Executive Brief

• Description of current CTT information systems, and project objectives
• General activity requirements
• Choice of solution
• Results in terms of pay-back, supply of information of the entire postal chain, interconnection with other corporate systems, etc.

CTT – The Company
CTT are a modern Post Office whose aim is to provide postal services within national boundaries as well as supplying international services originating within Portugal.

CTT operate within three major service areas:

• Retail and Distribution Services – Post Offices and Sales Points
• Routing and distribution of incoming mail;
• Logistics and distribution – Key Companies;

Company strategy has evolved around the messaging market with a core structure aimed not only at providing postal services, but also a wide range of convenience and other services which can compete with other sectors.
The mail business has diversified into new products and services, such as hybrid mail and electronic mail, financial and banking activity, specialized logistics services, provision of services to citizens, and provision of services to third parties.

Facts and Figures

• Postal Traffic: 1 323 million objects
• Average no. of staff: 17 597
• Sales Volume: 595,4 million euro
• Investment: 56 million euro
• Volume of funds transacted by postal financial services: 17 billion euro
• Transport network: Fleet of approximately 3700 vehicles, covering a total of 20 million km per year.
• Sales and distribution network:
  • 1 079 Post Offices
  • 2 766 Mail posts
  • 6 331Stamp vending posts
  • 2 Financial shops (Lisbon and Porto)
  • 418 Distribution centres
  • 6 291 Postal distribution routes
  • 19 896 Collection points

Diagram of setup:

Vehicles are equipped with voice and data communications.

Operators, when outside the vehicle, carry a portable reader for recording information as necessary.

Due to the large number of vehicles and communications needs, the trunked radio system, already used by CTT in Lisbon and Porto, was chosen. Outside these cities, coverage is provided by an operator providing national coverage.

One of the reasons leading to the choice of XTraN is the capacity for simultaneously using several communications systems, providing flexibility within a sector in rapid evolution.

The system thus provides a true information flow management between control centres and vehicles, with total message security as all messages are confirmed in both directions. Priorities may be assigned to messages, guaranteeing the fast dispatch of priority messages such as alarms.

Our design capability in this and other areas, covering the fields of microelectronics, circuit and equipment design, and high and low level software design, led to the choice of this solution, developed in partnership between Tecmic and CTT to satisfy today’s needs in the postal sector.

The system was also chosen due to its ability to integrate with existing information systems within CTT by means of special interfaces, providing access to information from the various vehicles.

Execution of the project at CTT
Currently, XTraN is installed in 232 of CTT’s vehicles, 200 of which are equipped with PEGASUS bar code reader terminals, in order to allow the determination and recording of arrival and departure times from each stop, to track objects delivered/collected and to record anomalies during transport.

On-board mobile units record location, allow the sending and reception of predefined, free text or emergency messages to/from the control centre, as well as various types of vehicle data such as km travelled, speeds, fuel consumption and other alarm data.

The control centre allows various types of data, such as vehicle location, status of service or vehicle (when stationary or in motion), routes covered, distance between vehicles, selection of a vehicle closest to a customer, street names, customer locations, points of interest, and object management (Traffic Aggregatory Units).

Benefits of using XTraN
All data concerning schedules was transferred to electronic format, thereby providing this information in real time, which would previously have taken two weeks to be distributed throughout the company.

Another advantage is the improved management of netting containers (approx. 8000), used to facilitate the loading/unloading of packages. It is important that these containers are tracked, as their theft represents a significant loss, their cost being €250.

PEGASUS/XTraN forms the basis of the monitoring system for these containers, registering whenever one enters or leaves CTT’s or a customer’s premises. CTT provides commercial mailing activities, which is also controlled by PEGASUS/XTraN. The date of reception of each mailing campaign is registered by means of a barcode identifying this nature of material.

This information is later conveyed to the Centre for Major Clients, which in turn is responsible for providing the sender with information on the execution of his campaign.

Success key factors and experiences from the project
The close and strong cooperation between the staff of Tecmic and the CTT’s Direction of Transport allowed unforeseen changes to management requirements which occurred during project execution.

The principal experience derived from the project was the successful implementation of the objectives leading to the creation of an effective system. Currently, 3000 vehicle departure and arrival schedules are managed, both by CTT and subcontracted companies.

Other equally important objectives were also achieved, for which IT support was lacking, such as the management of containers and advertising campaigns, which required intervention at a national level.

Perspectives for the future
Future steps are still open, as the system currently covers the entire activity management for services provided by the Transport division, additionally providing a platform for the back-office systems described previously.

It is expected that a greater integration with the Transport division’s IT systems will be achieved, providing the entire logistical chain with the information collected.

In conclusion, the system met all initial expectations, becoming an essential tool for the management of the Transport division’s activities. Individuals responsible for this project have also carried out implementation of other systems within the Post Office and other external companies.