Requirements document for Online Military Postal Inquiries

1. Online Mail Inquiry Requirements
Purpose: This document is a thorough list and explanation of all requirements associated with the Military Postal
Service Agency’s Online Mail Inquiry Form.
I. Overview
Submitting an Inquiry-All inquiries from mailers will be inputted into the online mail inquiry form for tracking purposes
and to reply to mailers. Inquiries can be received via a phone, fax machine, snail mail, email, or the web, but all inquiry
details must be inputted into the online mail inquiry from. The submitter will complete the required fields as
applicable. The required fields are marked in section I.

2. Inquiry Purpose-The mailer will specify the purpose of the inquiry. (Inquiry Follow-up, Track a
Package, or Ask a Question.) To track a package, the mailer must enter a valid ZIPCODE so the
inquiry can be assigned to the appropriate MACOM for resolution. If the mailer fails to enter a
valid ZIPCODE, for a MACOM, an MPSA user must determine the appropriate MACOM and
forward the inquiry to the applicable MACOM for resolution.
Inquiry Routing
Mail Question Inquiry
Mail Tracking Inquiry
Follow-up Inquiry

3. Replying to an Inquiry- An MPSA user will reply directly to the mailer when the mailer submits an inquiry with
question(s). For all tracking and follow-up inquiries, the assigned MACOM will reply directly to the mailer with the
most current status on the mailed parcel(s). If necessary, the MACOM will assign the applicable MPO to obtain the most
current status of the parcel(s). The MPO will then provide the most current status of the parcel within AMPS. Once
completed, the MACOM will receive a notice of the updated status and then reply directly to the mailer with that
provided information.
Forwarding an Inquiry-Since all inquiry information is submitted and stored within AMPS for action, there is no need
to forward information such as to forward an email message. The phrase is used to assign a new representative to
answer an inquiry. Once an inquiry is forwarded, a notice is sent from AMPS to the designated representative(s) that
they have been assigned to answer a mailer’s inquiry and how to answer the inquiry within AMPS.
Closing an Inquiry-Once the assigned representative is complete in answering the inquiry, that representative will
reply to the MACOM that the inquiry has been answered. Finally, the MACOM will reply to the mailer with the most
current status of the mailed parcel.

4. II. Online Mail Inquiry * Indicates a required field x Indicates there is a help box
A. The Online Mail Inquiry Form for Mailers Only the fields listed below and in the order listed below
must be on the form to provide the easiest and most efficient manner for mailers to provide required
information to receive replies to their inquiries.
1. * Name(Last, First Name)
2. * Phone Number
3. * Email Address
4. x*Purpose of the Inquiry: (Drop-Down with the choices listed below)
a. Inquiry Follow-Up. (Drop-Down with the ability to pick/type their reference number and have
fields auto-populate with information that was submitted in a previous inquiry.)
b. Track a package If the mailer chooses to track a package, all ZIPCODES are required.
Also, the MPO ZIPCODE must be validated in order to assign a MACOM to answer the inquiry.
The MPO ZIPCODE could either be in the Return Address or the Recipient’s Address.
c. Question. If the mailer chooses a question for the inquiry purpose, only their contact
Information and the comment field are required to be completed.
5. x Referred by USPS? (Drop-Down with the choices listed below)
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
6. x Return Address
a. Name(Last Name, First Name)*
b. Unit#/Address
c. Box#
d. City
e: Post Office Type: (Drop-Down with the choices listed below)
1. APO AE
2. APO AA
3. APO AP
4. FPO AE
5 FPO AA
6 FPO AP
7 DPO AP
8 DPO AA
9 DPO AE
10 U.S. Post Office
11 U.S. Street Address
f. ZIP CODE (All numbers, without “-“)*
7. X Destination Address
a. Name (Last Name, First Name):
b. Address/Unit
c: Box
d: City
e: ZIP CODE (All numbers, without “-“)*
f: Post Office Type: (Drop-Down with the choices listed below)
1. APO AE
2. APO AA
3. APO AP
4. FPO AE
5 FPO AA
6 FPO AP
7 DPO AP
8 DPO AA
9 DPO AE

5. 10 US Post Office
11 US Street Address
8. x What is the Mail/Extra Service type Barcode? (On receipt)
a. Do not allow mailers to enter a CP# in this field.
b. Remove all spaces from the barcode so as to link the barcode to the Product Tracking System.
9. x Extra Service Type: (Drop-Down with the choices listed below)
a. Registered
b. Insured>$200
c. Insured<$200
d. Return Receipt for Merchandise
e. Delivery Confirmation
f. Certified
10. x Barcode Starts with (Numbers or letters)
11. Mailing Date
a. The customer must pick the mail date from a pop-up calendar
12. x What class of mail was the parcel? (Drop-Down with the choices listed below)
a. Express
b. Priority
c. First Class
d. Parcel Post/SAM
13. Do you have more than one barcode to track? (Drop-Down with choices listed below)
a. Yes
b. No
c. State on the form, “To ensure the quickest reply with most current status on mailed parcels,
only submit one inquiry per barcode, unless all parcels mailed, were mailed on the same
day to the same addressee. “
14. How many additional barcodes do you have? (Drop-Down with choices listed below)
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5
f. Provide up to 5 additional fields for 5 additional barcodes on this one inquire
15. x Who is the Addressee’s Employer? (Drop-Down with the choices listed below)
a. Army (Reserves/Guard)
b. Air Force (Reserves/Guard)
c. Navy (Reserves/Guard)
d. Marine (Reserves/Guard)
e. Coast Guard (Reserves/Guard)
f. DoD Civilian
g. Contractor
h. Department of State
i. I don’t know
16. Comments & Recommendations for Improvement (Up to 1000 Characters)
a. This field allows the mailer to provide an explanation of their issues and/or concerns.
b. The field will allow the mailer to respond one time after receiving a reply to an inquiry.

6. B. The Online Mail Inquiry Form for Routing. The fields must be in the order listed below
to aid the Military Postal Service Agency in providing the quickest and most up-to-date status details
to mailers in response to their mail inquiries.
1. Inquiry Status: This field will auto-populate based on what has been done to the inquiry.
a. Waiting Reply. All submitted inquiries will begin with this status.
b. MACON Assigned. When the MACOM is assigned the inquiry based on the MPO ZIPCODE.
c. Forwarded to MPO. When the MACOM forwards the inquiry to the MPO.
d. Forwarded to MACOM. When the MPO has replied to the MACOM inquiry.
e. Open. When an AMPs user chooses the option to keep the inquiry open.
f. Closed All inquiries will be automatically closed after 30 days from the day the customer
is sent a reply.
f. All inquiries with no pending action will be automatically closed after 30 days from date of
submission.
2. Inquiry Source: This field is required for tracking the source of inquiries other than those submitted via the online
form. Inquiries submitted via a standard mailed letter to MPSA will not require contact information.
a. Online Mail Form (Default Value)
b. Standard Mail
c. Phone
d. Fax
e. Email
3. *MPSA Reply (Up to 1000 Characters ) This field is required when the mailer submits an inquiry
with question(s).
a. This field allows MPSA users to reply to customer question inquiries.
b. This field will be visible to Service Lead Reps and MPSA users.
c. Allow MPSA users the ability to reply to one reply from the mailer after sending the first reply.
4. *MACOM Reply (Up to 1000 Characters ) This field is required for the MACOM to reply to the
mailer.
a. This field allows MACOM users to reply to customer inquiries.
b. This field will be visible to MACOM users, Service Lead Reps, and MPSA users
c. Allow MACOM users to save text without being assigned the inquiry.
d. Allow MACOM users one time to reply to the MPO to ask for further details after receiving
the initial reply with the current status details of the inquiry.
5. *MPO Reply (Up to 1000 Characters) If the inquiry is forwarded to the MPO, this field is
required.
a. This field allows MPO users to reply directly to the MACOM.
b. This field will be visible to MPO, MACOM, Service Lead Reps & MPSA users.
c. Allow MPO users to save text without being assigned the inquiry.
d. Allow MPO users one time to reply to the second inquiry from the MACOM.
6. x *Inquiry Status Log
a. This field will be visible to every MACOM & MPO user who could act upon the inquiry to
include MPSA users and Service Lead Representatives.
7. x Work in Progress
a. Allow only one user at a time at either the MACOM or the MPO to type a reply to an inquiry.
8. Restrict access to the Mail Inquiry Module to the assigned MACOM/MPO users.
a. Only those MACOM users assigned to resolve customer inquiries will reply to mailer inquiries.
b. Only those MPO users assigned to resolve customer inquiries will reply to MACOM inquiries.

7. III. Online Mail Inquiry Form Actions
A. Mailer Actions
1. Customer will complete all required fields to submit an inquiry.
2. Customer will receive a reference# after successful submission.
3. Customer will receive an email reply with the current status of their inquiry.
4. Customer can type one response after receiving a reply to an inquiry.
B. Online Form Actions
1. All fields in the form must be editable by all MPSA users and only assigned MACOM users.
a. If the mailer submits an invalid MPO ZIPCODE, an MPSA user will manually assign the
appropriate MACOM to resolve the inquiry.
b. If the MPSA can not assign a tracking inquiry to the applicable MACOM, an MPSA user will
resolve the tracking inquiry with any known information.
2. State on the online form, “You will receive a reply within 3 Business Days.”
3. The online form will provide help boxes with text for each field that is marked with an “x”
a. Help boxes and their text for submitting an online mail inquiry.
1. Purpose of the Inquiry-, “If you only have a question, we need you to provide your contact
information and type your question in the comments/recommendation field. If you are
following up on an inquiry already submitted please select inquiry follow-up. This option will
auto-populate your follow-up inquiry with all the information from you original inquiry when
you type your original Reference ID# . If you want to track a package please complete all the
required fields.”
2. Referred by USPS?-Did you speak with a USPS postal clerk who transferred you to the
Military Postal Service Agency?
3. Return Address-“Type the address as it is showing on the parcel. When selecting the Post
Office Type, select US Post Office or US Street Address if the return address is within
the United States. If the return address is from overseas, select the appropriate military post
office type. (Example APO AE, FPO AP, DPO AA).”
4. Destination Address-“Type the address as it is showing on the parcel. When selecting the
Post Office Type, select US Post Office or US Street Address if the destination address is within
the United States. If the destination address is overseas, select the appropriate military post
office type. (Example APO AE, FPO AP, DPO AA).”
5. What is the Mail/Extra Service Type Barcode? “This barcode is on the receipt the postal clerk
provides when an additional service is purchased. The list of additional services for a barcode
is included in the next field down in the drop-down list. If no additional services were
purchased, there is no status information available on the mailed parcel(s). While a CP# can be
used to track International Mail, it can not be used to track Military Mail because Military Mail
is still Domestic Mail. For this reason a CP# is not valid for submitting an inquiry on Military
Mail.
6. Barcode Starts with “Barcodes are typically 20, 22, or 30-digit numbers. (Example, Barcode
starts with 0306.., 1307…, 9201…,4201.., Insurance over $200 typically starts with the letter,
“V,” Registered Mail starts with an, “R,” and Certified Mail starts with a, “C.” An Express Mail
item starts with an “E.” A CP# is a Customs Form number that can not be used when submitting
a Military Mail Inquiry. While a CP# can be used to track International Mail, it can not be used
to track Military Mail because Military Mail is still Domestic Mail.
7. What class of mail was the parcel? “If you did not pay extra for postage, your parcel was
most likely mailed Parcel Post, which is the slowest way to mail an item because it travels over
surface and gets loaded on a boat the average transit time is (30-45 days). Your receipt will
show what class of mail was purchased for your parcel.”
8. Who is the Recipient’s Employer? “If the recipient is not in the US Military or you do not
Know, please select the appropriate option.”
b. Help boxes and their text for routing an online mail inquiry.

8. 1. Inquiry Status Log, “All AMPS users will provide a record of what they have done on an inquiry
before anything further can be accomplished with the inquiry. “
2. Work in Progress, “Look at this field to see if any other AMPS users are currently working the
the active inquiry, before you start working the inquiry.”
4. The online form must include the Privacy Act Statement.
5. The designated representative will reply to the mailer or the MACOM.
6. All applicable paperwork will be scanned and attached to the inquiry. The MPO user must be
able to upload and attach up to three image files to any inquiry. The images files will be in the
formats listed below.
a. PDF
b. JPG
c. TIFF
7. Reference IDs must follow the following format
a. YearMonthDateTicket# (20090125001, 20090125002,….20090126001…..)
b. The Ticket# starts at 001 at the beginning of each calendar day. This requirement will allow
users to visually see the total number of inquiries per day and aid in finding inquiries when
mailers do not know their Reference ID#
8. All inquiries submitted on the same barcodes must be linked to minimize multiple inquiries.
a. The reply for the first inquiry must be visible for all subsequent inquiries.
b. Provide the option to submit a new inquiry only after reviewing the results of the first reply.
c. If no reply has been received before receiving subsequent inquiries, all mailers submitting
subsequent inquiries will receive the original reply when it is sent in response to the original
Inquiry. State the following, ”An inquiry as has already been submitted on this barcode. You will
receive a copy of the reply when it is sent to the original inquirer.”
9. MPSA users must be able to retrieve all inquiries either by the Reference ID#, Mailer’s Last
Name, First Name, or Barcode. This is to provide the current status of a submitted online inquiry.
10. When a mailer submits a tracking inquiry, a web link to USPS’s track and confirm will be visible
on the form.
11. The form must capture the time spent in completing the form
a. The form must provide a time stamp when the form is first opened
b. The form must provide a time stamp when the form is successfully submitted
12. The form must capture the time spent on a phone inquiry.
a. There must be a time stamp when the phone is picked up
b. There must be a time stamp when the phone is hung up
C. Freedom of Action Inquiries (FOIA)
1. Destroy all personal information after an inquiry is closed.
a. Name
b. Street Addresses
c. Phone Number
d. Email Address
e. Unit#
f. Box#

9. IV. Online Mail Inquiry Reports
A. Excel
1. All the fields in submitted mail inquiries and used to route replies to inquiries must be exportable
to an Excel Spreadsheet unless otherwise stated below.
a. All Five-Digit ZIPCODES listed will be in one column
b. All Plus Four Digits for a ZIPCODE will be in a second column to the right of the Five-Digit ZIP
CODE-Column.
c. The Exported Spreadsheet must include the Reference ID# which is not a field in the form.
d. Do not include the following fields in the exported Excel Spreadsheet.
1. Name
2. Street Address
3. Phone Number
4. Email Address
5. Unit#
6. Box#
B. One Inquiry Routing Report
1. All date stamps will be in the following format
a. YYYYMMDD (EXAMPLE: 20090122)
2. A series of date stamps will be added to the history of an inquiry.
a. A date stamp will be applied when the inquiry is submitted by the mailer.
b. A date stamp will be applied every time the inquiry is forwarded.
c. A date stamp will be applied every time the inquiry is replied to.
d. A date stamp will be applied when the inquiry is closed.
3. MPSA users, Service Lead Representatives, MACOM users, and MPO/TRANS users will be able to
see an overall master inquiry routing report.
a. The report will show the response times to any one inquiry by Reference ID#
1. Overall response days from when the inquiry is submitted to when it is closed.
a. By Date Range
2. Response days from when the inquiry is forwarded to MPOs and replied to the MACOM.
a. By Date Range
b. The report will provide an average response time for all inquiries within the following criteria.
1. By Service
a. Overall response days from date of inquiry submission to date of closing
b. By Date Range
2, By MACOM
a. Overall average response days from date of forwarding to the MPO back to MACOM
b. By Date Range
3. By MPO
a. Overall average response days from date of forwarding to the MPO back to the MACOM
b. By Date Range
c. The report will show a master view of all inquiries that have not been closed
1. By Service
a. By Date Range
2. By MACOM
a. By Date Range
3. By ZIPCODE
a. By Date Range
4. By Date Range
a. By Service
b. By MACOM
c. My ZIPCODE

10. d. The report will highlight in red all inquiries that have not received a reply in 5 calendar
days from date of submission.
e. This report will be exportable to Excel 2003.
C. Online Form Reports
1. There must be a report showing the time spent to complete the online mail form.
a. Average time for mailers to complete the form.
b. Average time for MPSA users to input inquiries into the online mail form
2. There must be a report showing the time spent on phone inquiries.
a. Per Hour
b. Per Day
c. Per Week
d. Per Month
e. Per Year
3. This report must be exportable to Excel 2003.
4. This report will be viewable only by MPSA users.
IV. Training
A. A video will be posted to AMPS showing MACOM & MPO users how to answer mailer inquiries.
1. The video will start by showing how mailers submit inquiries
2. The video will then show what the MACOM must do to reply to the inquiry
a. Review the inquiry
b. Forward the Inquiry to the MPO for current status details on the parcel.
c. Reply to the mailer with the current status details on the parcel as provided by the MPO.
3. The video will show how the MPO replies to MACOM inquiries.
4. The video will show how to run the inquiry routing report to include exporting it to Excel.
V. Common Acronyms
AMPS-Automated Military Postal System
MACOM-Major Command
MPO-Military Post Office
MPSA-Military Postal Service Agency