System and method for optimizing a mail document sorting machine
A system and method for optimizing mail sorting equipment based upon various commingled data files and user selected options includes a sorter, an optimizing system, and a computer for optimizing the sort plan based upon the data files and user settings.
1. A system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine, comprising:
a sorter;
an optimizing system, comprising:
a sort plan;
a first datafile; and
a computer having a processor, a first input device for importing the first datafile, a second input device for importing user settings, a network device for communicating the sort plan to the sorter and for communicating results of the sort from the sorter to the optimizing system, and a computer-readable storage medium for retaining the user settings and the first datafile;
wherein the sorter is automated;
wherein the computer optimizes the sort plan based upon the first data file and user settings to create an optimized sort plan;
wherein the sorter provides feedback to the optimizing system during sorting mail documents comparing the optimized sort plan with actual results of the sorting; and
wherein the sorter is configured to allow a user to stop the sorter through the optimizing system based upon the feedback.
2. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second datafile;
wherein the first datafile and the second datafile are comingled to produce a comingled datafile.
3. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 2 , wherein the first datafile and the second datafile are historical mail processing records.
4. A system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine, comprising:
a combined mail set comprising:
a first mail set of various mail pieces;
a second mail set of various mail pieces;
a sort plan comprising:
a listing of potential features;
a listing of bins;
a cross-referenced listing of potential features to bins;
a sorter for sorting the combined mail set into bins based upon the sort plan, the sorter having a barcode reader;
a combined dataset; and
an optimizing system for optimizing the sort plan based upon statistical analysis of the combined dataset, the optimizing system comprising;
a barcode generator to configure the sorter;
wherein the sorter is automated;
wherein the sorter provides feedback to the optimizing system during sorting mail documents; and
wherein the sorter is configured to be stopped through the optimizing system based upon the feedback from the sorter.
5. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 4 , wherein the combined dataset is a historical mail processing record.
6. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a first dataset corresponding to the contents of the first mail set; and
a second dataset corresponding to the contents of the second mail set;
wherein the combined dataset is the result of the first dataset being comingled with the second dataset.
7. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 4 , wherein the statistical analysis of the combined dataset is configurable based upon settings.
8. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 4 , wherein the optimizing system generates an estimate of resulting savings from optimizing the sort plan.
9. A system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine, comprising:
a sorter;
an optimizing system, comprising:
a sort plan;
a first datafile; and
a computer having a processor, a first input device for importing the first datafile, a second input device for importing user settings, a network device for communicating the sort plan to the sorter and for communicating results of the sort from the sorter to the optimizing system, and a computer-readable storage medium for retaining the user settings and the first datafile;
wherein the sorter is automated;
wherein the computer optimizes the sort plan based upon the first datafile and user settings to create an optimized sort plan;
wherein the computer analyzes the sort plan based upon the first datafile and user settings to create an estimated sort plan result;
wherein the sorter provides feedback to the optimizing system during sorting mail documents comparing the estimated sort plan result with actual results of the sorting;
wherein the sorter is configured to allow a user to stop the sorter through the optimizing system based upon the feedback; and
wherein feedback to the optimizing system is provided while the sorter can be stopped during sorting mail documents.
10. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a second datafile;
wherein the first datafile and the second datafile are comingled to produce a comingled datafile.
11. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 10 , wherein the first datafile and the second datafile are historical mail processing records.
12. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 9 , wherein the optimized sort plan is based upon statistical analysis of the first datafile and the user settings.
13. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 10 , wherein the optimized sort plan is based upon statistical analysis of the comingled datafile and the user settings.
14. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the feedback to the optimizing system is near real-time thereby the sorter can be stopped during the sorting.
15. The system for optimizing a mail document sorting machine according to claim 4 , wherein the feedback to the optimizing system is provided while the sorter can be stopped during the sorting.