Navigating the New CMRA Regulations
As you know, the CMRA regulations are beginning to roll out. CMRAs, including workspaces, in ten states have already been notified that they must register their location on the USPS BCG Portal. The remaining states and territories should expect their notification in early 2024. Yet, we know that CMRAs still need more clarity around the regulations themselves, the USPS required forms, and any best practices to implement these changes while maintaining your focus on delivering on your service promise to your customers.
Our recent webinar for workspace industry professionals - Navigating the New CMRA Regulations - addressed all of these topics, leveraging the expertise and knowledge of the team at iWorkSpaceMail with iPostal1.
Our CEO, Jeff Milgram, sits on the USPS CMRA Advisory panel, and iPostal1 participated in five of the ten locations in the USPS CRMA Pilot Program. On the webinar, we shared key insights about the program and the pending changes, which have evolved. The USPS continues to work towards improving efficiency and privacy protection by moving to a digital-based system and reducing mail crime by tightening the identity verification requirements. The webinar helps to remove confusion with clear answers to your questions, making compliance easier for operators.
Key takeaways
Barry Gesserman, iPostal1 Executive and a seasoned digital and virtual mail expert, shared key changes including new 1583 and 1583A compliance and ID requirements, when and how to register your account in the USPS BCG Database, and more. One important tip: Barry explained that iPostal1 partner locations should not contact existing iPostal1 clients to ask for the additional information needed to update their 1583s. iPostal1 will collect that information directly from the customers and then, either complete the 1583s for workspace submission, or submit these customers on behalf of the CRMA. To have iPostal1 submit on behalf of the CRMA, there will be a small fee and the CMRA will need to share their credentials, securely, of course.
Angelica Ventura, iPostal1 Resident CRMA expert, provided a full, detailed explanation of Form 1583 completion. Tips, screenshots, and real-life examples were shown to give workspace operators practical help with form completion.
Last, William Edmundson, head of the workspace division at iPostal1 and a workspace industry veteran who has been an operator and the former GWA Board President, shared an operator’s perspective and best practices for implementation. Key topics included how to position USPS mandated changes to your members to ensure they see how you are supporting them and helping them meet new USPS rules so they can continue to receive their mail at this address. Additionally, William explained why it may be advantageous to wait to activate your workspace until your state is called, and you are completely ready to implement. Form 1583 submissions are now required for office and virtual members with 16 or more hours of meeting room time per month.
Final tips for CMRA operators as they implement these changes:
It’s complex - have a plan!
Keep things as easy as possible for your members.
Continue to focus on helping your members comply and receive mail.
Decide carefully when to activate in the BCG.
Do not contact iPostal1 customers – iPostal1 will do that for you.
The webinar also included important links to USPS forms and informative tools from iWorkSpaceMail.
You can access all these tips and insights in our free webinar by clicking here, or watching the video below.
FAQs
During the webinar, participants submitted great questions. Many were answered within the webinar, and the answers to questions that we did not have time to get to are available on our FAQ page now.
If you have questions about the CMRA regulations, please contact William Edmundson, william.edmundson@uszoom.com, or click here to enter your contact information in the form provided.
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