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Improve Service

With the deployment of scanners, the Surface Visibility system began using barcode technology to track trays and containers through the Postal Service's transportation network. Containers of mail are tracked from one step to the next using the new scanning devices and a wireless network. At the originating facility, scan data is integrated with the FAST scheduling system to log drop-ship information and support employee real-time decisions on the dock. Information about a mailing is recorded as it first arrives at a facility and when container unloading begins and ends. This system was originally designed to improve the Postal Service's own transportation network but was expanded to benefit the larger mailing community. Information available to the Postal Service is also available to mailers, making the entire value chain more transparent.

The vision of total mail visibility relies to a large extent on the increasing use of intelligent barcodes. However, the ability of postal systems to use and communicate data about mail quality, status, and location is what creates value for mailers and for the Postal Service. Continual upgrades to processing equipment have been made in tandem with enhancements to systems such as PostalOne! to form a seamless network of information.

Closing the Loop — Visibility in Delivery Operations
Giving mailers timely feedback on the ultimate delivery of a mailpiece is key to gaining insight into service, and all prior steps in the mail value chain lead to this. At delivery units, manifests and mail containers will be scanned as they arrive. Individual mailpieces will already have been linked with containers at the plant, and manifests will identify drop-shipped mail. Carrier scans at the point of delivery will confirm delivery of Express Mail, mail with Delivery Confirmation or Signature Confirmation, and accountable mail. For most other mail, delivery is assumed on the day a letter receives DPS processing or is dispatched from the plant. After FSS implementation, delivery of flat mail will be assumed on the day a flat receives FSS processing. Much of the mail that arrives at delivery units with an incomplete or incorrect address or barcode is still delivered because carriers can often identify the addressee. Unfortunately, mailers will resend mail with the incorrect address repeatedly, unaware that it may not be delivered. In the future, Postal Service systems will be able to capture local delivery knowledge to provide mailers with a corrected address.

2. Improve Customer Service across All Contact Points
Major efforts have been made to make mail services quick, easy, and convenient. Customers now have more options for doing business with the Postal Service, many with 24 hour a day, 7 day a week availability. They can buy postage by phone or online and ship packages with their carrier, all from the comfort of home. Opportunities to enhance service exist across all contact points, and the Postal Service will continue efforts to provide a level of service that exceeds customer expectations.

The Postal Service broadened use of the Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) system to help focus its service improvement activities. CSM data identified a few persistent services issues, such as misdelivered mail and lengthy wait times in Post Offices, that are keys to driving improvement in overall customer satisfaction. Several tools have recently been developed to focus field resources against these issues. Two such programs are the Seven-Step Analysis, which targets improvement efforts at the lowest-performing locations, and the Accuracy of Delivery Campaign.

Delivery and Pickup Services
Mail provides a vital connection between American businesses and households, and the Postal Service's 290,744 carriers are the ones who make that connection a reality. Carriers are the only service providers who make house calls to every address, six days every week. Reliable, consistent delivery is central to customers' perception of the mail. In 2006 the Postal Service targeted two common customer concerns — misdelivery and late or inconsistent delivery time. The incidence of both declined dramatically as a result. Building on that success will be a priority in 2007.