The US Postal Service Restructures for Better Service

Citing recent changes in federal law, Postmaster General John E. Potter announced what he calls “a sea change for some” as the United States Postal Service (USPS) realigned several of its core functions. The change in federal law he refers to is the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. The new law’s intent is to streamline the way the USPS sets prices. It also adds a degree of flexibility in the way it prices package shipping to make it more competitive with private shipping companies.

With the realignment there are two strategic focuses for USPS. In one, all major shipping and mailing products are now in one division. The other is claimed to “represent the voice of the customer, giving priority to the interests of business and individual mailers.”

Looking to the future, the USPS’ Intelligent Mail Barcode will become “the technical foundation of mail operations—acceptance, payment, verification, processing, diagnostics, routing transportation and delivery.”

All of its functions will be consolidated under the direction of the chief operating officer. Intelligent Mail Barcode now moves from development to implementation and is scheduled to move into USPS functions in May 2009.

"The Postal Service has been evolving to meet the needs of our customers for more than 200 years. These changes are an important continuation of that tradition as they will enhance our customer service and position us where we should be in the competitive marketplace," commented Potter.

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