Field Operations Service Review: Delivery Operations

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Date Issued

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Submitting OIG

U.S. Postal Service OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

U.S. Postal Service

Report Number

25-066-R25

Report Description

During fiscal years 2023 and 2024, the Field Operations Review Team completed audits of 72 delivery units to assess delivery operations and property conditions. We found about 800,000 delayed mailpieces across these delivery units. Most of the delayed mail was not accurately reported. We also identified arrow key management and scanning issues, including missing and unsecured keys and carriers scanning packages away from their intended delivery address. We summarized our findings and made recommendations to district management in our capping reports.

Report Type

Audit

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Report updated under NDAA 5274

Open Recommendations

This report has 6 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1	Yes	$0	$0
Automate Postal Service Form 1571, Undelivered Mail Report, for delayed mail reporting in the Delivery Condition Visualization system and require carriers to use the automated format at the end of the day to report undelivered mail.
2	Yes	$0	$0
Develop a process to identify delivery units with a high risk of unreported or underreported delayed mail, and follow up with district management to enforce compliance.
3	Yes	$0	$0
Develop and provide a standard work instruction that lists and links to the applicable reports and tools unit managers are required to use to monitor daily scanning compliance.
4	Yes	$0	$0
Add instructions to the beginning of the certification screen in the RADAR system notifying supervisors of the current procedures for conducting arrow key certifications and have the system automatically generate a report notifying the U.S. Postal Inspection Service of any missing keys.
5	Yes	$0	$0
Develop and implement program controls within the RADAR system to prevent managers from inputting inaccurate arrow key information.
6	Yes	$0	$0
Develop and implement a plan for district management to conduct targeted arrow key inventory reviews on a regular basis until new technological initiatives are fully implemented.