USPS Office of Inspector General

Founding father and first Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “There are only two things certain in life: death and taxes.” While people might not like death and taxes, they do like certainty. That’s especially true for mailers. 

Many of us remember when 90210 was more than just the ZIP Code for ritzy Beverly Hills. It was the name of a popular TV show, etching itself forever in the annals of American pop culture.

Perhaps, that little piece of Americana helps explain the power of the ZIP Code. It’s more than just five numbers (or nine if you use the plus-four) at the end of the address block.

Like wreaths and garlands decorating your favorite retail store, the U.S. Postal Service’s holiday ads let you know the holiday season has officially started.

The major carriers have announced price increases for early 2016 but the holiday season is still expected to be a buyer’s market. Major retailers will again offer free shipping deals, free returns, and easy in-store pickup for those seeking that option.

You may or may not have noticed the U.S. Postal Service delivers a lot of packages that have a UPS or FedEx label on them. And maybe you’ve wondered what’s up with that? Why would the Postal Service deliver its rivals’ packages?

With package delivery a growing part of the business, it’s no surprise the U.S. Postal Service has focused efforts on improving tracking and visibility for parcel services. PASS – the Passive Adaptive Scanning System used to scan packages and identify delivery routes – represents both the promise and pitfalls of major investments in this area.

Coupons, sales, two-for-one offers, and loyalty programs are just a few of the countless types of promotions businesses use to move inventory or get consumers to try new products and services. 

Commercial enterprises offer deals, specials, or rewards programs from time to time because … they often work. Chances are one of these marketing techniques recently influenced your buying decisions.

As the ever-lengthening election season gears up, you can expect to receive more political mail. Political mail – also called campaign mail – provides a nice revenue lift for the U.S. Postal Service during election years. In fiscal year 2014, the Postal Service earned more than $317 million from political mail.

Management consulting guru Peter Drucker famously said of business management, “What gets measured gets done.” And the U.S. Postal Service seems to follow that maxim, using performance indicators and other types of measurements to improve performance in many aspects of its operations. But we recently found it could benefit from more such measurement in one area – its Premier Office Program.

In the sage words of Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you will wind up somewhere else.” So, where does the U.S. Postal Service want to go? Well, by 2016 it hopes to end up a lot closer to solvency. And to get there, it developed the Delivering Results, Innovation, Value and Efficiency (DRIVE) management process.