Audit Reports

Objective

U.S. Postal Service Capital Metro Area personnel complete area-level compliance activities via printed checklist. These activities are performed to ensure policies, procedures, and standards related to safety hazards are adhered to, equipment is managed, and other internal controls are in place.

Our objective was to determine if using automated tools would improve the efficiency and accuracy of checklist data collection, completion tracking, and issue resolution in the Capital Metro Area.

What the OIG Found

We found opportunities exist for the Capital Metro Area to replace manual checklist processes with more efficient automated tools. Currently, manual checklists are used to assess compliance with policies and procedures for internal control activities. Automated tools such as survey products can create efficiencies and are easy to use. The data gathered via an automated tool tends to be accurate because it is less susceptible to errors during data collection and reporting.

The Capital Metro Area has relied on existing manual processes even as requirements for compliance checks have increased. As a result of not integrating automated tools and techniques, management may be missing opportunities to collect data in a more efficient, timely manner with fewer errors.

What the OIG Recommended

We recommend the Capital Metro Area Vice President evaluate incorporating automated tools and techniques into existing compliance activities.

We have outlined initial automation considerations for management in Appendix B. Appendix C contains a sample checklist using a survey product with built-in automation techniques.