address interpretation (AI)

Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies are leaders in the design, production and systems integration of a broad product portfolio of recognition, sortation, facilities operations automation, and information management systems technology. It serves national postal services, mail centres, mail service providers, retail companies, distribution centres, air cargo, air baggage handling, courier and package delivery systems worldwide.

Lockheed Martin UK Distribution Technologies deploys innovative, high technology systems for improving customers' operations. From automatic reading of handwritten characters on envelopes to moving large quantities of goods through warehouses, our technology, systems integration and implementation expertise provides our customers with innovative solutions that significantly improve operations while lowering costs and cycle time.

We provide customers with project planning, system layout and design, software development, equipment installation, system integration, system maintenance, training and transition support.

Postal Programmes
Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies have core capabilities in Postal Programmes. We provide innovative solutions to complex mail processing problems, from automatically processing letters, flats, and parcels to fully integrating entire mail processing facilities. Across the nation and around the globe, our highly sophisticated address recognition software, sortation equipment, material handling and information management systems help our postal and commercial customers improve their business.

In the UK, Distribution Technologies (LMUK DT) is the Prime Systems Integrator on the Address Interpretation programme for Royal Mail. The Address Interpretation System now recognises 92% of the nations automated letter mail automatically creating significant savings for Royal Mail. The UK team has recently been awarded a 7 year support contract for the Address Interpretation System maintaining a very stringent Service Level Availability specification.

The Address Interpretation System provides the cornerstone in Royal Mail's technical strategic plan.  The data rich environment provides the necessary information to improve Quality of Service for Royal Mail's customers.  An example being Responsive Service mail automatic customer billing.  AI has been extended with new functionality to increase the automatic billing of new products from 10% to 95%.

A core feature of the AI System is the open interface architecture. This enables future services to be added and the system scaled to meet future automation or information management requirements.

In January 2004, Lockheed Martin, in conjunction with Royal Mail, launched SmartStamp™ which allows users to subscribe and print stamps from their desk tops, see the link below.

Related Links: 

• SmartStamp
• Address Interpretation Brochure