prior to generating the drop plan, receiving, at the forecast system via the network and from a communications system of a customer, at least one desired delivery goal for the automation mailing of the mail pieces, wherein each of the mail pieces is associated with a unique destination area to which each associated customer portion of mail pieces is to be delivered;   receiving, at the forecast system, tracking data for the automation mailing obtained from automatically-scanned computer-readable indicia disposed on each of a second plurality of mail pieces; and   determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and a first estimated drop date for mail pieces, a first plurality of estimated delivery times for each nearest pair of a plurality of drop points and a corresponding unique destination area associated with each corresponding mail piece, wherein each nearest pair of drop point and corresponding unique destination area corresponds with a nearest distance between the plurality of drop points and the unique destination areas,   wherein the drop plan includes a customer portion-specific drop date not being equal to the first estimated drop date in order to comply with the at least one desired delivery goal for the mail pieces.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and the first estimated drop date for the mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the mail pieces, the first expected plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range,   wherein the customer portion-specific drop dates for the mail pieces, when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the mail pieces, causes the mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein a customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan is generated by subtracting a non-zero number of days from a first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and the first estimated drop date for the mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the mail pieces, the expected first plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range,   wherein the customer portion-specific drop date for the mail pieces, when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the mail pieces, causes the mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan is generated by adding a non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan includes
 a first customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan generated by subtracting a first non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal, and   a second customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan generated by adding a second non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 based on the drop plan, controlling operation of the printer to print the mail pieces in a plurality of mailing portions.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of mailing portions are printed over a span of multiple days. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of mailing portions includes mail pieces to be entered into a mail stream at a drop point different than a drop point for each other of the plurality of mailing portions. 
     
     
         31 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a forecast system, via a network, and from a communications system of a customer, at least one desired delivery goal for an automation mailing of a plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, wherein each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces is associated with a unique destination area to which each associated customer portion of mail pieces is to be delivered;   receiving, at the forecast system, tracking data for automation mailings obtained from automatically-scanned computer-readable indicia disposed on each of a second plurality of mail pieces;   determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and a first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first plurality of estimated delivery times for pairs of a plurality of drop points and a corresponding unique destination area associated with each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, wherein each pair of drop point and unique destination area corresponds with a nearest distance between the plurality of drop points and the unique destination areas;   generating, by the forecast system and based on the first plurality of estimated delivery times and the at least one desired delivery goal, a drop plan for the automation mailing of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the drop plan including,
 an assignment of a first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to a single drop point, wherein at least one portion of the first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces includes a corresponding unique destination area having a geographically nearer drop point other than the assigned single drop point, and 
 a customer portion-specific drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal; and 
   transmitting, from the forecast system, via the network, and to a printer associated with a specific mailer, the drop plan, the drop plan having a form configured to be received by a control system of the printer and to be used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces in accordance with the assigned single drop point and each customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan.   
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and a first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the first expected plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range,   wherein at least one of
 the assignment of the first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to the single drop point, and 
 the customer portion-specific drop date for each customer portion of mail pieces, 
   when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, causes the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan is generated by subtracting a non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and a first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the first expected plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range,   wherein at least one of
 the assignment of the first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to the single drop point, and 
 the generated customer portion-specific drop dates for each customer portion of mail pieces, 
   when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, causes the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan is generated by adding a non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and a first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the expected first plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range,   wherein at least one of
 the assignment of the first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to the single drop point, and 
 the generated customer portion-specific drop dates for each customer portion of mail pieces, 
   when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, causes the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan includes
 a first customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan generated by subtracting a first non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal, and   a second customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan generated by adding a second non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal.   
     
     
         38 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a forecast system, via a network, and from a communications system of a customer, at least one desired delivery goal for an automation mailing of a plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, wherein each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces is associated with a unique destination area to which each associated customer portion of mail pieces is to be delivered;   receiving, at the forecast system, tracking data for automation mailings obtained from automatically-scanned computer-readable indicia disposed on each of a second plurality of mail pieces;   determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and a first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first plurality of estimated delivery times for pairs of a plurality of drop points and a corresponding unique destination area associated with each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, wherein each pair of drop point and unique destination area corresponds with a nearest distance between the plurality of drop points and the unique destination areas;   generating, by the forecast system and based on the first plurality of estimated delivery times and the at least one desired delivery goal, a drop plan for the automation mailing of the plurality of customer mail pieces, the drop plan including,
 an assignment of a first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to a single drop point, wherein at least one portion of the first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces includes a corresponding unique destination area having a geographically nearer drop point other than the assigned single drop point, and 
 a customer portion-specific drop date generated by one of
 subtracting a first non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal, and 
 adding a second non-zero number of days from the first estimated drop date that complies with the at least one desired delivery goal; and 
 
   transmitting, from the forecast system, via the network, and to a printer associated with a specific mailer, the drop plan, the drop plan having a form configured to be received by a control system of the printer and to be used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces in accordance with the assigned single drop point and each customer portion-specific drop date of the drop plan.   
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and the first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the first expected plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range, and   when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces corresponding to the assignment of the first plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to the single drop point, causing the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 38 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and the first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the first expected plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range,   when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces corresponding to the generated customer portion-specific drop dates for each of the plurality of customer portion of mail pieces, causing the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 38 , further comprising:
 generating, by the forecast system and based on the first plurality of estimated delivery times and the at least one desired delivery goal, the drop plan for the automation mailing of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the drop plan including, a second assignment of a second plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to a single second drop point, wherein at least one portion of the second plurality of customer portions of mail pieces includes a corresponding unique destination area having a geographically nearer drop point other than the assigned single second drop point.   
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising:
 determining, by the forecast system and based on the tracking data and the first estimated drop date for the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, a first expected delivery date for each of the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces, the expected first plurality of delivery dates being contained within a first date range, and   when used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces corresponding to the assignment of the second plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to the second single drop point, causing the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces to be delivered within a second date range, the second date range being less than the first date range.   
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the drop plan having the form configured to be received by the control system of the printer and to be used by the control system to control operation of the printer to print the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces in accordance with the assigned single drop point and each customer portion-specific drop date is configured to
 prevent excessive wear of operational parts of the printer when printing the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces according to the drop plan,   reduce a need for mail sorter equipment upon printing the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces according to the drop plan, and   reduce a need for storage area after printing the plurality of customer portions of mail pieces according to the drop plan.