U.S. Postal Service

The Postal Service’s leave benefits have generally remained unchanged for decades. They offer a set number of days employees can use for reasons specific to that benefit. Employees who take time off must classify the type of leave they use, which increases administrative requirements. Conversely...

In this white paper we explore how the U.S. Postal Service could experience a significant boost in commercial package volume as 3D printing becomes more widespread. Most 3D printed objects are lightweight, which are exactly the type of parcel the Postal Service specializes in handling. As more...

There is no doubt that packages are growing in importance to the Postal Service’s future. To meet emerging customer demands, the Postal Service needs to position itself for long-term success and broaden its role across the package delivery value chain. The Postal Service has already taken some steps...

To give consumers of all ages advertising messages that are relevant, interesting, and dynamic, mailers can incorporate a number of innovations into their mail pieces. These innovations can help bolster the strength of message by, for example, providing additional content easily accessed digitally...

We conducted extensive research and employed scenario planning to understand what the needs and expectations of future customers of the U.S. Postal Service might be, and how the Postal Service could effectively meet those changing needs. The project involved studying projections for more than 80...

Post office foot traffic varies widely. The 450 largest locations have on average about as much foot traffic as Best Buy stores, while the next 7,000 largest have about as much traffic as CVS locations. An OIG survey shows that Millennials visit post offices more often than older generations, but...

The U.S. Postal Service’s universal service obligation (USO), which establishes what mail services the Postal Service must provide, lacks a clear, comprehensive definition. The current USO is assumed to be a hodgepodge of various legal requirements and regulations that, in most cases, provide only...

As consumers and small businesses increasingly use computers, smartphones, tablets and other devices to buy and sell goods, there is a growing demand for flexible ways to buy services to ship these goods. The Postal Service lags behind its primary competitors in offering technology-savvy customers...

As the U.S. Postal Service continues to address its difficult financial situation, some have argued that overall efficiency would improve if the Postal Service were to focus exclusively on the first and last mile (collection and delivery). While the introduction of workshare discounts has led to...