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Audit Reports

  • Select Units Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont.
Jun
21
2023
Report Number:
23-076-R23
Report Type:
Audit Reports
Category: Field Operations Review

Mail Delivery, Customer Service, and Property Condition Reviews – Select Units, Maine-New Hampshire-Vermont District

We performed audits at the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and five delivery units serviced by the P&DC in the Portland Maine region during the week of March 13, 2023. These audits responded to a request from Senator Susan Collins and interest from Representative Chellie Pingree in mail operations in the Portland, ME region. The delivery units included the Industrial Park Annex, Saco, ME; Lewiston Main Post Office (MPO), Lewiston, ME; Main Office Carrier Section, Portland, ME; Southern Maine Carrier Unit, Scarborough, ME; and Sanford MPO, Sanford, ME.

We issued individual reports for the five delivery units and the P&DC we visited. We also issued another report summarizing the results of our audits at all five delivery units with specific recommendations for management to address.

Delivery Units – Summary of Results

Controls Reviewed

Deficiencies Identified – Yes or No
Industrial Park Lewiston MPO Main Office Carrier Section Southern Maine Carrier Unit Sanford MPO

Delayed Mail

Yes

 Yes Yes

Yes

Yes

Package Scanning

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Truck Arrival Scanning

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A

Yes

Arrow keys

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Property Conditions

Yes

Yes

No

N/A

Yes

We identified deficiencies affecting mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at three of the five delivery units. Specifically, we found deficiencies in all five areas we reviewed for Industrial Park Annex, Lewiston MPO, and Sanford MPO; in four areas we reviewed at the Main Office Carrier Section; and in all three areas we reviewed for the Southern Maine Carrier Unit.

P&DC – Summary of Results

Audit Area

Issues Identified
Yes No
Clearance Times   X

Delayed Mail

 

X

Late and Extra Outbound Trips

  

X

Load Scans

 

X

Other Issues

X

 

We identified one deficiency related to the inconsistent use of wheel chocks at the Southern Maine P&DC.

Processing and Delivery Unit Reports

Report Title Date Report Type Category
Efficiency Southern Maine PnDC Cover
Efficiency of Operations at the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center, Scarborough, ME Audit Reports Service Performance, Facilities, Delivery / Mail Processing
MDCS PCR Saco ME Cover
Mail Delivery, Customer Service, and Property Conditions Review - Industrial Park Annex, Saco, ME Audit Reports Service Performance, Retail, Sales & Marketing, Delivery / Mail Processing, Customer Service
MDCS PCR Lewiston ME Cover
Mail Delivery, Customer Service, and Property Conditions Review - Lewiston Main Post Office, Lewiston, ME Audit Reports Service Performance, Retail, Sales & Marketing, Delivery / Mail Processing, Customer Service
MDCS PCR Southern Maine Cover
Mail Delivery, Customer Service, and Property Conditions Review - Southern Maine Carrier Unit, Scarborough, ME Audit Reports Service Performance, Retail, Sales & Marketing, Delivery / Mail Processing, Customer Service
MDCS PCR Portland Cover
Mail Delivery, Customer Service, and Property Conditions Review – Main Office Carrier Section, Portland, ME Audit Reports Service Performance, Retail, Sales & Marketing, Delivery / Mail Processing, Customer Service
MDCS PCR Sanford ME Cover
Mail Delivery, Customer Service, and Property Conditions Review – Sanford Main Post Office, Sanford, ME Audit Reports Service Performance, Retail, Sales & Marketing, Delivery / Mail Processing, Customer Service

Report Recommendations

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

Coordinate with Atlantic Area and Headquarters Human Resources to conduct an analysis to determine whether converting city carrier assistants to part-time flexible carriers improved retention or
increased hiring for carriers at the Lewiston Main Post Office and
the Industrial Park Annex, and, if successful, apply to the Main Office Carrier Section and Southern Maine Carrier Unit.

 Closed $0 Agree
2

Coordinate with Atlantic Area and Headquarters Human Resources to identify and implement additional strategies to fill carrier vacancies at the
Industrial Park Annex, Lewiston Main Post Office, Main Office Carrier Section, and Southern Maine Carrier Unit.

 Closed $0 Agree
3

Develop and execute a plan so that all committed mail is delivered daily, and that
management conducts a daily sweep to identify delayed mail at the Sanford Main Post Office.

 Closed $0 Agree
4

Develop and execute a plan to verify that all delayed mail volume is entered into the
proper system, and management systematically enforces reporting compliance at the Industrial Park Annex, Lewiston Main Post Office, Main Office Carrier Section, Sanford Main Post
Office, and Southern Maine Carrier Unit.

 Closed $0 Agree
5

Develop and execute a plan to verify all employees at the ndustrial Park Annex, Lewiston Main Post Office, Main Office Carrier Section, Sanford Main Post Office, and Southern Maine Carrier Unit are trained on standard operating procedures for package scanning and handling and that unit management systematically reviews package scanning performance data daily and enforces compliance.

 Closed $0 Agree
6

Develop and execute a plan that requires management to review truck/trailer arrival
scanning performance data daily and enforce compliance at the Industrial Park Annex, Lewiston Main Post Office, Main Office Carrier Section, and Sanford Main Post Office.

 Closed $0 Agree
7

Train responsible personnel on standard operating procedures for truck/trailer arrival scanning at the Industrial Park Annex, Lewiston Main Post Office, Main Office Carrier Section, and Sanford Main Post Office.

 Closed $0 Agree
8

Develop and execute a training plan to ensure management at the Industrial Park Annex, Lewiston Main Post Office, Main Office Carrier Section, Sanford Main Post Office, and Southern Maine Carrier Unit understand implement the arrow key inventory process.

 Closed $0 Agree
9

Establish a schedule to periodically review arrow keys to ensure they are properly
logged and accounted for at the Industrial Park Annex, Lewiston Main Post Office, Main Office Carrier Section, Sanford
Main Post Office, and Southern Maine Carrier Unit.

 Closed $0 Agree
10

Verify the annual fire extinguisher inspections are completed are completed at the Lewiston Main Post Office.

 Closed $0 Agree