If you’re reading this blog, you likely have an interest in the Postal Service and its financial welfare. How can the Postal Service provide you and other stakeholders with the most appropriate financial information? When the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (the Act) was enacted on December 20, 2006, it made significant changes to the Postal Service’s financial reporting responsibilities and governance.
It takes a lot of digging to find a positive Hollywood portrayal of postal employees. From Cheers’ Cliff Clavin to Seinfeld’s Newman, TV and the movies have not always portrayed postal employees in the most favorable light. Even Mr. Rogers’ postman sidekick, Mr. McFeeley, was seldom seen actually delivering any mail.
The Postal Service has asked suppliers to cooperate in efforts to reduce contract costs in light of the current financial crisis by identifying scope reductions, process improvements, and price reduction opportunities. In his March 25, 2009 Statement before the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Postmaster General John E. Potter stated:
It’s 7:30 am and you’re a letter carrier . . . so take a moment and imagine the following as a typical workday. First, you walk into the office, clock in, and check in with the boss. Then, you load up the vehicle with the mail that is already prepared for your route. Finally, at 7:45 am, you jump into the vehicle, drive off and begin delivering the mail. At no point are you required to manually sort mail. Is that day far off in the future . . . or, is it just around the corner?
While the Postal Service leads the world in processing letter mail, private sector competitors have a higher market share for parcels. And while letter volumes are decreasing, parcel volumes are projected to increase. Although parcels represent less than 2 percent of mail volumes, the Postal Service parcel business makes up 13 percent of the market share in the U.S. The chart on the left depicts the market share for parcels. Just how do parcel industry giants keep their costs down and productivity up, even in today’s economic environment?
It makes no difference what part of the country you’re in, post offices nationwide are in need of upkeep and repair. A majority of post office lobbies we reviewed in the Eastern Area have many...
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We are conducting an audit to assess the accuracy and reliability of city carrier labor cost attribution.
City carriers perform both office and street activities. City carrier street costs are developed separately in two distinct groups: letter routes and special purpose routes (SPR)....
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The OIG is conducting an audit to assess whether the Postal Service is effectively managing the Limited Duty and Rehabilitation Programs to facilitate returning injured employees that are deemed fit to work timely. The Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) is a workers’ compensation law...
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The U.S. Postal Service has a fleet of over 7,600 Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) mail transport vehicles. As a result, USPS is one of the largest consumers of fuel in the nation.
Fuel can be one of the most unstable costs businesses manage because of price instability. Events domestically...
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