This document will specify the interface between the e-merchant (any commercial customer sending parcels) and the first logistic operator, including both public and private carriers. For the application of this document, a cross border parcel is a parcel crossing a border into and within Europe.
The interface is composed of two items:
— the physical label attached on the parcel: contents, sizes, minimum requirements to guarantee the quality and efficiency of the logistic process (sorting, delivery).
— the electronic exchanges between the sender and the logistic operator with the description of the data to be provided, the format of the exchanges.
While designated operators of UPU have drawn up business requirements using proprietary standards and related data components, online merchants have developed open, not-for-profit standards for final delivery which are integrated into their existing supply chain management environment.
NOTE 1 The data element enables the growth of integrated, data-driven systems which support highly efficient and customer-driven cross-border ecommerce. This reflects the current trend to B-to-B-to-C delivery solutions in the European and international cross border e-commerce markets. Delivery from original source to final consumer can be split over more than one service provider.
NOTE 2 C-to-B-to-B-to-C solutions will be an extension, in particular when returns are specified. The “first C” would indicate that consumers wishing to return items, or induct items themselves, will be able to print labels following the fundamentals specified in this standard.
E-merchants exchange data with logistic operators (i.e. the postal operators, but not limited to those designated to fulfil the rights and obligations of UPU member countries) to help, simplify and enable the consequential logistic and transactional tasks. The establishment of common definitions and electronic formats safeguards the reliability and decreases the overall costs by avoiding software development costs, multiple printing equipment, over-labelling during the process, and the manual sorting.