NDG Presort Online Training
- Glossary

Bag

• A-3 mail bag – a large bag in which the mail is placed.
• A-6 mail bag – a small bag in which the mail is placed.

Bag Label
(also referred to as a keeper tag)
A piece of thin cardboard with pre-printed or hand-written information to be inserted in the label holder on mail bags to show the destination and contents of the bag.

Brackets of Inclusion
The "brackets of inclusion" in the National Presortation Schematic (NPS) play a key role; they indicate which FSAs can be grouped/bundled and containerized together.

Bundle/Grouping
Grouping is the process of combining mail together by a common element. Groupings can be separated from other groupings by bundling. A "bundle" describes a number of mail items tied together by elastic, string or plastic straps.

If using the NDG option, bundling is the only option for segregating the groupings.

Bundle Label
(Facing Slip)
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) bundles and to Residue bundles. Bundle labels must be securely fastened to the bundles and must indicate the NPS routing information and the Service Option.

Container Label
A piece of thin cardboard containing pre-printed or hand-written information to be inserted in the label holder attached to a container. The label details the contents and the container's destination.

Container
Includes the following:

• A-3 mail bag – a large bag in which the mail is placed.
• A-6 mail bag – a small bag in which the mail is placed.
• Flats Tub – a container in which Oversize (O/S) mail is placed.
• Lettertainer – a container in which Short and Long (S/L) mail is placed.

Delivery Facility (DF - level 1 of the NPS)
Urban postal stations, letter carrier depots and rural postal facilities. This is the first level of consolidation of the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).

Distribution Centre Facility (DCF - level 3 of the NPS)
A major postal facility where mail is received, sorted, handled and sent to, or received from, a group of dependent postal facilities. This is the third level of consolidation as per the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).

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

Flats Tub
A hardsided container used primarily to transport Oversize (O/S) mail.

Foward Consolidation Point (FCP - level 4 of the NPS)
The fourth level of consolidation in the National Presortation Schematic (NPS). This level is only accessed for the make-up of monotainers/pallets.

Forward Sortation Area (FSA)
The first three characters (alpha-numeric-alpha) of the postal code which represent a geographic area (e.g. K1A).

Grouping/Bundling
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). Groupings can be separated from other groupings by bundling.

A "bundle" describes a number of mail items tied together by elastic, string or plastic straps.

If using the NDG option, bundling is the only option for segregating the groupings.

Keeper Tag
see Bag Label

Labelling
Printing relevant data on a label or facing slip or inserting labels into the label holders of mail bags or hard-sided containers prior to dispatch.

Lettertainer
A hardsided container used primarily to transport Short and Long (S/L) mail.

Local Delivery Unit (LDU)
The last three characters (numeric-alpha-numeric) of the postal code which represent a specific point or set of points of call located within the area identified by the Forward Sortation Area (FSA).

Mail Preparation
Mail Preparation is the process of:

• Facing the Mail (arranging the mail so that the addresses all face in the same direction);
• Containerizing the Mail (placing the mail inside mail bags or hard-sided containers);
• Labelling (affixing labels to mail groupings and containers).

Mail Presortation
Mail Presortation is the process of:

• Sequencing (sorting the mail in alphanumeric order by postal code);
• Grouping (bundling the mail according to the National Presortation Schematic - NPS);
• Containerizing the mail and labelling the containers.

NDG Presort
The NDG Presort Option is the basic mail presortation option for Addressed Admail and Publications Mail. The mail is sequenced by postal code, then grouped and containerized according to the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).

National Presortation Schematic (NPS)
The National Presortation Schematic (NPS) is a document updated monthly that defines how mail is grouped, containerized and labelled to move mailings across Canada.

National Presortation Schematic (NPS) Levels
The levels of consolidation as per the National Presortation Schematic (NPS) are as follows:

• Level 1 – Delivery Facility (bundles and containers)
• Level 2 – City consolidation (containers only)
• Level 3 – Distribution Centre Facility (DCF) (bundles and containers)
• Level 4 – Forward Consolidation Point (FCP) (monotainers and pallets only)

Not all services can access all NPS levels.

National Presortation Schematic (NPS) Routing Information
NPS information that must be included on the bundle and container labels, according to the appropriate make-up level (level 1, level 2, level 3 and Residue).

NPS Order
NPS order is the order in which they are placed within the NPS.
Example: LCD Centretown would come first, LCD Stewart would come second, and Stittsville would come third.

Oversize (O/S)
Mail that exceeds 245 mm in length, 150 mm in width or 5 mm in thickness but does not exceed 380 mm in length, 270 mm in width or 20 mm in thickness.

Office of Deposit
A Canada Post facility where the customer is authorized to deposit mail. In certain areas, Residue bags and hard-sided containers must be labelled for the office responsible for processing the Residue container rather than to the office where mail will be deposited.

Postal Code
A six-character alphanumeric combination (ANA NAN) assigned to one or more postal addresses in a specific delivery area (e.g. M4B 1G5). It is an integral part of every postal address in Canada which is used to identify the various processing/delivery facilities and post offices.

Residue Bundle/Grouping

Bundles that can’t be containerized to Levels 1, 2 or 3 of the NPS must be containerized as Residue.

There is no minimum or maximum number of items for a Residue bundle as long as the thickness of the bundle does not exceed 100 mm (4 inches) for Short and Long (S/L) items or 200 mm (8 inches) for Oversize (O/S) items.

Residue bags do not require a minimum number of bundles per bag.

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

Short and Long (S/L)
Mail that is 140 mm in length, 90 mm in width or 0.18 mm in thickness but does not exceed 245 mm in length, 150 mm in width or 5 mm in thickness.

Tie-on Tag
An eyelet tag which must be affixed to a mail bag with string or a plastic cable tie.