Below is a list of our open audit recommendations. When a report is issued, the Postal Service responds to each recommendation, and if there is agreement, it provides a corrective action plan with a date of planned implementation. We request written confirmation from the Postal Service when those corrective actions are completed and evaluate this information and provide concurrence when the recommendation can be closed.
If the Postal Service disagrees with a recommendation, we work towards agreement by elevating discussions between USPS and OIG management. Any recommendations that the Postal Service does not act on remain open and are reported to Congress until a resolution is achieved.
Implement policy and procedures that require coordination with all responsible parties to create and display notices in retail lobbies on any changes to service by the date the change becomes effective.
$0
Open
Disagree
2
Identify and implement the best method for updating retail signage that aligns with the Priority Mail Express service guarantee offered by individual post offices.
$0
Open
Disagree
3
Implement policy and procedures to ensure that the Postal Service public website is updated to reflect current service standards by the date the change becomes effective, and implement procedures to routinely review the website for accuracy.
$0
Open
Agree
4
Implement policy and procedures to post revisions to the Domestic Mail Manual on the Postal Explorer website in the next quarterly update after the change becomes effective.
$0
Open
Disagree
5
Develop policy and procedures to communicate mail product changes to retail personnel, ensuring they can accurately advise customers on those changes.
$0
Open
Disagree
6
Establish a requirement to clearly define the start and end date/time of any Priority Mail Express service guarantee suspension to be used by respective business units in communications, including Retail Service Talks, with retail personnel.
$0
Open
Agree
7
Establish standard operating procedures for requesting approval and implementing a Priority Mail Express service guarantee suspension expeditiously once impacts to nationwide operations are identified.
Establish internal controls to ensure the Service Standard Directory is updated timely when service changes in specific markets.
$0
Open
Disagree
2
Adjust package processing plans and staffing plans during peak season to ensure full capacity of machines is used to minimize delayed mail volume.
$0
Open
Disagree
3
Direct and monitor division management decisions in the offload process during peak season to incorporate strategic factors, such as facility type, resources, and equipment capacity.
$0
Open
Disagree
4
Develop a process for clear communication of offloads between all levels of processing and logistics functions.
$0
Open
Agree
5
Reassess the methodology used for surface transportation planning to better estimate surface transportation needs and costs.
$0
Closed
Agree
6
Evaluate the reasons for cancellations of freight auction and repetitive highway contract route trips to reduce the associated excess payments for these trips during peak season.
$7,666,125
Open
Agree
7
Assess and update peak season key performance indicators and initiatives.
$0
Open
Agree
8
Develop measures and targets to evaluate the customer experience during peak season.
$0
Open
Disagree
9
Adjust the timelines for peak initiatives to incorporate post-peak season package volume on operations.
$0
Open
Disagree
10
Evaluate the reasons for cancellations of freight auction and repetitive highway contract route trips to reduce the associated excess payments for these trips during the post-peak season.
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Plant Manager to develop and execute a plan to ensure the timely processing of nonmachinable packages and maintain a first in, first out processing order.
$0
Open
Disagree
2
Assess mail volume and reevaluate operations in the Atlanta region to identify opportunities for more effective use of space, efficient processing and logistics operations, and cost optimization.
$0
Open
Disagree
3
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Plant Manager to establish a method to identify, document, and address issues daily and hold managers accountable for recurring issues.
$0
Open
Agree
4
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Plant Manager to manage unauthorized overtime and penalty overtime and monitor for compliance.
$8,225,268
Closed
Agree
5
Revise projected savings as staffing is balanced with additional facilities and operational needs in the region.
$0
Open
Disagree
6
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Processing and Logistics managers to review daily scan data to identify problem areas and correct issues to achieve current scanning goals.
$0
Open
Agree
7
Develop a plan to immediately improve performance against transportation key performance indicators at the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Open
Agree
8
Ensure that transportation schedules are reviewed and adjusted to capture potential cost savings for unnecessary trips.
Update their methodology to evaluate merchant data compliance to include analyzing the volume of packages without unique data for each platform.
$0
Open
Agree
2
Reiterate existing compliance policies to supervisors to drive consistent and effective implementation by staff.
$0
Open
Agree
3
Some or all of the recommendation is not publicly available due to concerns with information protected under the Freedom of Information Act.
$0
Open
Agree
4
Identify and address Merchant Rate Card platforms' technical compliance issues to improve rate accuracy.
$0
Open
Agree
5
Require quarterly business reviews to include data analytics to validate the platforms charge accurate postage and fees and resolve platform issues.
$0
Open
Disagree
6
Coordinate with platforms to collect previously undetected short-payments resulting from postage discrepancies identifiable based on package information transmitted to the Postal Service.
$958,697
Open
Disagree
7
Coordinate with platforms to refund previously undetected over-payments resulting from postage discrepancies identifiable based on package information transmitted to the Postal Service.
Develop an approach to estimate and track Commercial Mail Receiving Agency program-related costs.
$0
Open
Disagree
2
Develop and implement an approach to generate revenue to offset all Commercial Mail Receiving Agency-related costs.
$5,183,144
Open
Disagree
3
Update Commercial Mail Receiving Agency application, mail sample, and data quality review policies to include additional detail regarding the timing, scope, and documentation.
$0
Closed
Agree
4
Develop strategies to better communicate policies and related updates to Postal Service field staff and Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies, including those for reviewing, vetting, and documenting applications and conducting mail samples and data quality reviews.
$0
Open
Disagree
5
Develop and implement internal controls for ensuring effective local staff compliance and oversight with key program responsibilities, including reviewing, vetting, and documenting applications (using the current PS Form 1583-A version) and conducting mail samples and data quality reviews.
Review the planned savings projections for the Boise Regional Processing and Distribution Center, determine where efficiencies were not achieved, and adjust savings projections of future initiatives, as needed.
$0
Open
Agree
2
Review mail processing operations to determine the cause of decreased efficiency and make adjustments as necessary.
$0
Open
Agree
3
Review the facility's authorized complement to determine staffing needs and adjust the complement, as needed.
Continue to identify potential risks and failure points based on past implementations and pilot programs prior to implementing new initiatives or activating new facilities. Additionally, we recommend implementation of a detailed plan to address past issues and monitor progress for improvement.
$0
Closed
Agree
2
Some or all of the recommendation is not publicly available due to concerns with information protected under the Freedom of Information Act.
$0
Open
Disagree
3
Provide transparency to stakeholders on how long service performance will be affected by network changes and when expected changes will be completed.
$0
Closed
Agree
4
Analyze the root cause of processing facilities with high amounts of missorted and missent mail and develop a plan to reduce missent and missorted mail.
$0
Closed
Agree
5
Analyze network flow that requires more than two processing touch points and identify opportunities to streamline that mail.
$0
Closed
Agree
6
Create an action plan to track, identify, and correct the main causes of mail not automated in Delivery Point Sequence (DPS) to improve the DPS rate for the bottom performing processing facilities, and share the results with other processing facilities
$17,681,645
Open
Disagree
7
Implement targeted improvement plans for underperforming facilities, focusing on addressing operational inefficiencies, enhancing staff training, and optimizing daily operation alignment to consistently strive to meet or exceed on-time performance goals.
