Improved office and street delivery efficiency resulted from following standardized operating procedures, using automated mail sorting equipment to prepare mail for delivery, through effective management, more efficient lines of travel, and less costly modes of delivery.
AM Standard Operating Procedures help offices comply with standards in office management practices. Data show significant performance gains in offices that pass certification audits. To date, 62 percent of target delivery offices are certified.
DPS letters and flats are sequenced by automated equipment and presented to carriers ready for delivery. By eliminating manual sorting, DPS reduces costs, improves accuracy and speed of delivery, and contributes to improved customer satisfaction. More than 99 percent of city routes and 88 percent of rural routes receive DPS letters. On average, these routes received 90.52 percent of letters in DPS. Currently 60 – 70 percent of flats are in DPS at these sites. The 2010 goals are to continue to increase the number of routes receiving DPS letters and to raise the DPS percentage. Automated flats sequencing was initiated in Northern Virginia during 2008 and began expanding during 2009. At year end, four processing sites are sequencing flats for nearly 2,100 routes in about 80 units. DPS flats processing will continue to expand rapidly during 2010.
Carrier Optimal Routing (COR) is a computerized tool designed to produce safer and more efficient delivery routes. COR reduces workhours and vehicle costs by improving lines of travel, eliminating left turns, and removing park points. COR use is rapidly expanding. About 18 percent of the route adjustments implemented during 2009 were designed using COR. More than 71 percent of city zones currently have COR databases. All city carrier zones are expected to be evaluated during 2010 and to use COR for route adjustments.
