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An additional indicator of First-Class Mail service quality is the Phoenix-Hecht Postal Survey™, an independent measure of remittance mail (bill payments) processing performance. This survey is designed to measure and report total float, in the same manner that a remittance processing customer would experience it. The survey reports that since 2001 the average amount of time for delivery of remittance-type mail pieces has been reduced more than 8 hours.
Improved service was the result of refinements to sort plans to minimize handlings, improved OCR recognition technology, surface transportation reviews, and use of diagnostic tools, including feedback from mailers' own tracking systems. Approaches have been focused on improving service for all products.
The Transformation strategies described in the following sections will help the Postal Service attain even higher levels of service. The Postal Service's goal is to provide visibility through the entire mail value chain for all of its products — from mail creation, through deposit, processing, transportation, and delivery. Aggressive efforts will continue to improve quality by further expanding standardization, developing new data on in-process quality problems, and improving the exchange of information with customers. The Postal Service will place special emphasis on improving address quality, reducing undeliverable-as-addressed mail, and improving distribution performance using technology. Standardized operating processes, discussed in more detail in Chapter II (Reduce Costs), will generate better control of each handoff during the 24-hour operating window and will result in more consistent service for all mail.