TOP-RATED, AGAIN! USPS ranks among the nation’s best in minority employment

For the fourth year in a row, Fortune magazine has ranked USPS® among the best of the nation’s major companies in minority employment. A recent issue of Fortune ranks the Postal Service 11th on its “Best Companies for Minorities” list. Notably, USPS also remains the highest ranked transportation/delivery service provider for the fourth consecutive year.

“Fortune’s selection was based on the Postal Service’s commitment to hiring, promoting and retaining an inclusive workforce,” said USPS Diversity Development VP Murry Weatherall. “Our commitment to diversity is vital to our organization.”

Fortune noted that even while the total postal workforce decreased by 3 percent, minority representation increased, with minorities comprising 37 percent of new employees hired last year. The magazine also pointed to two in-house newsletters, Diversity Talk and Panorama, as further commitment to diversity.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. ZIP

Nation’s original digital icon turns 40

Mr. ZIP, the nation’s original digital icon, turns 40 this month. The satchel-carrying stick-like cartoon figure convinced Americans to use five-digit ZIP Codes to move the nation’s mail faster and more efficiently. Compared to 40 years ago, today’s Postal Service™ delivers nearly three times as much mail to 50 percent more customers located at more than twice as many addresses.

“Mr. ZIP helped to usher in the age of high technology,” said Postal Historian Meg Ausman. “He helped make the business of conducting commerce in America through the mail more efficient, reliable and cost-effective.”

In 1963, Mr. ZIP’s first year on the job, the taxpayer-subsidized Post Office Department delivered 68 billion pieces of mail to 188 million customers at about 60 million addresses. Today’s Postal Service — operating without taxpayer support — delivers 203 billion pieces of mail to 291 million Americans at 141 million homes and businesses.

Thanks to help from Mr. ZIP, today’s First-Class Mail stamp, when adjusted for inflation and subsidy, costs the same as it did in 1963. Some things never go out of style.

BEST IN SHOW

The “Best in Show Excellence” award presented to USPS for the recent Building Inroads to Technology Multicultural Summit in Los Angeles recognized the Postal website, USPS.com, for its “consumer-friendly online services.”

Sponsored by nationally-syndicated media commentator Tavis Smiley in association with Microsoft, the summit was designed to introduce the power of technology to consumers, entrepreneurs and youth in the African-American, Asian and Hispanic communities.

WELCOME TO AMERICA

A faster way to process inbound international mail

Inbound international mail is getting quite a reception these days, thanks to the receipt verification system (RVS). This new automated system speeds up the processing time for foreign mail so it enters the domestic mail stream more quickly.

Foreign postal administrations place country-of-origin barcodes on mailing containers sent to the United States. RVS scans these barcodes, generating an acceptance receipt for the foreign post office. No barcode? RVS can handle that, too. After a few touch-screen entries, the data is captured and the mail container continues on its way.

In a joint effort, Information Technology and Network Operations developed a way to transmit RVS data to the International Accounts Branch in St. Louis, where it’s used to settle accounts with foreign postal administrations. RVS data helps to identify money owed USPS.

“RVS not only speeds up the processing time for international mail but greatly improves the accuracy of the data,” says International Network Operations Manager Michael Nappi.

RVS is being used for international mail at the New York, Chicago, and San Francisco International Service Centers, and the Miami and Los Angeles Air Mail Centers. RVS will be coming to some surface mail gateways in the near future.