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Efficiency of Operations at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center, St. Louis, MO

Audit Reports

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    Efficiency Operations St Louis Cover
Aug
11
2025
Report Number:
25-097-R25
Report Type:
Audit Reports
Category: Service Performance

Efficiency of Operations at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center, St. Louis, MO

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 approximately 315 processing facilities and 31,200 post offices, stations, and branches. The Postal Service is transforming its processing and logistics networks to become more scalable, reliable, visible, efficient, automated, and digitally integrated. This includes modernizing operating plans and aligning the workforce; leveraging emerging technologies to provide world-class visibility and tracking of mail and packages in near real time; and optimizing the surface and air transportation network. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General 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 audit of the efficiency of operations at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center in St. Louis, MO. We selected the St. Louis area based on congressional inquiries from U.S. senators and representatives from Missouri and Illinois to conduct an audit of post offices and distribution centers in the St. Louis metro area.

Report Recommendations

# Recommendation Status Value Initial Management Response USPS Proposed Resolution OIG Response Final Resolution
1

Develop and implement a plan to hire and retain enough employees to consistently reach and maintain authorized complement at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
2

Implement a plan to hold managers and supervisors accountable for addressing employees who do not follow workplace rules at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
3

Analyze and realign processing operations at all four St. Louis processing facilities to improve efficiency.

Open $0 Agree
4

Verify mail condition issues are communicated through the Mail Arrival Quality/Plant Arrival Quality tool at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
5

Develop a plan to verify employees attach accurate placards on mail transportation equipment and follow first in, first out order at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
6

Develop a strategy to consistently conduct proper preventative maintenance on machines at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
7

Develop a process to verify all delayed mail is reported in the Mail Condition Visualization system daily at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
8

Fill Postal Service driver vacancies at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
9

Develop and implement a plan to utilize dock space efficiently at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
10

Coordinate with the Midwest Division Director, Logistics, to develop a plan to verify supervisors are monitoring scanning to improve compliance with load and unload scan goals at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
11

Develop and implement a plan to verify extra trips are properly recorded in the Surface Visibility Web system at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree
12

Verify correct chain of custody procedures are followed for registry items at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.

Open $0 Agree