Previous Page page 84 of 87 Next Page


To maintain this significant momentum, the Postal Service plans to extend its ongoing transformation by developing the Strategic Transformation Plan 2006–2010 with the participation of its stakeholders. This plan will focus on Postal Service-wide organizational strategies along with detailed cross-functional strategies engineered to enhance value to our customers. Publication is planned for September 30, 2005, with subsequent annual updates.

As a nation, we need to know how we can best structure our postal system in the years ahead to meet evolving needs. The Postal Service has a mission to serve every address in a growing nation. Its networks, with associated costs, are constantly expanding to accommodate new deliveries roughly equivalent to those for the cities the size of Chicago and Baltimore, year after year. Until recently, during a long period of strong economic expansion, the Postal Service benefited from growing mail volumes, with increasing postage revenue sufficient to pay for the expanding network, and kept postage rates in line with inflation. Because of the successes achieved as a result of the April 2002 Transformation Plan, the Postal Service has improved its productivity during this period at an unprecedented rate. Nevertheless, changes in competition and technology suggest that, while a system for delivery of hard-copy mail will still be important, the volume of mail in the system may not grow enough in the future to keep pace with the growth in infrastructure required to serve an ever-growing number of addresses. The Postal Service currently lacks many of the tools that private businesses have to deal with revenue deficiencies. In addition, its service responsibilities prevent abandoning unprofitable locations or new addresses.

DISCUSSION OF THE POSTAL SERVICE MISSION, VISION, AND OBJECTIVES

In 1970, Congress enacted the Postal Reorganization Act, transforming the former Post Office Department into the United States Postal Service. The intent was to ensure that the former department became a self-sustaining Federal entity, operating more like a business. The Postal Reorganization Act states that the Postal Service will have the "basic and fundamental" responsibility to provide postal services to bind the nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. Prompt, reliable, and efficient postal services must be extended to patrons in all areas and to all communities.

The objective of transformation was stated in the April 2002 Transformation Plan and the Strategic Plan 2004-2008. The plans acknowledge the assistance of the full range of stakeholders in the postal industry and a firm commitment to all stakeholders, especially our customers. In order to maintain our financial viability and fulfill our universal service mission, we commit that we will:

It is for the purpose of maintaining its transformative vision and momentum through the Transformation Plan 2006–2010 that we ask stakeholders once again to share their views on the future of the nation's mail service.

SOLICITATION OF COMMENTS

Although all comments and feedback are welcome, we are seeking current, updated suggestions and commentary rather than resubmission of material already provided as part of previous stakeholder outreach efforts. Comments can be especially helpful to the Postal Service in analyzing external trends that will shape the demand for postal services over the next five years. The following fundamental changes have previously been identified as likely to reshape the delivery services marketplace:

Changing Customer Needs

With access to more information and options than ever before, customers have a broad range of choices for delivery of messages, money, and merchandise-our three businesses. Customer requirements for postal services and entrenched network structures and service patterns may be changing. The Postal Service's Strategic Transformation Plan 2006–2010 is intended to meet these changing customer requirements while continuing to transform the Postal Service into an organization that is "easier to use" and more responsive to customer needs. The Postal Service intends to "partner" with customers and industry participants to add value to customer transactions.