Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations 2008
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United States Postal Service Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations 2008 TRADEMARKS YEAR REFERENCES The following are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: United All references to a specific year or “the year” refer to the Postal Service fiscal year ending States Postal Service®, U.S. Postal Service®, USPS®, First-Class Mail®, usps.com®, Click-N-Ship®, September 30. However, specific month and year references pertain to the calendar date. Automated Postal Center®, APC®, Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, Standard Mail®, Parcel Post®, Media Mail®, Customized MarketMail®, Intelligent Mail®, Parcel Select®, Express Mail International®, Quick, Easy, Convenient®, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General™, Post Office™, Postal Service™, Signature Confirmation™, Certified Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, Registered Mail™, ZIP Code™, Carrier Pickup™, Priority Mail International™, First-Class Mail International™, Premium Forwarding Service™, Forever Stamp™ and Postmaster General™. The Sonic Eagle Logo, Round Top Collection Box design, Letter Carrier Uniform design, and the Mail Truck design are also trademarks belonging to the United States Postal Service. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Our Mission ................................................................................... 5 Who We Are............................................................................................................... 5 Governance ................................................................................................................ 6 Chapter 2: Our Customers .............................................................................. 9 Who They Are ............................................................................................................ 9 Customer Outreach .................................................................................................... 9 Products .................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 3 Our Workforce .............................................................................. 25 Recruitment and Development ..................................................................................... 25 Diversity .................................................................................................................... 26 Compensation and Benefits......................................................................................... 27 Labor Relations ......................................................................................................... 29 Complement Management .......................................................................................... 30 PostalPEOPLE ........................................................................................................... 30 Workplace Environment .............................................................................................. 31 Employee Communications and Outreach .................................................................... 32 Community Involvement .............................................................................................. 32 Chapter 4 Our Operations .............................................................................. 35 Total Mail Visibility ...................................................................................................... 35 Acceptance ................................................................................................................ 37 Processing ................................................................................................................. 40 Transportation ............................................................................................................ 43 Facilities .................................................................................................................... 45 Delivery and Pickup .................................................................................................... 45 Resources and Support............................................................................................... 46 Sustainability .............................................................................................................. 49 Chapter 5: Performance Trends and 2009 Goals ............................................ 53 Improve Service ......................................................................................................... 53 Maintain Financial Viability .......................................................................................... 53 Improve Safety and Employee Satisfaction ................................................................... 54 2008 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations | 3 4 | 2008 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations Chapter 1 Our Mission The Postal Service’s mission is to provide the nation with reliable, primarily affected Standard Mail which experienced a volume affordable, universal mail service. The basic functions of the Postal decline of 4.4 billion pieces, or 4.3 percent. Because it is composed Service were established in 39 U.S.C. § 101(a): “. to bind the primarily of advertising, Standard Mail is especially sensitive to Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and economic contractions. business correspondence of the people. It [the Postal Service] shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas As mail volume fell throughout the year, the Postal Service initiated and shall render postal services to all communities.” The Postal a number of efforts to reduce workhours. Compared with 2007, Service delivers to more than 149 million addresses six days a week, approximately and picks up pre-paid letters and packages at the time of delivery. 50 million fewer It provides mailing and shipping services through more than 36,000 workhours were retail outlets and through its Web site, usps.com. used this year, the equivalent of 25,000 work years. These Who We Are efforts partially offset rising costs for Document Purpose fuel, compensation, For stakeholders interested in the Postal Service, the annual and benefits, and Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations and the helped the Postal Annual Report describe Postal Service actions and results. The Service reduce its Comprehensive Statement is a broad summary of customer, total costs by $2.2 billion. employee, and operations-focused developments from the past fiscal year. The Annual Report focuses on Postal Service Postal Service delivery performance continued to improve in 2008. finances and financial results. A third document, Vision 2013, Despite declining mail volumes and revenues, it achieved best-ever is the Postal Service’s five-year strategic plan for 2009-2013. performance for all three categories of First-Class Mail. First-Class All three documents are available at usps.com/about. Mail with an overnight commitment was delivered 97 percent on-time. First-Class Mail with a 2-day commitment was delivered The Postal Service has filed the annual Comprehensive Statement 94 percent on-time, and mail with a 3-day commitment, 93 percent since 1976 in accordance with 39 U.S.C. 2401(e), which prescribes on-time. Performance is measured independently by IBM Global its contents. Chapter 1 addresses the postal mission and legislative Business Services. Other service categories showed continued developments. Chapter 2 focuses on customers and services. improvement as well. Chapter 3 discusses the postal workforce and employee-related programs. Chapter 4 describes operations. Chapter 5 contains the This year the Postal Service updated its service standards for Postal Service’s performance report for 2008 and its plan for 2009, market dominant mail classes, a step taken after extensive customer as required by the Government Performance and Results Act. All outreach and consultation with the Postal Regulatory Commission references to years, unless otherwise stated, refer to fiscal years (PRC). Performance to the standards will primarily be measured beginning October 1 and ending September 30. using a hybrid system that combines internal scans with external data independently collected and verified by IBM Global Business The Year in Review Services. Reporting is set to begin in January 2009. 2008 was a difficult year for both the U.S. economy and the Postal Service. Total mail volume was 202.7 billion pieces, a decline of All operations continued to benefit from increased data on mail 9.5 billion pieces, or 4.5 percent. The rate of decline accelerated flows which, combined with new systems and management tools, throughout 2008 as the economy weakened. This result is largely are highlighting opportunities to improve service consistency and a symptom of the ailing economy. The hard-hit financial sector of efficiency. Process standardization is helping integrate data across the economy led declines not just in the stock market, but in mail functions and plants, reducing variability, and providing more volume as well. Economic difficulties also contributed to reduced consistent and predicable end-to-end service performance. Use of volumes from other mailers, including catalogue retailers, printing Intelligent Mail® barcodes is being piloted by a number of customers, and publishing businesses, and the services sector. who are beginning to gain a wealth of new information about the status of their mail in