United States Postal Service®

Quarterly Performance for USPS Marketing Mail®
Service Variance
Mailpieces Delivered Between 10/01/2017 and 12/31/2017

Quarter I
FY2018

Overview

As of FY 2017 Quarter 2, Standard Mail® was renamed to USPS Marketing Mail®.

For USPS Marketing Mail® Letters and non-Saturation flats, the service performance measurement system of U.S. Postal Service® uses documented arrival time at a designated postal facility to start the measurement clock, and an Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMB®) scan by an external, third-party reporter to stop-the-clock. Mail piece tracking from IMB® in-process scans is used in conjunction with the external data to extrapolate results for the population of USPS Marketing Mail® using Full-Service Intelligent Mail®. Data collected by U.S. Postal Service® are provided to an independent, external contractor to calculate service measurement and compile the necessary reports. The system used for this reporting is called the Intelligent Mail® Accuracy and Performance System (iMAPS).

The external contractor determines service performance based on the elapsed time between the start-the-clock event recorded by U.S. Postal Service® and the stop-the-clock event recorded by anonymous households and small businesses that report delivery information directly to the contractor. The service measure consists of two parts: (1) how long mail pieces take to get through processing, and (2) how long mail takes from the last processing scan to delivery. The second portion is used as a delivery factor differential to determine the percent of all USPS Marketing Mail® delivered on the last processing date versus the percent delivered after the last processing date. Service performance is measured by comparing the transit time to USPS® service standards to determine the percent of mail delivered on time.

The Service Performance Measurement (SPM) application of the Full-Service Seamless Acceptance and Service Performance system (SASP) serves as the data source for iMAPS. SPM captures data from all Full-Service Intelligent Mail® and applies business rules for service measurement before sending data to iMAPS.

The service performance measure for Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) Entry Saturation flats involves the identification of major weekly Saturation mailings within delivery units. Delivery of these mailings is captured with a scan made by carriers at the completion of delivery of all pieces on the route. Service performance is measured by comparing the delivery date to the end date of the mailer requested in-home window to determine the percent delivered on time. Data from anonymous households reporting the receipt of these Saturation mailings are used to validate the accuracy of the carrier scans.

The service performance measurement system for Every Door Direct Mail - Retail® (EDDM Retail®) uses the documented arrival time of a mailing at a retail unit to start the clock, using the point-of-sale scan when mail is handed to U.S. Postal Service®, and an Intelligent Mail® parcel barcode (IMpb®) scan by a USPS® carrier to stop the clock. The delivery of bundles of EDDM Retail® pieces is captured with a scan made by carriers at the delivery unit upon distribution for delivery. Service performance is measured by comparing the total transit time of mail piece bundles to the service standard to determine the percent delivered on time.

Results for DDU Entry Saturation flats and EDDM Retail® are combined with other Destination Entry Standard Mail in the Destination Entry scores in this report.

The service performance measure for USPS Marketing Mail® Parcels with USPS Tracking® serves as a proxy for measuring service performance for USPS Marketing Mail® Parcels.

Service performance measurement was suspended for mail originating from or destined to the Caribbean District in FY 2018 Quarter 1 due to the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Limitations

Due to limited automated processing for USPS Marketing Mail® Flats, the service performance results may not be representative of all USPS Marketing Mail® Flats performance. While Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) entered Saturation Flats and EDDM Retail® Flats have been included this quarter, significant gaps in the coverage of non-Saturation/non-EDDM Retail® DDU Entry mail still remain and are excluded from measurement.

Results for USPS Marketing Mail® Parcels, which represent less than 0.1 percent of all USPS Marketing Mail®, are not included in the overall USPS Marketing Mail® results.

The delivery factor for USPS Marketing Mail® Letters was created using USPS Marketing Mail® Letters with IMB® received by external reporters. Data for the delivery factor of USPS Marketing Mail® Flats were based on a combination of USPS Marketing Mail® Flats and Bound Printed Matter Flats with IMB® as well as External First-Class Mail® (EXFC) Measurement System test flats received by external reporters. The EXFC and Bound Printed Matter Flats data were used to supplement the limited USPS Marketing Mail® Flats data available during this period.

Performance Highlights

National Destination Entry mail achieved 88.1 percent on time in FY 2018 Quarter 1, which is 3.8 points lower than the same period last year, and 99.1 percent delivered within service standard plus three days. The Honolulu Performance Cluster led the nation in Destination Entry performance with 97.2 percent on time. Twenty-nine out of 66 districts achieved an on time performance at or above the higher performance target of 91.8 this year for Destination Entry mail.

End-To-End Entry National performance was 61.8 percent on time, which is 6.6 points lower than the same period last year. In FY 2018 Quarter 1, 91.0 percent of End-To-End Entry USPS Marketing Mail® was delivered within the service standard plus three days. The Alaska District had the highest End-To-End Entry score with 89.4 percent on time.

 

District Destination Entry End-to-End
Percent Within +1-Day Percent Within +2-Days Percent Within +3-Days Percent Within +1-Day Percent Within +2-Days Percent Within +3-Days
Capital Metro Area 95.7 98.1 99.0 72.9 83.1 89.3
Atlanta 94.2 97.6 98.8 68.5 81.2 88.6
Baltimore 96.1 98.2 99.0 68.0 79.7 86.8
Capital 93.6 96.8 98.0 67.7 78.7 85.8
Greater South Carolina 97.4 98.9 99.4 77.0 86.2 91.7
Greensboro 96.0 98.2 98.9 81.1 88.7 93.2
Mid-Carolinas 97.8 99.1 99.4 80.7 88.5 92.8
Northern Virginia 96.5 98.4 99.2 68.8 79.4 86.4
Richmond 94.9 97.9 98.9 71.1 81.6 88.0
Eastern Area 98.0 99.1 99.5 79.8 88.6 93.3
Appalachian 99.0 99.5 99.7 77.4 86.3 91.6
Central Pennsylvania 98.1 99.1 99.5 74.8 85.4 91.3
Kentuckiana 97.7 98.9 99.3 77.0 86.2 91.5
Northern Ohio 96.6 98.8 99.4 79.9 89.3 94.1
Ohio Valley 97.8 99.0 99.4 80.6 89.4 94.2
Philadelphia Metro 97.6 98.7 99.2 75.2 86.3 92.3
South Jersey 98.8 99.5 99.6 77.4 86.4 91.6
Tennessee 97.7 98.9 99.4 82.6 89.4 93.1
Western New York 98.9 99.5 99.7 83.8 90.9 94.8
Western Pennsylvania 98.7 99.4 99.7 87.3 93.2 96.1
Great Lakes Area 95.1 97.9 99.0 77.4 87.0 92.4
Central Illinois 94.6 97.6 98.7 77.3 87.2 92.5
Chicago 89.3 95.7 97.8 71.7 82.8 89.8
Detroit 91.6 96.3 98.3 75.0 84.6 90.6
Gateway 96.2 98.5 99.3 82.2 90.1 94.3
Greater Indiana 97.8 99.1 99.5 76.1 86.0 91.6
Greater Michigan 98.0 99.1 99.5 76.2 85.6 91.3
Lakeland 96.0 98.4 99.2 76.6 87.1 92.7
Northeast Area 93.8 97.3 98.6 65.6 77.8 85.3
Albany 97.4 99.0 99.5 66.1 78.2 85.4
Caribbean N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Connecticut Valley 89.9 95.4 97.6 64.5 77.3 85.9
Greater Boston 92.4 96.6 98.2 61.0 74.4 82.9
Long Island 96.1 98.4 99.2 69.4 80.1 86.1
New York 95.2 97.5 98.5 72.8 83.3 89.5
Northern New England 97.6 99.0 99.5 61.0 73.5 81.6
Northern New Jersey 95.8 98.2 99.1 67.5 79.3 86.0
Triboro 89.6 95.6 97.6 65.0 77.9 86.1
Westchester 93.0 97.2 98.6 64.4 77.0 84.9
Pacific Area 97.4 98.9 99.4 80.3 87.4 91.7
Bay-Valley 95.6 98.1 99.0 80.5 88.3 93.0
Honolulu 98.7 99.3 99.5 85.6 91.6 94.5
Los Angeles 96.5 98.6 99.3 78.7 86.9 91.5
Sacramento 97.5 98.8 99.4 81.0 88.0 92.3
San Diego 98.0 99.1 99.5 80.5 87.0 91.2
San Francisco 96.9 98.6 99.3 82.4 89.6 93.6
Santa Ana 98.5 99.4 99.7 76.8 83.7 88.4
Sierra Coastal 98.7 99.5 99.7 82.7 88.9 92.7
Southern Area 95.1 97.7 98.7 77.6 85.9 90.9
Alabama 97.7 98.7 99.2 73.3 82.4 88.3
Arkansas 97.9 99.0 99.3 80.6 87.6 91.7
Dallas 94.4 97.3 98.5 72.1 83.2 89.6
Fort Worth 96.8 98.7 99.3 80.7 88.4 92.7
Gulf Atlantic 96.3 98.4 99.1 73.2 82.5 88.7
Houston 93.5 97.2 98.6 84.5 91.1 94.4
Louisiana 91.3 96.2 97.9 80.2 87.1 91.5
Mississippi 97.5 98.8 99.3 83.2 89.5 93.1
Oklahoma 98.2 99.2 99.5 81.1 88.9 93.2
Rio Grande 98.5 99.4 99.6 81.9 89.2 93.1
South Florida 85.9 91.9 95.0 70.8 80.1 86.1
Suncoast 97.4 98.9 99.5 74.4 83.6 89.4
Western Area 97.0 98.8 99.4 78.4 86.6 91.5
Alaska 97.6 98.0 98.5 92.8 95.0 96.6
Arizona 97.0 98.9 99.4 66.1 76.4 83.8
Central Plains 98.4 99.2 99.5 80.6 88.6 93.0
Colorado/Wyoming 93.0 96.9 98.3 70.1 81.2 88.0
Dakotas 98.2 99.2 99.5 77.2 85.0 90.1
Hawkeye 98.1 99.3 99.6 81.4 89.5 94.2
Mid-America 95.2 98.4 99.2 76.4 85.6 91.0
Nevada-Sierra 97.2 98.9 99.4 79.9 88.3 93.1
Northland 97.2 99.0 99.6 83.2 90.9 94.9
Portland 98.7 99.4 99.7 81.3 89.2 93.7
Salt Lake City 98.2 99.3 99.6 69.5 78.7 85.3
Seattle 98.4 99.3 99.6 86.7 92.1 94.7
Nation FY2018 Q1 96.1 98.3 99.1 76.7 85.7 91.0

Nation FY2017 Q1 (SPLY) 97.3 98.7 99.3 80.9 88.3 92.6

Nation FY2009 Annual 93.4 96.4 98.0 78.1 85.1 90.0
Nation FY2010 Annual 92.3 96.0 97.8 68.8 75.8 80.7
Nation FY2011 Annual 86.5 93.2 96.2 53.9 67.1 77.1
Nation FY2012 Annual 92.2 96.0 97.7 70.0 79.7 86.3
Nation FY2013 Annual 96.3 98.4 99.2 77.2 86.3 91.7
Nation FY2014 Annual 96.7 98.6 99.3 77.8 86.6 91.9
Nation FY2015 Annual 96.3 98.4 99.1 74.7 84.0 90.0
Nation FY2016 Annual 97.4 98.8 99.3 79.3 87.0 91.6
Nation FY2017 Annual 97.9 99.0 99.4 82.0 88.9 92.9