Become a member

EMS Operational Guide plus end-to-end service standard calculator
The online EMS Operational Guide publishes the information provided by each designated EMS operator on the scope of their service and all operational aspects of their EMS delivery service. The EMS Operational Guide is a working tool used by EMS staff around the world for detailed information on the EMS services offered by designated operators. 

The EMS Operational Guide features an end-to-end service standard calculator which operators can use to determine the service standard by destination to sell to their customers.

EMS Reports and EMS SMART
EMS SMART is an online single monitoring and reporting tool that allows daily performance monitoring in order to address operational areas that require attention and monitor the impact of improvement activities. EMS reports that are provided monthly and quarterly are stored in the reporting hub of the tool. Currently, EMS delivers reports on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis, covering:

• End-to-end performance 
• Pay-for-performance 
• Export performance
• Transport performance
• Delivery performance
• Data quality and timeliness of transmission
• M40 compliance reports
• Supply Chain: transportation, customs, transit and returned EMS items
• Import performance
• Customer Care

The EMS Standards and Measurement team supports members’ efforts to define and validate reliable standards for export, transportation and import segments.

EMS Pay-for-performance Accounting System
EMS accounting is quarterly, based and reported in accordance to the EMS Pay-for-Performance Plan. Participants do not have to reconcile paper EMS statements and perform a manual check as every quarter they receive  electronic accounting documents, based on tracking data.

EMS Market Intelligence
The EMS Cooperative provides global and regional reports with market insights to help EMS Cooperative members increase share of the cross-border package market and execute development strategies for EMS growth.

EMS Customer Care System - i-Care
Members of the EMS Cooperative have free access to the EMS Customer Care System, i-Care, that enables them to make inquiries about the status of their EMS item.

EMS Force Majeure
EMS Cooperative members can submit force majeure claims in cases when a delivery was not possible to complete for reasons beyond its control and which are not attributable to any act or failure of the designated operator (events such as war, acts of nature, and destruction of facilities).

Merchandise Returns Solution for EMS (MRS)
EMS Cooperative members can use MRS through the EMS network which provides e-commerce merchants and on-line buyers ease of use in returning EMS items.
 
EMS Barcode Labels
To encourage the use of standardized barcodes for tracking EMS items, EMS Cooperative members can order EMS self-adhesive barcoded labels. 

EMS Online Label Application
The EMS online label application allows customers of EMS Cooperative members to complete an EMS label, including important information in the customs declaration, which can be used by posts to generate and send pre-advice messages to the destination post.

Access to EMS Publications
EMS publications include EMS Cooperative regulations, procedures and recommendations for the provision of EMS service:

• EMS Business Plan: outlines how the EMS Cooperative will work to achieve its goals.
• EMS Rules of Procedure: provides the rules and obligations of EMS Cooperative membership.
• EMS Standard Agreement and Procedures: establishes the terms for the exchange of EMS items between EMS operators.
• EMS Standards: describes the standards required for the EMS product.
• EMS Reports Guide: provides a description of all indicators measured in EMS reports.
• EMS Pay-for-Performance Plan: provides guidelines to implement EMS Pay-for-Performance.
• EMS Customer Care Manual: details the management of EMS Customer Care.
• EMS Cooperative Guide: brings together important information on the EMS Cooperative and its activities.

EMS Cooperative General Assembly and Global Workshop
EMS Cooperative members are invited to take part in the EMS Cooperative’s annual General Assembly and Global Workshops held in Berne, Switzerland. These events provide opportunity for members to exchange views, collaborate and determine the future of EMS.

EMS Symposia
EMS Symposia are organized at the regional level to provide an opportunity for senior managers from Cooperative members and key stakeholders to engage in a high-level forum on the future direction of EMS tailored to the needs of each region. EMS Symposia cover:

• regional market intelligence,
• strategies that generate significant volume growth,
• efficiencies in services and processes to facilitate business,
• reduction of operating costs,
• improvements in customer service.

EMS Training
Regular training is a priority for the EMS Cooperative which provides support to EMS operators in order to strengthen their EMS service. Staff from members of the EMS Cooperative participate in EMS workshops with the aim to:

• improve knowledge and mastery of operational, customer care and marketing aspects of EMS,
• develop understanding of the EMS Cooperative's goals and programmes,
• facilitate communications and exchange of expertise between participants,
• identify potential solutions for operational and management issues.

EMS training is organized on a global and regional basis and covers:

• EMS Performance Improvement
• EMS Reports and EMS SMART
• EMS Pay-for-Performance
• EMS Customer Care and i-CARE

EMS Regional Coordination
EMS Regional Coordinators work with members to monitor performance and identify improvement opportunities. Each Regional Coordinator is the primary contact for members in their respective region, and monitors progress  to identify specific needs at both the country and regional level.

EMS Twinning 
The EMS twinning project involves two (or more) Posts, representing high-impact trading lanes, working cooperatively to improve EMS service performance. These improvements have a positive impact on the quality of service of the global network, leading to an increase in EMS volume and revenue.

Each twinning project is tailored to the specific markets involved, however the aim is to cooperate and improve:

• EMS quality of service
• staff motivation and training
• customer satisfaction
• financial results.

EMS Performance Awards  
The Cooperative's EMS Performance Awards recognize and reward outstanding EMS service. The EMS Cooperative presents Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to operators that provide an excellent EMS service for worldwide partners in the EMS delivery network over a full year.
 
EMS Customer Care Awards
EMS customers deserve excellent service when sending items internationally. Each year EMS Cooperative members’ customer service performance is measured. Only when EMS member posts achieve the high-standards set out in the EMS Cooperative's Business Plan will they receive an EMS customer care award in recognition of the quality of their customer service.

EMS Communication
The EMS Cooperative publishes news stories about EMS Cooperative member developments and activities, including successful initiatives to grow the EMS business and improve service performance, through:

• the EMS website. Full access is only available to EMS members. 
• EMS Link newsletters
• Broadcast messages.

EMS Consultations and Ballots
EMS Cooperative members take part in decisions that impact EMS. Regular consultations and ballots offer opportunities for EMS operators to share their views and shape the EMS product according to market needs.

EMS Cooperative Board
EMS members elect nine members of the EMS Cooperative Board who are responsible for defining the policies and strategies of the EMS Cooperative, proposing standards and procedures for the EMS product, and managing the budget and the implementation of EMS Cooperative programmes.

The following designated EMS postal operators are able to join the EMS Cooperative:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bolivia
• Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
• Central Africa
• Ecuador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eswatini
• Gabon
• Gambia  
• Guatemala 
• Guinea
• Honduras (Rep.)
• Iraq
• Niger
• South Sudan
• Sao Tome and Principe
• State of Libya
• Syrian Arab Rep.
• Tajikistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Turkmenistan
• Yemen
• Zimbabwe

Thank you for your interest in joining the EMS Cooperative; please use the information below to work out your postal administration's level of membership.

The EMS Cooperative Rules of Procedure (articles 2 and 3) describe two levels of membership:

Full members
To be considered as a full member of the EMSC, the designated operator must:
 
3.1 be both an importer and an exporter of EMS items with at least two other designated operators;
3.2 possess a tracking system for EMS in full production with all EMS partners in accordance with the EMS Standards;
3.3 obtain written or electronic proof of delivery for all EMS items and provide such proof to EMS origin operators on demand;
3.4 employ the EMSC's standardized system for dealing with international EMS inquiries and operate it in accordance with the EMS Standards;
3.5 comply with requirements 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 before formalizing its request to join, and with requirement 3.4 within six months of joining.
 
Import members
To be considered as an import member of the EMSC, the designated operator must:
 
4.1 be an importer of EMS items from at least two other designated operators;
4.2 possess a tracking system for EMS in full production with all EMS partners in accordance with the EMS Standards;
4.3 obtain written or electronic proof of delivery for all EMS items and provide such proof to EMS origin operators on demand;
4.4 employ the EMSC's standardized system for dealing with international EMS inquiries and operate it in accordance with the EMS Standards;
4.5 comply with requirements 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 before formalizing its request to join, and with require-ment 4.4 within six months of joining.

To become an EMS Cooperative member simply fill out the application form and return it to the EMS Unit. All information will be treated confidentially.

The application form is divided into three sections:

Contribution class
The first step to become a member is to choose the class of contribution to which your administration wishes to belong. Your contribution depends on the amount of exported and imported EMS traffic. In order for the Cooperative to work out your contribution class please fill in the section one of the form "Contribution class".
 
EMS contact information
Each member of the Cooperative must name an official EMS representative and contact point. EMS communications are divided into two categories: one contact for communications concerning general policy matters and one contact for operational matters. Please note that you may choose to have one contact for both general policy and operational matters.
 
Transfer of EMS tracking data
As a member your administration will be included in the EMS Cooperative's Audit and Measurement Programme. To allow the EMS Cooperative to obtain integrated results for EMS tracking and delivery performance for the quarterly report cards, the EMS Cooperative requires your administration to authorize the transfer of EMS tracking data to a third party (Monitoring Organization) on a confidential basis.