...Who Will Survive in America? For over two centuries, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has provided efficient communication across the nation, reaching its height of success during the 20th century. This boom in business produced an overwhelming number of job opportunities. However, the introduction of new technologies such as e-mail, as well as competing delivery companies, has led to dramatic losses in revenue over the past decade. In order to remain solvent, the USPS must revitalize their current image and reevaluate marketing strategies while also applying modern foundations. Though the USPS has been a long-standing organization, they must rejuvenate their image in order to meet new demands. Stone argues, “A company’s brand is its most valuable tool, or its biggest liability.” Finding and developing a new logo for the USPS would encourage consumer interest and allow them to maintain relevance. With its current brand, “no one really knows what the Postal Service stands for”; therefore creating an entirely new look will convey to the public what they actually accomplish (Source A). The USPS, while an established institution, must not remain stagnant in their branding if they wish to advance alongside society. In order to gain a more positive image of their company, the USPS could also adopt the more “green” initiatives that have become so popular among consumers. One such consumer, Colleen Plimpton thinks “[Junk mailers] are cutting down trees willy-nilly, and that...
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...Should Be Reconstructed Should the United States Postal Service be reconstructed? The answer is yes because people are emailing rather than buying a stamp and envelope to send hand-written documents. The two main issues that I am going to set forth in this prompt are the mail agency facing staggering catastrophe and people emailing to meet their needs. The only way out of this hole is to reconstruct the antiquated United States Postal Service, it’s time for a change. First to begin with let’s start with the mail agency facing staggering catastrophe. Each day people in all corners of the country count on timely delivery of letters, bills, medicine, and election ballots. Now that everyone is starting to email for cheaper cost the postal service has experienced a thirteen percent drop in mail volume this past year. More than double of any previous decline, with a loss of $3.8 billion. Saturday delivery times for letters and packages, higher postage stamp prices that exceed the rate of inflation is a potential for future layoffs and an even bigger drop in mail volume. Taking away Saturday mail would save $40 billion...
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...The United States Postal Service (USPS) is one of the cheapest ways to send mail to anyplace in the country. The United States Postal Service was established by the constitution, and Congress was given the power to establish Post Offices and Post Roads. The United States Postal Service has run into a few issues in the past few years which is causing them to lose more and more money. In today's society, the younger generations are probably going to start using it a lot more than what they do now and it is the only main organization that everybody knows since they were a little kid. They are an incredible company that delivers mail to every single person in the world they just need a little tweaking to get going like they were a few years ago. One way they can reconstruct is by adding more online services, Keep sending mail...
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...The United States Postal Service's (USPS) officials are disregarding their obligations established in Article One, Sections 8 and 9 of the American Constitution. The Private Express Statute establishes the USPS’ responsibilities and obligation to its property and home-mail delivery service. However, the aforementioned divulgatory laws mandate the United States Postal Service’s officials to deliver USPS-mail to all properties and residences’ addresses with sanctioned USPS’ receptacles. However, USPS’ officials are repudiating Disabled Veteran Timberlake’s right and privilege to receive USPS’ property and residence-mail delivery service to 2117 Atkins Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35810’s USPS- mail approved receptacle. Some malevolent managerial...
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...The United States Postal Service eCommerce Stratagem Abstract With Centuries of History to reflect on, the United States Postal Service has continuously strived to be the leader in the delivery and production of U.S. Consumer postal needs. Over time, delivery modes have significantly changed; consumer supply and demand has wavered; and new challenges and opportunities emerge as the cyber world evolves. The U. S. Postal Service will look to strategize though eCommerce and embrace technological invents to remain the pacesetter despite any encroaching competition. Table of Contents Getting to Where They Are Now 4 Postal Services Humble Start 4 Thinking of it by Zones 5 The Postage Stamp 6 The Shift from Manual Labor to Automation 6 The First Machines 6 Cancelling Machine. 6 The Culling Machine. 7 Edger-Stacker. 7 Facer-Canceller. 8 Mail-Flo. 9 Automation Machines 9 Optical Character Recognition 9 Projects Turnkey and Gateway (“Automatic” Post Offices). 10 Vending Machines. 10 Proof of the U.S. Postal Service’s Commitment to Technology 11 Competition facing the U.S. Postal Services 14 DHL International GmbH 14 United Parcel Service, Inc. 14 The U.S.P.S Outlook 15 The United States Postal Service eCommerce Stratagem Getting to Where They Are Now Postal Services Humble Start Even before the start of the 17th century, North American colonies realized some structure was needed to efficiently transport messages, news, and products from...
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...Rationale and Analysis for Agency Selected, Part 1 Dr. Goliday Pad 530: Public Personnel Management July 14, 2013 Introduction The goal of The United States Postal Service is to create “a free flow of information between citizens and their government as a cornerstone of freedom, often spoke of a nation bound together by a system of postal roads and post offices.” (Longley 2013) Postal offices are forbidden to open any letters unless it is undeliverable The United States Postal Service (USPS) is responsible for providing postal services for the United States to all Americans no matter the geographical location. The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States federal government that was formed Washington DC in July 1971. Benjamin Franklin was the first Postmaster General. In 1775 The United States Postal Service started to move the mail. In the 19th century the postal system helped to expand the West by providing a convenient inexpensive form of communication. The cost of stamps ranged from $0.05 to $0.10 depending on the distance the mail was traveling to and from. The post office used steamboats and railroads to deliver mail. On an annual basis the postal system carried roughly 2900 letters and newspapers. The postal services grew rapidly in the 20th Century, taking over air mail services, hiring roughly 40 pilots and delivering over 49 million letters to different places. Now the Post Office delivers over 170 billion pieces of mail each...
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...United States Postal Service Over the past 400 years the way that people connect with one another has evolved from telegrams, telegraphs, letters, telephones, e-mail, and even social media websites. Although all of these changes have taken place, one thing still remains the same, the need for the United States Postal Service. In the early 1600’s colonies relied on friends, merchants, Native Americans, and even slaves to deliver their messages from town to town. In 1639 the first postal organization came to town. Local authorities operated these postal routes throughout the colonies, with taverns and other places of businesses serving as repositories. It wasn’t until the late 1600’s that the first Postal office was established. Over 100 years later on July 26th 1775 members of the Second Continental Congress saw the need for a post master and official office to serve for all of the colonies. Several regions had post offices and power went through many different hands before landing in the hands of the most influential postmaster to date, Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, who had previously served as postmaster of Philadelphia was elected as the first postmaster general and then became the first postmaster of the United States when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 creating the United States. The Declaration of Independence turned his role into not only postmaster general, but now postmaster general of the United States Postal Service. The United States Postal...
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...United States Postal Service Yvonne Shaw HRM/531 May 27, 2013 Gabriela Zeigler * Company Background The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent agency of the United States federal government and legally responsible for providing postal service to every American in any location within the United States. The USPS is one of only a few organizations who are authorized by the United States Constitution. The USPS can be dated back to 1775. In 1971 the Postal Reorganization Act made it what it is today. Today the USPS has roughly 570,000 employees, operates roughly 260,000 vehicles, and delivers approximately 660 billion pieces of mail a year (Wikipedia, 2013). In 1971 after a postal strike, the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) was established to help protect worker’s rights and gave them collective bargaining rights, a process of negotiations aimed at reaching agreements to help regulate working conditions. At the postal service this is a three step phase; negotiations, mediations, and interest arbitration. Currently, due to decrease in standard mail delivery, mostly due to ease of the internet, the postal service is facing dire times and being forced to look at alternative ways of doing business without failing to meet their legal obligations. One such option is to close sites. The APWU is currently fighting to stop the closure of postal offices. Due to federal laws, the postal...
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...The United States Postal Service Labor Laws and Unions The United States Postage Service (USPS) is one of the country’s most striving organizations. A discussion of this document will explain the effects of the union and labor laws within the USPS. This article will also review the benefits of joining the union and what is the unionization process. In addition, it will examine the union bargain and discuss the effects it has on the USPS. The United States Postal Service Background The USPS employees over 600,000 workers and operates more than 220,000 fleets of vehicles in the world (USPS, 2012). The USPS is a branch of the federal government led by the postmaster general and a Board of Governors with oversight by the postal Regulatory Commission (USPS, 2012). However, Congress ultimately governs all authority. Congress imposes regulations on the organization and provides protection from opposition. The formation of the postal service allows revenues from the postage sales and services to cover cost of operations with $100 million annual appropriation from Congress for providing no cost mailing to the blind and overseas absentee-ballot mailing (USPS, 2012). Benefits of Joining Unions The postal service union’s purpose is to propose a fair contract to its members while meeting its financial and operational needs. The union prevents members from mistreatment, provides continual employment, and offers peace of mind while guaranteeing benefits...
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...INTRODUCTION Background of the Case Study of the UNITES STATES POSTAL SERVICE The evolution of the United States Postal Service is interlaced with the history of our federal government. Today, the Postal Service is the second largest civilian employer in the United States. It has over 700,000 employees, affects an economy that employs 9 million people and represents 8% of the United States gross domestic product in a $900 billion mailing industry (United States Postal Service [USPS], 2002b). This organization reaches every United States household and its operations are often perceived as an indication of the efficiency of the entire federal government as a whole. After the historic gridlock of the Chicago Post Office in 1966, Postmaster General Lawrence O’Brien sought the political support of President Johnson for systemic change in the organization. President Johnson formed a “blue ribbon” commission of well-known business leaders and academia’s to study the Post Office Department. Their mission was to recommend how to change the Post Office Department and to also describe the best governmental organization model for its function. The President’s Commission on Postal Organization (Commonly called the Kappel Commission after its Chairman) presented the President with a plan in 1968, which lead to congressional testimony, but legislative action did not soon follow. Various factions, including the strong postal unions representing 740,000 votes, opposed the government corporation...
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...INTRODUCTION The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing mail service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. Within the United States, it is commonly referred to as the "Post Office", "Postal Service", or "U.S. Mail". Employing 656,000 workers and 260,000 vehicles, it is the second-largest civilian employer in the United States and the operator of the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world. The USPS is obligated to serve all Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality. Conversely, it has exclusive access to U.S. mail boxes and non-urgent letters. It receives competition from email and package delivery services. For 36 years, the Postal Service’s business model, established by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 (PRA), worked very well for customers, employees, and the nation. The Postal Service was able to charge affordable prices and use the revenues from those prices to provide mail service to all areas of the country, charging the same prices regardless of cost of delivery. It was able to cut costs, improve service, provide innovative work-share options, and continually improve productivity. The OCI revealed at the USPS could benefit from cultural change of holding back it employees who excel in their area. These plays on power cause others employ not step up and do more. This also discourages...
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...The Post Office Department officially became the United States Postal Service on July 1, 1971. At that time it became an independent establishment of the executive branch of the government of the United States rather than a part of the cabinet. It began operating more like a corporation, but with the benefit of the official mail monopoly that was established under the Private Express Statutes in 1792. Package delivery and express services do not fall under this law, making it possible for other companies to offer those services. The United States Postal Service is an independent establishment of the Executive Branch of the Government of the United States and operates in a business-like way. Its mission statement can be found in Section 101(a) of Title 39 of the U.S. Code, also known as the Postal Reorganization Act: The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities. The Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. It is governed by a board of governors made up of the postmaster general, the deputy postmaster general and nine governors who are appointed by the president (with the advice and consent of the Senate). The USPS competes for business...
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...The balanced score card has strengthened the productivity of the United States Postal Services. The perception of employee relations and efficient productivity has evolved into a fine tune machine that the government can now put in the fore front of a well-run public organization. I will summarize those changes as I reflect on the case study capturing the challenges and strengths of USPS. In the past, employee relations at the United States Postal Service were viewed unfavorable by the general public. The implementation of the balanced score card effectively addressed those challenges to provide the employees with a voice to management. Employees are on the front line of all process and customer interaction. There is value in having an active listening channel to hear their challenges for the greater good of the organization. Historically, USPS was able to provide a service with the expectation of consistent revenue. With the introduction of completion UPS, Fed Ex, and DHL the traditional structure of USPS was challenged. The competition introduced the concept of stronger efficiency time tables and putting the customer’s needs first. The USPS initiative to listen to their employees allowed for them to put the people that execute the processes as change agents that make them successful and added value for the organization to compete with the new market. Many organizations have now implemented the balance scorecard with the input of employee voice. The voice of...
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...S Postal Service Workers have the greatest impact on the daily life of an average citizen because the delivery of mail is the oil that keeps America running. Without the postal workers, without exception American’s everyday life would be altered greatly. The unofficial motto of the US Postal Service is, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of the appointed rounds.” In essence, it means nothing will detain the postal service from providing your mail to anyone, since your mail correspondence remains essential. If the US Postal Service did not deliver our mail, or even experienced a delay our correspondence, the consequence for all of us would often become costly financially, health wise, and travel wise. Financial Risks...
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...Keeping the USPS Alive In 1981, legislation was passed to require the United States Post Office to deliver mail six days a week. But because Congress provides less than 0.1% of the total postal budget, the postal service is almost completely dependent on postage sales, which have decreased drastically in the past decade. Now, Congress refuses to make significant legislation reforms. After seeing continuous patterns of decline in the postal service, Postmaster Patrick Donahoe proposes a better solution to this debt- cutting back operating hours- that will not affect package delivery, will not damage large businesses, and will save approximately two billion dollars a year. Since 2006, the post office’s losses have been estimated at twenty-five million dollars a day due to the breakthrough of e-mail and e-billing systems (Vann). This new method of communication decreased mail volume by twenty-six percent of its peak just a few years before. Because of these growing debts, the first proposal to cut down business days was in 2009, when the Postal Service had lost 2.8 billion dollars in the previous year. After waiting three years, Congress was unable to draft reforms to reduce these losses (Stephansen). At the end of 2012, the Postal Service had lost nearly 15.9 billion dollars. Postmaster Patrick Donahoe took matters into his own hands by proposing that the service discontinue mail delivery on Saturdays. Eliminating weekend deliveries while continuing six-day package delivery...
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