Description of BS EN 13850:2012 2013

This European Standard specifies methods for measuring the end-to-end transit time of domestic and cross-border Single Piece Priority Mail (SPPM), collected, processed and delivered by postal service operators. It considers methods using representative end-to-end samples for all types of single piece priority mail services for addressed mail with defined transit-time service levels offered to the customer. This standard is applicable to the measurement of End-to-End priority mail services.

The standardised QoS-measurement method provides a uniform way for measuring the end-to-end transit time of postal items. Using a standardised measurement method will assure that the measurement will be done in an objective and equal way for all operators in accordance with the requirements of the Directive 97/67/EC and its amendments.

It is not the purpose of this standard to measure the postal operators’ overall performance in a way that provides direct comparison of postal service providers.

This European Standard relates to the measurement of the SPPM services given to household and business customers that post mail at street letterboxes, over the counter at post offices or have pick-ups at their offices. To cover flows with smaller mail volumes this European Standard includes flexibility areas for adapted implementation. For technical reasons this European Standard may not be suitable for the measurement of very small volumes of mail.

The end-to-end service measured may be provided by one operator or by a group of operators working either together in the same distribution chain or parallel in different distribution chains. This European Standard is not applicable for the measurement of end-to-end transit times in fields of study with more than one induction operator (Multi-Operator Environments), which require different methodologies. The method for end-to-end measurement specified in this European Standard is also not designed to provide results for the measurement of parts of the distribution chain.

This European Standard is not applicable for the measurement of end-to-end transit times of bulk mailers’ services and hybrid mail, which require different measurement systems and methodologies (see, for example, EN 14534 Measurement of the transit time of end-to-end services of bulk mail).

This European Standard includes specifications for the quality control and auditing of the measurement system.

This European Standard does not specify:

• the minimum acceptable level of accuracy that will be required by the national regulatory authority;

• the target(s) that the regulatory authority might set;

• how the regulatory authority should determine whether the target(s) have been met.

About BSI

BSI Group, also known as the British Standards Institution is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. BSI produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services and also supplies certification and standards-related services to businesses.