U.S. Postal Service

In 1963 the Post Office Department introduced the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code as a means to allow mail sorting methods to become faster and eventually be automated, but the innovation also created unimagined socio-economic benefits as an organizing and enabling device. The ZIP Code is a support...

The OIG performed data analytics to identify offices with lost or stolen stamp stock shipments. We identified expenses regarding stamp stock shipments for the William Penn Annex between May 1, 2016, and April 30, 2017. The objective of this audit was to determine whether internal controls over stamp...

This paper gives readers an overview of the major issues faced by the Postal Service, and the short- and long-term options under discussion to help the Postal Service recover. First, the document identifies Levers of Action the Postal Service could take to help cut costs and generate additional...

The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) introduced a price cap on market dominant products. Under the PAEA, price increases for each class of market dominant mail is limited by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This paper, conducted in collaboration with Christensen...

The marketplace for traditional Postal Service products is increasingly competitive. In addition to the long term trend toward electronic media, Postal Service products face intense pressures brought about by the Great Recession. This paper explores an open question raised by these disruptive trends...

There are ongoing debates regarding what role the Postal Service could and should play in meeting modern communications needs. These discussions often include Postal Service management, the postal regulator, postal employees and customers, members of Congress, and other stakeholders. Largely absent...

The explosion of e-commerce parcels flooding postal networks is just one symptom of a confluence of forces characterized by increasing globalization, the expanding digital revolution, and changes in manufacturing and transportation. This white paper highlights the forces and trends fueling the...

The paper recommends the Postal Service consider opportunities for public-private partnerships (PPPs) to reduce its costs, make its outlays flexible so that they vary along with volume, and leverage private sector expertise in developing new products for the digital age. The paper reviews lessons...

The U.S. Postal Service participates in three retirement plans: the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF). These plans are restricted to government trust funds invested solely in U.S...