USPS Office of Inspector General

On Tuesday, we asked what Americans want from their Postal Service. In particular, should the Postal Service continue to serve all areas of the country even if it is not profitable to do so?

We continue our series based on our recently released white paper, What America Wants from the Postal Service, by focusing on cost cutting. We ask you to weigh in with your opinion on the best options for the Postal Service to trim costs while maintaining service.

What do you want from your Postal Service? It’s a simple question, yet it is probably one that few citizens have pondered – even as our nation’s policymakers consider how best to reform the U.S. Postal Service. The voice of the American public has largely been absent from the debate about what role the Postal Service should play in meeting modern communications needs.

Lean Six Sigma is a method used in many large organizations to look for improvements in business efficiency and effectiveness. It relies on a team-based approach to focus on the customer, on removing waste, and on improving processes. The Postal Service and the Office of Inspector General are among the many companies and organizations that use Lean Six Sigma as a continuous improvement tool to try to get at the root of the problem rather than just solve the problems as they arise.

Money orders are a safe and convenient way for customers to make payments or forward cash. This modest and longstanding postal product has quite a notable history. The government established the United States Money Order System in 1864 to allow Union soldiers to send money home to relatives and to reduce the risks associated with sending cash through the mail.

For more than 20 years, the National Association of Letter Carriers has led its annual national food drive, Stamp Out Hunger, to collect non-perishable food to alleviate hunger for the 50 million Americans affected. This Saturday, May 11, letter carriers will pick up canned goods and other non-perishable food left by customers in marked bags.