Background

The U.S. Postal Service needs effective and productive operations to fulfill its mission of providing prompt, reliable, and affordable mail service to the American public. It has a vast transportation network that moves mail and equipment among about 330 processing facilities and 31,100 post offices, stations, and branches. The Postal Service is transforming its processing and logistics networks to become scalable, reliable, visible, efficient, automated, and digitally integrated. This includes modernizing operating plans and aligning the workforce; leveraging emerging technologies to provide worldclass visibility and tracking of mail packages in near real-time; and optimizing the surface and air transportation network. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviews the efficiency of mail processing operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback to further the Postal Service’s mission.

This report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of the efficiency of operations at the San Juan Mail Processing Annexes (MPAs) 2 and 3 in Carolina, PR (Project Number 24-078). We judgmentally selected the San Juan, PR, MPAs based on a review of first and last mile failures;1 workhours; scanning compliance;2 and late, canceled, and extra trips. The San Juan MPAs are in the Gulf Atlantic Division, and they process letters, flats, and parcels. MPA 2 processes letters and flats and MPA 3 processes parcels. The San Juan MPAs service multiple 3-digit ZIP Codes in urban and rural communities (see Table 1).

Objective, Scope, and Methodology

Our objective was to evaluate the efficiency of operations at the San Juan MPAs. To accomplish our objective, we focused on five audit areas: mail clearance times; delayed mail; late and extra outbound trips; dock scanning; and security of registry items. We reviewed Surface Visibility Web (SVWeb) data for late, canceled, and extra trips, as well as scan compliance for the period from February 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024. Further, we identified mail clearance time goals for the San Juan MPAs and compared them with operations shown in the Run Plan Generator report. During our site visit the week of March 18, 2024, we interviewed MPA management and observed mail processing and dock operations.

During this time, the OIG also audited three delivery units serviced by the San Juan MPAs. We will provide the results of those audits to Puerto Rico District management in separate reports.