Have you ever tracked a piece of mail and noticed it seems to be taking a not-so-direct journey? This sometimes happens when the Postal Service mistakenly sends mail to the wrong facility. But why does this happen, and how often?
The question comes up now and then: how does the OIG decide what to audit? Audit ideas come from a variety of sources. Most are self-initiated, meaning OIG employees identify potential problems by either assessing the challenges facing the Postal Service or using data analytics to flag issues. Other audits are required annually by law, and last but certainly not least, there are the ones that result from requests by stakeholders or Members of Congress.
After the White House issued an emergency declaration regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in late winter of 2020, many people began working from home. But like others deemed essential, U.S. Postal Service employees continued reporting to work. The mail had to keep moving; critical items such as medications, stimulus payments, and Social Security checks became even more important.
You’ve probably noticed that wherever you go in this country, it’s pretty easy to find a post office. After all, the U.S. Postal Service has the largest retail network in the country, using its more than 31,000 locations to provide vital services like mailing and shipping, passport processing,...
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From wearing masks and working at home to popularizing terms like “social distancing” and “contact tracing,” the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on life has been far and wide. Most people just don’t do things the way they used to, and according to our new survey, that includes some of the ways they...
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While many of our audit reports are planned in advance, from time to time we respond to situations that require immediate response. Take, for example, the reports of mail delays and wait times up to 15 hours for truck drivers in Cleveland in December 2020.
As discussed in our recently...
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Seamless Acceptance is the automation of mail verification of mailings from mail service providers (MSPs) who apply unique Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) on mailpieces, trays, sacks, pallets, and other containers. The MSPs submit electronic data that provides information on the corresponding...
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Mail is processed manually when its dimensions or address quality prevent it from being processed automatically. Processing mail manually has significantly lower productivity than processing mail on automated mail processing equipment.
From fiscal year (FY) 2019 to FY 2020,...
The Postal Service owns more than 8,400 facilities. In the wake of the global pandemic, public expectations for trusted and safe indoor business environments, including those of the Postal Service, are evolving. Research has shown that airborne transmission of the coronavirus should be...
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