What is NDG Presort?

• The NDG Presort Option is the basic mail presortation option for Publications Mail. The mail is sequenced by postal code, then grouped and containerized according to the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).
  
  
• Key requirements to access the NDG Presort option are:
  • a mailing must meet content and physical characteristics criteria of Publications Mail
  • a minimum of six (6) items per grouping
  • Minimum of 50 pieces per deposit for mailings comprised of NDG National pieces (phantom price is available at NDG National base price)
  • No minimum volume requirement for mailings containing NDG regional and/or Local Rural pieces (even if some NDG National pieces are included on the order)
  • a Statement of Accuracy is required on deposits of more than 5,000 items
  • Levels of consolidation (groupings): Delivery Facility, Distribution Centre Facility (DCF), Forward Consolidation Point (FCP) and Residue
  • Levels of containerization (hard-sided containers or bags): Delivery Facility, City, Distribution Centre Facility (DCF), Forward Consolidation Point (FCP) and Residue.
  • Containerization: hard-sided containers or bags
  • Container label must state: Publications Mail - NDG

The following introduces you to the terms and processes for preparing and presorting your mail.

The Postal Code

The postal code is an integral part of every address in Canada. It was designed to aid in sorting mail by both mechanized and manual methods.

The postal code is made up of two segments:

• the FSA (Forward Sortation Area) and
• the LDU (Local Delivery Unit):

The National Presortation Schematic (NPS)

The National Presortation Schematic (NPS) is the "master" document used by all customers to presort their mailings. It contains a set of tables that indicate which FSAs can be grouped and containerized together as well as the information that has to be entered on container labels.

The objective is to group/bundle and containerize your items to the lowest level of the NPS.

There are four key considerations for grouping/bundling and containerizing your items according to the NPS:

1. The "brackets of inclusion" in the NPS play a key role; they indicate which FSAs can be grouped/bundled and containerized together, (see more, figure 1).
2. The minimum number of items per grouping/bundle for Publications Mail is six (6).
3. Items can only be bundled to Levels 1, 3 or 4 of the NPS. Items that can't be bundled to these three (3) levels are bundled as Residue items. Only the last Residue bundle can contain less than six (6) items of Publications Mail.
4. Bundles can only be containerized to Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4 of the NPS. Bundles that can't be containerized to these four levels are containerized as Residue.

The NPS is updated on a monthly basis.

Facing and Sequencing

Facing the mail is a process whereby all items are placed with the address facing the same direction.

Sequencing consists in sorting the mail in alphanumeric order by postal code.

Ascending order is the preferred method of sequencing, however, descending order is acceptable if consistency is maintained throughout the mailing.

Grouping/Bundling and Labelling the Bundles

Grouping is the process of combining mail together by a common element. For the NDG Presort Option, items are grouped according to the National Presortation Schematic (NPS):

• group by Urban and/or Rural Delivery Facility (Level 1 of the NPS)
• group by Distribution Centre Facility (Level 3 of the NPS), where they exist
• group by Forward Consolidation Point (Level 4 of the NPS)
• group as Residue

For the NDG Presort Option, bundling is the only option for segregating the groupings. A "bundle" describes a number of mail pieces tied together by elastic, string or plastic straps.

A bundle label (also known as a facing slip) must be applied to each bundle that is not a Level 1 Delivery Facility bundle. In other words, a bundle label must be affixed to Level 3 Distribution Centre Facility (DCF), to Level 4 Forward Consolidation Point (FCP) and to Residue bundles. Bundle labels must be securely fastened to the bundles and must indicate the NPS routing information and the Service Option.

Containerizing and Labelling the Containers

Presorted mail is placed in one of the following containers:

• Lettertainers for Short and Long (S/L) items
• Flats tubs for Oversize (O/S) items
• Large mail bags (A-3) for S/L and O/S items
• Small mail bags (A-6) for S/L and O/S items

Each container must have the correct label or tie-on tag indicating the Service Name, Service Option and NPS routing information.

Depositing Your Mail

Publications Mail Customers must deposit their mailings with an authorized Canada Post employee at a Receipt Verification Unit (RVU), or at a postal facility approved by Canada Post.

Please proceed to the NDG Presort Hands-on Presortation Exercises.