Providing end-to-end

EDI
airmail visibility
International mail is evolving rapidly, and is a growing business. By
leveraging and expanding the electronic data interchange (EDI)
standards and technology already in place you can help your company
grow its market share and increase revenues, improve customer service,
reduce costs, and promote efficiencies. Read on…

UNIVERSAL
UPU

POSTAL
UNION
Mail and EDI
– a natural partnership
Many posts and airlines understand that it is in the interest of both industries to integrate
processes and systems to be more competitive and to grow revenue. The exchange of
standard EDI messages is one of the key tools to achieve this. A relatively small cost to
set up EDI yields a very fast return on investment.

Growing postal volumes End-to-end visibility meets

represent opportunities for everyone’s customer service
both posts and airlines and planning needs

Postal traffic has changed dramatically, with B-to-C and
B-to-B traffic comprising well over 85 percent of total
volumes. Although much has been said about declining
letter mail volumes, the growth of e-commerce and
mobile phone and TV-shopping is driving growth of the
postal package and parcel traffic.
Total postal traffic worldwide is estimated to be around
550 million kg per year. Of that total, packages make up
15 percent and parcels 50 percent. Much of that interna-
tional traffic is conveyed by commercial airlines.
More importantly, package traffic shows double-digit
growth figures, and parcel volumes are increasing
steadily. Posts need to take advantage of these trends
to expand their role as door-to-door fulfilment provid-
ers in every country around the world. Postal volume
increases translate to expanded business opportunities
for qualified airlines.
Posts and airlines will need to change to meet growing
customer requirements for day-certain delivery if they
want to take part in this revenue growth potential.
Posts must compete in the market to provide a low-cost,
reliable service with tracking options that e-commerce
customers demand. Airlines must provide real-time
shipment status in a seamless transport network.
The exchange of EDI is not only a condition to help meet
customer requirements, providing near real time tracking
of mail in transport, it is also an opportunity to improve
business processes. Post-Airline EDI provides advance
notification of expected volumes that allows for revenue
management and capacity planning of mail by airlines.
Posts and airlines alike need real-time information to
manage operations and meet quality targets, improve
efficiency and reduce costs, and determine payments
to each other. Implementing EDI means both posts and
airlines will not only help grow their business but also
improve business processes, resulting in reduced costs
and improved quality of service.

“When we receive EDI messages from the “With
posts we receive confirmation of the final
volumes for a specific flight and can ensure
that we also receive the mail physically. We
can proactively manage instances where a
post is forwarding more mail than there is
space for. We don’t have these options for
posts that do not forward EDI messages.
Therefore posts sending EDI messages
”
enable us to give them a better service.
Planner
Scandinavian Airlines
the nesting function implemented
with the roll out of the latest CARDIT-
RESDIT standard M39, we have reduced the
number of physical handlings of receptacles,
e.g. when reassigning mail to another
transport. This saves time and consequently
we have more time to meet deadlines. ”
Flight planner
Post Danmark A/S
“Any time we use electronic messaging
to interface with government agencies,
airlines, and customers, it is a good thing.
Not having to work with paper documents
reduces errors caused by manual data entry,
saves resources required for paper-based
handling and expedites processing which
allows us to deliver a superior product.”
Manager
American Airlines
 Leverage existing Stay competitive
technology to create paper- by joining a growing group
free business processes of early adopters

EDI provides tracking capabilities in a manner that is both
transparent and seamless by jointly leveraging established
technologies to electronically exchange data between
posts and airlines. With Post-Customer EDI, Post-Post
EDI, Post-Airline EDI, and Post-Customs EDI, electronic
information can be shared regarding the location and
condition of international mail shipments.
Posts and airlines handling more than half of the
international postal traffic are already exchanging the
Post-Airline EDI messages, and more and more are using
the latest standard M39. To gain the benefit of potential
business growth it is vital to participate. An increasing
number of posts are making EDI exchange a condition
to carry mail.

Increased use of EDI technology supports the integration Join the community of leading posts and airlines who are
of the postal and airline industries. The aim is to pro- using EDI to remain competitive.
vide increased visibility and automation to international
mail throughout its lifecycle, and create paper-free busi-
ness processes – a substantial improvement producing
efficiencies and cost-savings compared to historical in-
ternational paper-based mail handling, transport, and
accounting processes.

“Before EDI messages were implemented, “When Deutsche Post started exchanging
the status of airmail during transport was EDI messages with us, we were able to use
not readily available. Exchanging CARDIT- them directly for accounting purposes. This
RESDIT made airmail transport transparent considerably reduced the manual processes,
in almost real time. We now know where based on paper delivery bills, with reduced
the mail is, when and where unforeseen numbers of errors and improved, speedier
events occur and when the mail actually accounting processes.”
arrives at destination. We are able to take
Accounting Manager
corrective action together with the airline
Lufthansa Cargo
and inform our customers immediately. ”
Transport Manager
Belgian Post International

End-to-end
international mail
visibility – bar-code
scanning and EDI
So just how is EDI used to provide
end-to-end visibility for international
mail? The illustration shows the dif-
ferent phases and handling points for
international mail. Taking an interna-
tional parcel as an example, the parcel
is received from the customer and is
inducted into the origin post’s domes-
tic network; it passes through several
domestic points, including handling,
sortation, and transport phases. At the
origin office of exchange, the parcel is
assigned to a receptacle for interna-
tional despatch and transport to the
destination country. The receptacle is
then usually assigned to a Unit Load
Device (ULD) for international trans-
port. At destination, the receptacle is
unloaded from the ULD, then the re-
ceptacle is emptied and the individual
parcel is retrieved. The parcel is then
cleared through the postal customs
clearance process, passes through the
destination post’s domestic network
and is delivered to the addressee.
Bar-code scanning and other comput-
erized entries generate the different
EDI messages at item, receptacle, and
transport levels at key points in the
end-to-end process. Close cooperation
between the different stakeholders
and compliance with agreed standards
is essential to provide data capturing
(bar-code scanning, other computer-
ized entries, systems interfaces) and
generate the necessary EDI messages.
The following section on the different
categories of international postal-re-
lated EDI explains how these activities
work together to provide crucial end-
to-end visibility.
EXPORT
CUSTOMER SERVICE
ORDER
ORIGIN CUSTOMS
ORIGIN POST
ITMATT FIRST
AIRLINE MAIL
SYSTEM
AIRLINE CARGO
SYSTEM
HANDLER SYSTEM
DESTINATION POST
DESTINATION CUSTOMS
Customer – Post EDI
To date there is no standard for Customer-Post
EDI exchanges; however, many customers and
posts exchange data electronically for purposes
such as order entry, data capturing for customs
declaration, and customer service.
Post – Post EDI
Post-Post EDI exchange is standardized and
widely used for all mail products.
EMSEVT: EMS item EVenT; EMSEVT item track-
ing messages (originally developed in support
of the EMS product but now used for all classes,
e.g. parcels and registered mail) are exchanged
between the origin and destination posts and
provide tracking information about identified
(bar-coded) mail items, from the point of accep-
tance through to final delivery to the addressee.
ITMATT: ITeM ATTribute pre-advice; ITMATT
messages are exchanged between the origin
and destination posts to provide information
about an item including details of the sender,
addressee, and item content, required for Cus-
toms and security screening of the item.
POST OFFICE
DOMESTIC SORTI
CENTRE
CUSITM
EMA
PREDES: PRE-advice of DESpatch; the PRE-
DES message provides information about a
despatch, a shipment of mail receptacles (e.g.
bags, trays) of the same mail category and class
sent from one post to another. PREDES is cre-
ated at the origin office of exchange and sent
to the destination office of exchange. It is used
to pre-advise the destination post and for inter-
post accounting settlement. It is the electronic
equivalent of the copies of the paper Letter Bills
CN31 and Parcel Bills CP87, as well as recep-
tacle labels and lists of items.
RESDES: RESponse to DESpatch pre-advice; the
RESDES message confirms arrival at the destina-
tion office of exchange and provides informa-
tion regarding the receptacles within a despatch
which have been received by the destination
post, thereby advising the origin post and con-
firming when the mail is ready for processing.
PRECON: PRE-advice of CONsignment; the
PRECON message provides information about a
consignment, a group of mail receptacles which
have been prepared for handover to an airline
for transport between the two posts concerned,
and is used to pre-advise the destination post,
thereby facilitating resource planning for the
processing of the incoming mail. It is the elec-
 TRANSPORT

PREDES CARDIT/PRECON RESDIT

ULD

BELLY CART

ING ORIGIN POSTAL AIRMAIL UNIT HANDLING FACILITY

OFFICE OF EXCHANGE
CUSRSP

GOVCBR
RESDIT 74

RESDIT 14
RESDIT 24
RESDIT 6
ITMATT LAST
EMB

PRECON
EXA
EXC

EMC

PRECON UPDATE
CARDIT
PREDES

GOVCBR

ARR FSU
DEP FSU
FWB
FFR
RCS FSU

FFA
REC MLD

- tronic equivalent of the copies (sent from the
a origin post to the destination post) of the paper
. Delivery Bills CN38 and CN41.
s Post – Airline EDI
- RESCON: RESponse to CONsignment pre-ad-
t vice; the RESCON message confirms the mail
d was received from the airline at the destination
- airmail unit. It provides information regarding
the receptacles within the consignment that
s have been scanned by the destination post at
-
or shortly after handover from the airline or CARDIT and RESDIT messages are used together.
ground handler. CARDIT represents the post’s expectation of the
transport service for the consignment of mail
receptacles assigned to the airline. RESDIT is
the positive acknowledgement to the CARDIT
CARDIT: CARrier/Documents International reporting the actual status of the receptacles
Transport advice in transport.
RESDIT: RESponse to Documents International The origin post sends a CARDIT message on con-
Transport advice signment closure before physical handover of

M39 and older CARDIT-RESDIT standards M39 CARDIT message functions Cancellation
e The enhanced and latest CARDIT-RESDIT standard Original, Update and Final When the post decides to cancel a consignment, e.g.
- M39 is expected to replace the older existing Where the post hands receptacles over to the airline following flight cancellation of the airline, the airline will
- standards. In due course the older standards M18 before the consignment is closed or where the post wants be informed by using a Cancellation CARDIT.
h (CARDIT V1.1) and M20 (CARDIT V2.0) will be replaced to inform the airline of the volumes it expects to assign, an
n by M39b (CARDIT V1.2) and M39c (CARDIT V2.1). The Original CARDIT should be sent prior to the first handover, M39 RESDIT functions and RESDIT events
- RESDIT version M22 (RESDIT V1.0) will be replaced by with Update CARDITs sent as receptacles are added to RESDIT is designed to respond on receptacles pre-advised
M39d (RESDIT V1.1). Posts and airlines that want to the consignment. When the post closes the consignment by CARDIT. In case a CARDIT is not received a RESDIT
start EDI should implement the M39 standard. a Final CARDIT message is sent, listing all receptacles that without CARDIT message can be issued.
e make up the consignment.
a The following are some of the key functionalities in the The full list of RESDIT event codes that could be used are
h CARDIT and RESDIT M39 standard. Correction listed in the UPU consignment event code list 100.
e Where it is established by data capturing that receptacles
, are not physically handed over to the airline to which Examples of some recommended events are ASSIGNED
, the consignment was assigned, the post shall send a (6) to confirm receptacles are assigned to the scheduled
e Correction CARDIT, to remove receptacles from the flight, and BOOKING CANCELLED (7) to notify the post
- consignment to correct obvious mistakes. that receptacles are not assigned (e.g. compliance issues).
 RESDIT RESDIT/RESCON RESDES

ULD

BELLY CART ULD

BELLY CART

HANDLING FACILITY HANDLING FACILITY POSTAL AIRMAIL UNIT DESTIN

RESDIT 40 OFFICE OF E
RESDIT 40

RESDIT 21
RESDIT 24

RESDIT 14
PRECON UPDATE

ARR FSU
DEP FSU
RCF FSU

RCF FSU

DLV FSU
HND MLD

DLV MLD

RESCON

RESDES
GOVCBR

EMD
GOVCBR

CUSITM

CUSRSP
mail. The CARDIT message provides instructions vided by the airline to the post. To support turned to the post and are not in custody of the
by the post to the assigned airline for the con- paper-free transport and accounting based on airline. For a POD the airline reports the recep-
veyance of the mail and is also considered the Post-Airline EDI the mandatory events are those tacles delivered to the destination post using
final booking of space on the transport specified that help establish irrefutable Proof of Accep- the event DELIVERED (21).
in it. The CARDIT is the electronic equivalent of tance (POA) and Proof of Delivery (POD).
the copies (sent from the origin post to the air- The RESDIT events used for transport status
line) of the paper Delivery Bills CN 38 and CN 41. The RESDIT events used for POA are RECEIVED commonly required are UPLIFTED (24), con-
(74) and RETURNED (82) to confirm which re- firmation that the transport has departed;
Trading partners (airlines and posts) determine ceptacles were taken into receipt by the airline TRANSPORT COMPLETED (14), confirmation
bilaterally which RESDIT events are to be pro- from the post and which receptacles were re- that the transport has arrived at destination;
and MAIL ARRIVED (40), confirmation that the
mail has arrived at the handling facility.
In case of a transfer from one contracted airline to ID to which it is nested. Airlines nest when building
another contracted airline, the first airline reports transfer containers and specify the container ID for each Post – Customs EDI
of possession of receptacles to the next airline using receptacle ID in RESDIT.
HANDOVER DELIVERED (42) and the next airline confirms CUSITM: CUStoms ITeM pre-advice to Cus-
having taken possession of receptacles from the previous M39 and the Postal Air Waybill toms; CUSITM messages are under develop-
airline using HANDOVER RECEIVED (43). The basic element airline cargo systems report on is ment and intended to be sent from the post re-
the Master Air Waybill (MAWB) number. A MAWB ceiving an item to the local Customs authority,
M39 and nesting number becomes a Postal Air Waybill (PAWB) number to provide Customs with pre-advice regarding
Nesting of receptacle IDs to a container ID allows airlines by use of the special handling code “MAL” for mail. the item including item sender, addressee, con-
to scan mail at a consolidated level, i.e. the nest ID. If Assigning a PAWB number to a mail consignment tents, postage paid and declared value. This in-
posts and airlines apply nesting it reduces the need for with the “MAL” code makes it possible for airlines to formation allows the Customs authority to de-
receptacle level scanning during the process of emptying manage mail in the cargo system and to distinguish cide whether the item must be held for security
receptacles out of a container and loading receptacles mail from cargo consignments. The PAWB number inspection or assessment of duties and taxes.
into containers. Posts nest receptacles when loading can be communicated in the M39 CARDIT and RESDIT
equipment for handover to airlines and create a container messages to help link airline mail and cargo system CUSRSP: CUStoms ReSPonse message; CUSRSP
journey ID label that the airline can scan. CARDIT specifies functionalities. messages are intended to be sent from a Cus-
for each receptacle the container journey ID and container toms authority to a post (usually in response to

IMPORT
NATION DOMESTIC SORTING
EXCHANGE CENTRE
EME
EMF
EDD
EDB
EDC
EDE
a CUSITM pre-advice message), to advise the
post whether an item can be released for on-
wards processing or must be retained at the OE
for security inspection or assessment of duties
and taxes.
Airline – Customs EDI
GOVCBR: GOVernment Cross Border Regula-
tory message; GOVCBR messages are used for
export and import cargo declaration (by the
airline) and response (by Customs), sometimes
referred to as the Freight Declaration, providing
the particulars required by Customs concerning
the cargo (freight) carried by commercial means
of transport. For mail this would be the number
of receptacles and the weight of mail on the
flight manifest. (Note: the message GOVCBR
replaces the existing WCOCAR and CUSRES
messages).
Airline – Airline/Handler EDI
There are many standard Cargo messages that
could be used to create a link between the
airline mail and cargo systems and to transfer
information from handler to airline or airline to
airline to support RESDIT event messaging.
INTERNATIONAL PARCEL
TRACKING FOR ITEM
CP 123 456 789 XX
28/9/09 10:43 .... DELIVERED
27/9/09 15:30 .... OUT OF CUSTOMS
27/9/09 11:44 .... IN CUSTOMS
27/9/09 07:33 .... ARRIVED DEST
26/9/09 18:20 .... DEPARTED ORIG
26/9/09 11:45 .... WITH TRANSPORT
26/9/09 09:20 .... ASSIGNED TO
TRANSPORT
26/9/09 08:14 .... DESPATCHED
25/9/09 14:27 .... POSTED
DELIVERY OFFICE
Key IATA Standard cargo messages
FWB Air Waybill Data (available to airlines prior to
tender of “ready for carriage” consignments)
FFR Booking request message
FFA Booking confirmation message
MLD Mail Label Data (to transfer receptacle ID in-
formation in the airline environment enabling
airlines to report a particular mail status event)
FSU Status Update (unsolicited update providing the
latest status attained for a consignment)
Mail Status Events (within MLD)
DLV Delivered to office of destination
EDG/EDH
EMH/EMI
HND Received from a flight or delivered to a flight
EMG
REC Received from post office at origin
Cargo Status Events (within FSU)
RCS Consignment received from the shipper and
accepted as “ready for carriage” by airline at
origin
DEP Consignment departed on a flight
ARR Flight Arrival at an airport
MAIL ITEM RCF Consignment received from a flight or “flying
mail item ID-based messages truck”
RECEPTACLE DLV Consignment delivered to the consignee or its
receptacle ID-based messages Agent
CARGO
cargo messages providing mail consignment and
transport status information Key UPU Standard EMSEVT v3
message events used to track
COPY individual bar-coded mail items
copy of messages sent to central systems for
end-to-end track and trace to support customer EMA Posting/collection
service and performance monitoring EMB Arrival at outward [origin] office of exchange
EXA Item presented to export Customs/Security
EVENT DATA COLLECTION METHOD EXC Item returned from Customs/Security (export)
scanner computer EMC Departure from outward [origin] office of
exchange
EMD Arrival at inward [destination] office of exchange
EDB Item presented to import Customs
EME Held by import Customs
This brochure illustrates the processes and EDI messaging sup- EDC Item returned from Customs (import)
porting the acceptance, transport, and delivery of internation- EMF Departure from inward [destination] office of
al mail. As these are constantly being reviewed and improved exchange
it can be expected there will be enhancements in the future.
For example, not included are allotment planning, space al-
EDD Item into sorting centre
location, and post-airline accounts settlement messages, for EDE Item out of sorting centre
which it is foreseen that standards will be drafted in the near EMG Arrival at delivery office
future. Also, the cargo messages as presented are provided EDG Item out for physical delivery
only as examples and are not the only way information is ex-
EDH Item arrival at collection point for pick-up (by
changed between handler, cargo, and mail systems, and are
shown here to illustrate how an existing cargo system could recipient)
be leveraged to support messaging for mail. EMH Unsuccessful (physical) delivery
EMI Final delivery
I want to do it!
Where do I go for help?
As of the printing of this brochure 48 posts and 56 airlines were involved in exchanging CARDIT and RESDIT messages. However, this
means there are an additional 140+ posts and 120+ airlines who do NOT yet participate! In many cases, posts are capable of sending
CARDIT, but do not have the capability enabled and/or do not have arrangements concluded with their supplier airlines. Similarly, in
many cases airlines are capable of responding with RESDIT messages at many locations due to agreements with posts in other countries,
but the post at that particular location does not generate CARDIT messages.

For posts interested
in sending CARDIT messages
Posts using the UPU Postal Technology Cen-
tre’s International Postal System (IPS) for inter-
national mail despatch/receipt/EDI messaging
can already begin sending CARDIT messages.
This involves a straightforward configuration
A CARDIT-RESDIT matrix displays post-airline
pairs that exchange CARDIT-RESDIT. It further
specifies the RESDIT events reported by airline
and by airport. Posts can check which airlines
already send RESDIT messages to other
posts and what status information the airline
provides from a specific airport.
Of course, in today’s environment more and
more posts are expecting CARDIT/RESDIT ex-
changes with their supplier airlines, so jump-
ing in now puts an airline ahead of the curve.
Making the most of

implementation in the local IPS system, and
coordination with the UPU to set up the elec-
tronic mailboxes, in order to begin sending the
messages. For technology assistance, contact
the UPU PTC at helpdesk.ips@upu.int.
For posts with despatch systems developed
in-house or by 3rd party vendors, the develop-
ment needs should be investigated together
with their local or vendor IT development
staff. The process necessarily involves gaining
familiarity with the pertinent UPU EDI mes-
saging standards mentioned elsewhere in this
brochure. These standards are available by
subscription from the UPU. Contact the UPU
at standards@upu.int.
Posts interested in sending CARDIT messages
to and receiving RESDIT messages from their
supplier airlines should begin engaging the
airlines in discussions to agree to exchange
CARDIT/RESDIT messages, each organization
committing to do the necessary work to be-
come capable.
The IPC website www.ipc.be provides
monthly updates on the status of CARDIT-
RESDIT exchange between posts and airlines.
Airlines can check which posts are already
sending CARDIT messages to other airlines.
For airlines interested
in sending RESDIT messages
For airlines interested in sending RESDIT mes-
sages in response to CARDIT messages from
posts, one source of information is to contact
the sponsoring vendors mentioned at the end
of this brochure. As mentioned above, local IT
staff should gain familiarity with the pertinent
UPU standards.
Airlines are advised to consult IATA to obtain
the message specifications and also to seek
advice from the IATA Airmail Panel, which
consists of airline mail experts from IATA mem-
bers. Contact IATA at info@iata.org.
In addition to changes in the airline IT environ-
ment, there will be changes needed to the
physical handling and operational processes.
Instituting physical process changes such as
mail receptacle scanning can reasonably be bal-
anced by improved processes, reduced costs,
and added efficiencies in other business areas
such as quality management and accounting.
Copyright © 2010. Printed on FSC certified paper. Design & production: www.inextremis.be
CARDIT/RESDIT
For posts and airlines interested in real-
izing all the business advantages CARDIT-
RESDIT message exchange can supply
– paving the way to paper-free trans-
port and accounting, aligning post and
airline processes and systems, providing
industry-standard mail status information
– the IPC Future of Mail by Air (FoMbA)
initiative is an action-driven project dedi-
cated to improving the international mail
transport process to ensure a reliable
and sustainable network for carriage of
mail. Participation is industry-wide, and
includes representatives from posts, air-
lines, and third-party software providers.
All posts and airlines are invited to join
FoMbA; active participation is a require-
ment. If you are interested in receiving
more information about FoMbA, please
contact IPC at fomba@ipc.be.
Thank you for your interest and
participation!

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

This brochure is a joint publication of the Universal Postal Union, the International Air Transport Association, and the
International Post Corporation, with sponsorship from several EDI solution providers. References are given below to assist parties
interested in participating or increasing their participation in international postal-related EDI.

PRODUCERS

UNIVERSAL UN Specialized Agency

UPU

International Air THE NATURAL PARTNER FOR

POSTAL for International Postal Services Transport Association THE POSTAL INDUSTRY
UNION www.upu.int www.iata.org www.ipc.be
info@upu.int cargoedi@iata.org fomba@ipc.be

SPONSORS

AccuCode, Inc. Aviation Software Inc. CDA IT Systems GmbH

“IT at the Speed of Business“ “The market’s leading independent “IT solutions for posts and carriers“
www.accucode.com applications software supplier” www.cda-it-systems.com
sdeskin@accucode.com www.Aviation-Software.net cda@cda-it-systems.com
ContactUs@Aviation-Software.net

Global Logistics System (HK) Co. Ltd. TRAXON Europe

“Linking the World > Changing the World“ “Getting ahead through innovation”
www.glshk.com www.traxon.com
marketing@glshk.com helpdesk@traxon.com