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	<title>USPS OIG</title>
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	<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov</link>
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			<item>
		<title>Cast Your Vote via the Postal Service?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3675</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3675#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>HRS Host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ballot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mail act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Right to Vote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[voting by mail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3675</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Millions of people trust the Postal Service to mail their bills and cast their vote.
In our previous voting by mail blog, concerns about potential fraud were identified and whether their votes would reach their destination. Others identified the potential for the Postal Service to expand its role and expressed relief in avoiding long lines to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3675</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Making “Sorry We Missed You” a Thing of the Past</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3661</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3661#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:00:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[last mile strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parcels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3661</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
UPS and FedEx frequently attempt residential deliveries when customers are not home. After a series of failed delivery attempts, these companies return the packages to their local distribution centers, forcing customers to travel to these remote locations to collect their packages.
What if the Postal Service offered residential customers a service allowing them to use their [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3661</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>18</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Business Mail Acceptance and Verification Process — Friend or Foe?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3637</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3637#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Field Financial Central - sb</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finances: Cost & Revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accounting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[policies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PostalOne!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Processes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sarbanes Oxley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOX]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3637</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002 grew out of large corporate financial scandals. SOX aims to improve corporate governance and enhance the accuracy of financial reporting. While compliance is required by the Postal Act of 2006, the Postal Service believes it is a great way to make its business stronger. SOX helps target areas of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3637</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is the Price Right?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3621</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3621#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:55:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC Host da</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pricing & Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer Price Index]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exigent rate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PAEA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Postal Regulatory Commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price increase]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stamps]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3621</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA) ushered in a new regulatory structure for the U.S. Postal Service. One key element was a price cap on market dominant products. (Most of the Postal Service&#8217;s products are market dominant.) This means that price increases for market dominant products are capped by the rate of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3621</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Workforce Flexibility – Would it Work for the Postal Service?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3603</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3603#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC Host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deutsche Post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FedEx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[part-time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Royal Mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workforce]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3603</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
One area identified in the Postal Service’s action for the future is to increase workforce flexibility. A larger, part-time work force would give postal management the flexibility to increase or decrease employees depending on mail volume. Although this change is not as drastic as closing postal facilities or switching to 5-day delivery, it raises questions [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3603</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>27</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stamp Vending Machines</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3577</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3577#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC ha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Products & Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automated postal center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mailing kiosk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stamps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vending machine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3577</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
For decades, the Postal Service offered vending machine service to supplement its retail operations. Vending machines meet the needs of customers who want to purchase stamps without waiting in line. 
While the lack of stamp vending machines has resulted in customer frustration and a surprising number of newspaper articles, the problems are particularly acute in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3577</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>25</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Give Customers What They Really Want</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3548</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3548#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sales &#38; Service host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices & Retail Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[products]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3548</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The economy has changed dramatically over the last 12 months. The Postal Service’s financial situation has changed, as well as its target markets and the fortunes and requirements of its customers. If the Postal Service gathers appropriate data to fully understand customers’ needs and desires, and offers relevant solutions, customers are more likely to choose [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3548</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Too Costly to Keep On Truckin?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3562</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3562#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:50:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Facilities Host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fleet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LLV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maintenance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[repairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trucks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vehicles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3562</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The U.S. Postal Service’s current fleet of more than 219,000 vehicles includes approximately 146,000 delivery vehicles, most of which are long-life vehicles (LLVs). The first LLVs were produced in 1987, and they average about 10 miles per gallon. The vehicles are right-hand drive to accommodate drivers delivering numerous mailpieces to curbside mailboxes. These iconic right-hand [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3562</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>21</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reducing the Number of Prices</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3522</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3522#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Capital Investments</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pricing & Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commercial prices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DMM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Domestic Mail Manual]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mailer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Notice 123]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3522</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Service has more than 10,000 prices contained in a 1,800-page customer manual known as the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). The DMM provides individual and commercial mailers with information about postal services and standards for both domestic and international mailings. The Price List, also known as Notice 123, contains domestic and international retail and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3522</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Scaling Back Hours, Not Post Offices</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3485</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3485#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC Host da</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices & Retail Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facilities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reduced hours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3485</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
A number of media news articles in the last year have examined reductions in Post Office retail hours around the country. They report that some Post Offices are cutting back or eliminating Saturday hours, opening late in the morning or closing earlier in the afternoon during the week.

The Postal Service faces significant legal and political [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3485</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Looking at the Bigger Picture</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3501</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3501#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC Host da</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civic duty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[last mile strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Postal Regulatory Commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban Institute]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
In a time when everyone is examining the dollars and cents of the postal business, people have a tendency to overlook the bigger picture:  the greater role of the Postal Service in modern society.
With that in mind, the Postal Regulatory Commission requested the Urban Institute to study the Postal Service. The focus was not [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3501</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can the Postal Service Further Consolidate the Area and District Administrative Office Structure?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3450</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3450#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 May 2010 13:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Field Financial West-JC</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices & Retail Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organizational structure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3450</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
In the past 18 years, the Postal Service has reorganized its field structure at least three times. In 1992, the Postal Service reorganized its field structure from five regions and 73 field divisions into 10 areas and 85 districts. From 2002-2006 the Postal Service changed its field structure to nine areas and 80 districts, and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3450</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>57</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Do You Think of the Priority Mail Advertising Campaign?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3427</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3427#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 13:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Field Financial West-JC</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Products & Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[campaign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flat rate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[If it fits it ships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parcels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Priority Mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3427</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
“If it fits, it ships.” If this sounds familiar, you probably heard it from the Postal Service’s Priority Mail® Flat Rate advertising campaign broadcasted on TV or radio. 
The Flat Rate option offers a simpler way to ship — whatever fits in the flat rate box or envelope  (up to 70 pounds) ships for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3427</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can Letter Processing Get Even Better?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3411</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3411#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 13:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Network Ops Host BAS</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First-Class Mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presort]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[processing and distribution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[volume]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3411</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Recent Government Accountability Office testimony to Congress stated processing capacity for First-Class Mail exceeds processing needs by 50 percent, and analysis by industry experts indicates an additional drop of 35 billion pieces in First-Class Mail by 2020. With mail volume declining, does this provide an opportunity for the Postal Service to capture savings by adopting [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3411</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Should the Postal Service request financial relief from the $6.8 billion FERS surplus?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3384</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3384#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2010 13:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Financial Reporting Host ML</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FERS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[OPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[overcharged]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirement plan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3384</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) is one of the retirement programs of the U.S. government, and benefits are extended to U.S. Postal Service employees. FERS is administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Congress established the guidelines for OPM to set contribution rates and can alter them by passing new law or amending [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3384</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Great Debate</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3349</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3349#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pension]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retiree health benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saturday Delivery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3349</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The debate about the Postal Service’s future is heating up and Pushing the Envelope is interested in your views. Last week the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security held a hearing on the Future of the Postal Service. The week before there was a hearing in the House [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3349</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>194</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Does the Postal Service Need to Re-examine Its Delivery Service Standards?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3323</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3323#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC Host sb</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery & Collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saturday Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[standard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3323</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Public policy debates about solving the Postal Service’s financial crisis have largely focused on reducing costs by cutting service such as Saturday delivery, transitioning from brick and mortar post offices to alternative retail sales channels, or limiting other functions performed by the Postal Service. There has been less talk about the costs of meeting delivery [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3323</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>142</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is It Time to Re-evaluate the Retail Network?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3281</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3281#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Network Ops host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices & Retail Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[access channels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facilities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retail network]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3281</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Service is required by law to “provide, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.” Consequently, the Postal Service has the largest retail presence in America with more than 32,000 leased or owned facilities located across the country.
Today, alternate access channels are widely available. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3281</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>39</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Prepaid Debit Cards Services</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3234</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3234#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brainstorming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial transactions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prepaid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3234</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
According to a New York Times article, nearly 10 percent of Americans do not have bank accounts. These and other underbanked people may be taken advantage of by lenders, check cashing facilities, and pawnbrokers through excessive interest rates and fees. Fortunately, in this country, there are many options for consumers to choose, including prepaid debit [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3234</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>38</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Guest Blog: Automation Refugees</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3187</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3187#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim OBrien</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mailers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[manual operations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Periodicals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3187</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Jim O’Brien

Back in 1990, Halstein Stralberg coined the term “automation refugees” to describe Postal Service mail processing employees who were assigned to manual operations when automation eliminated the work they had been doing. Since the Postal Service couldn’t lay off these employees, they had to be given something to do, and manual processing seemed [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3187</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who Will Make the Hard Decisions about Retail Station and Branch Closings?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3139</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3139#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Network Ops host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices & Retail Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[closings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Postal Regulatory Commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-service mail center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3139</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
As the Postal Service examines its business model and contemplates changes meant to increase its efficiency, Congress’s role in postal operations has captured public attention. A prime example is the Postal Service’s recent efforts to trim its retail operations.
As a cost cutting initiative, on July 2, 2009, the Postal Service filed with the Postal Regulatory [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3139</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Postal Strike of 1970</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3092</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3092#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:08:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal strike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3092</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3092</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Will Postal Service bosses go undercover in the future?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3058</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3058#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brainstorming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feedback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[officers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3058</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
“Undercover Boss,” a CBS show that began airing in February, follows Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) as they go undercover to work primarily in lower-level positions in their own companies. 
Beyond its entertainment value, the episodes have exposed a significant disconnect between senior management and employees.  

While featured CEO’s have not recently, if ever, worked [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3058</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>51</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>“The Path Forward” of the Postal Service</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3019</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3019#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:15:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[action plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Postmaster General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=3019</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
On March 2, Postmaster General John E. Potter presented a 10-year “action plan” to meet the challenges faced by the Postal Service as it encounters declining mail volumes combined with increasing overhead costs. The plan comes as a product of a yearlong study by the Postal Service and a number of leading consultants to identify [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=3019</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>21</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Could Longer Lines Be Coming to Your Local Post Office…Lottery Lines?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2982</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2982#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2982</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
According to a representative on the Postal Regulatory Commission’s staff, a Postal Service-run lottery “could offer the potential for substantial profits for the Postal Service and utilize its current retail infrastructure with its 36,000 retail outlets.” Popular lottery formats in many states include drawings and instant lottery tickets.

The claim is that running a national lottery [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2982</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How is the Postal Service Managing Its Forklift and Tow Motor Fleet?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2948</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2948#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Net Proc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[logistics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2948</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Service uses forklifts and tow motors to move mail in its mail processing facilities. To improve efficiency and cut the costs associated with using this equipment, the U.S. Postal Service purchased a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based tracking system called the Powered Industrial Vehicle Management System (PIVMS).

Features of the system that help productivity include [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2948</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Guest Blog:  A Last Mile Strategy</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2867</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2867#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery & Collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[last mile strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worksharing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2867</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Robert Cohen

Should the Postal Service pursue a last mile strategy? A strategy that emphasizes delivery and deemphasizes the retail, processing, and transportation functions which are outsourced explicitly or through pricing incentives.
In some ways, the Postal Service is already pursuing a last mile strategy. Historically, the Postal Service has generally set worksharing discounts based on [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2867</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Does Apple’s New iPad Mean for the Postal Service?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2882</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2882#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[catalogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2882</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Courtesy of Apple
Last August, Pushing the Envelope ran a topic on e-readers — devices designed for portable book reading.  Two weeks ago, Apple unveiled the iPad.  The iPad offers multiple functionality including the ability to read books, surf the Internet, and use computer applications.  Unlike most e-readers, the iPad does not have [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2882</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Postal Service Network Streamlining</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2803</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2803#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Network Ops host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mail processing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[network streamlining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2803</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
To remain financially viable, the Postal Service must effectively streamline its mail processing and transportation networks and optimize its workforce.  Between fiscal years (FYs) 2005 and 2009, the Postal Service made progress in these efforts; however, management was unable to adjust resources quickly enough to fully offset declines in mail volume, resulting in a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2803</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Can the Postal Service Reduce the Costs Associated with Postage Stamps?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2756</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2756#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Field Financial East host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finances: Cost & Revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stamps]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2756</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
How much does it cost to develop, print, ship, inventory, secure, sell, and cancel a stamp used to mail a letter?  What about the stamps that are never sold?  The Postal Service destroys billions of stamps each year because they are obsolete.  In FY 2008, the Postal Service printed 37 billion stamps, which cost $78 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2756</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>110</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>For Better or For Worse</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2736</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2736#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:11:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Human Capital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best places to work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worklife]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2736</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently Glassdoor.com announced the winners of the second annual “Employees&#8217; Choice Awards” for Best Places to Work.

The Top 50 were selected from more than 37,000 companies reviewed by the nearly 100,000 employees who completed a 20-question survey on Glassdoor.com in 2009. Only companies who received at least 25 votes were included on the list.  [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2736</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>48</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top 10 Postal Stories of 2009</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2704</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2704#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:23:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[top 10]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2704</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Those of us helping on the Office of Inspector General blog had so much fun last year we thought we would make the top 10 stories an annual event.  We’ve provided the top 10 postal stories for 2009.  Tell us about any stories we missed and add whatever comments you think appropriate. In [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2704</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pricing and Price Caps</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2675</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2675#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cost, Revenue &#38; Rates Host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pricing & Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price cap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pricing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2675</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA) changed the way the Postal Service sets rates.  It divided postal services into two broad categories:  market dominant (mailing services) and competitive (shipping services).  Market dominant products constitute about 90 percent of postal revenue.  They include First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2675</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Total Factor Productivity (TFP)</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2647</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2647#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TFP]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2647</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
When people try to discover whether the Postal Service is operating more efficiently or not, they often talk about TFP.  What is TFP?  TFP stands for Total Factor Productivity.  It measures the ratio of the Postal Service’s outputs to its inputs, in other words, how much output the Postal Service produces with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2647</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>At the Post Office</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2622</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2622#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automated postal center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post Office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stamps]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2622</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Last Monday was predicted to be the busiest day of the year for Post Offices™ across the country.  Have you visited a Post Office recently?  If so, we would like to hear your story.
Why were you there?  What worked well?  What didn’t work well?
Has your local Post Office adopted any best [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2622</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Changing Change of Address System</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2587</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2587#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>IT Audit Host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery & Collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change of address]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2587</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Did you know that one in seven people in the United States change their address each year?  Naturally, this creates a tremendous challenge for the Postal Service, which strives to maintain a high-quality repository of current addresses.
Change-of-address requests can be made in person at local Post Offices using a hardcopy form (PS&#160;3575), or electronically [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2587</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>22</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Revenue Protection</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2561</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2561#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sales &#38; Service host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finances: Cost & Revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postage rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2561</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
If the Postal Service is to recover from its current financial problems, it needs revenue.  In addition to identifying additional sources of revenue, it must protect the revenue it is already due whether it comes in from the post office window, meters, online postage accounts, or from Permit accounts for business mailers.  Ensuring [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2561</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>We “Advertise” for You?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2547</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2547#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:58:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ideas;advertising;Postal Ad Network;]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2547</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[From public transportation to sports stadiums, venues use their prime real estate to sell space to advertisers and generate extra revenue.  Take for example the Washington Metro transit system.  Ad space is for sale everywhere — on buses and trains (inside and out) and even on train tunnel walls and floors.



In these times [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2547</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>40 Years Ago</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2493</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2493#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:53:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kappel Commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2493</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
We all know the Postal Service is going through rough times right now.  Sometimes, when a situation is difficult, it’s useful to look to the past for perspective.  Forty years ago today, there was no Postal Service (and no Office of Inspector General).  The Post Office Department was 5 months away from [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2493</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Betting on the Postal Service?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2469</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2469#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prediction markets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2469</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
How can companies harness hidden knowledge located throughout the enterprise?  Supporters of prediction markets claim they offer a way.  Prediction markets resemble financial trading sites, but instead of buying and selling stocks, traders buy and sell predictions.  A company that wants to operate a prediction market can provide their employees virtual cash [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2469</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Disappearing Collection Boxes</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2445</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2445#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery & Collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mail boxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2445</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
News about disappearing collection boxes is everywhere these days.  Even BBC News ran a story on the decline of the blue collection box in the United States.
The Postal Service argues that picking up mail from collection boxes is expensive.  Removing underused boxes is a cost savings move and a reasonable response to the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2445</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>58</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are There Other Viable Alternatives for 6-Day Delivery Operations?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2422</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2422#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:42:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Delivery host Atlanta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial operations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2422</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In these challenging times, reducing the cost of delivery operations — one of the Postal Service’s largest expenses — could save millions.  One option the Postal Service is considering is to discontinue Saturday city and rural delivery and collection services.

Saturday is said to be one of the lowest mail volume days.  It’s also [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2422</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>62</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Modes of Delivery</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2370</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2370#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:16:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Delivery host Rosslyn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery modes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2370</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Providing mail delivery is central to the Postal Service’s mission.  Delivery is the Postal Service’s largest operational function and accounted for approximately one-third of its nearly $78 billion in total expenses during 2008.  Postal Service management is working hard to reduce delivery costs while continuing to deliver to 149 million[1] addresses in the most efficient [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2370</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Year 2</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2352</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2352#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[views]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Year 2]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2352</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Pushing the Envelope officially launched on October 14 last year.  Since that time, the blog has posted more than 49 topics including this one and more than 1,700 comments.  Some topics have been more popular than others, and those covering issues of interest to Postal Service employees have generally received the most attention. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2352</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Competition</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2306</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2306#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:22:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parcels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2306</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
When the topic of competition for the Postal Service comes up in casual conversation, the discussion usually involves FedEx or UPS. However, packages are a relatively small part of the Postal Service’s business. Certainly, these firms are direct competitors, but are there other competitors for Postal Service business?

What alternatives compete with each of the various [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2306</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Penny for Your Thoughts?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2288</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2288#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cost, Revenue, and Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price cap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stamps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whole-cent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2288</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Stamp prices are traditionally in whole cent increments.  That means it is difficult to target a particular percentage increase.  For instance, a one-cent increase on the 42-cent stamp would have been 2.4 percent; while the two-cent increase was 4.8 percent.

Postal price increases are now limited by an inflation-based “cap” for each class of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2288</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>18</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Silly Rules</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2259</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2259#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rules]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[silly rules]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Silly Signs, Silly Rules –- Know Any?
Workplace rules exist for a reason. Some rules are designed to protect employees’ rights and their safety, while others protect the employer and workplace. Then there are some rules that are just plain silly, and we ask ourselves why are they even are in place.
Sometimes the best way to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2259</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>181</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Should the Postal Service Eliminate Sunday Mail Processing Operations?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2243</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2243#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Network Ops host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Processing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sunday operations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2243</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Keep Sunday Operations?
We’ve all heard the bad news.  Mail volume in fiscal year (FY) 2008 totaled 202.7 billion pieces, a decline of 9.5 billion pieces or 4.5 percent compared to the previous fiscal year.  Mail volume has declined even further this year.  At the end of the last quarter, mail volume was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2243</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>88</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mystery Shoppers</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2223</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2223#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mystery Shopper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[upselling]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2223</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Like most retailers, the Postal Service uses mystery shoppers — customers unknown to the retail staff who fill out evaluations on their shopping experience — to determine how well retail units are performing.  Not every postal retail unit is visited by mystery shoppers.  Only units with a certain amount of revenue are included [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2223</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>47</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Nationwide Wage Uniformity Part 2</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2194</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2194#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Human Capital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compensation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[locality pay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wage uniformity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2194</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Source:  BLS Metropolitan Area Wage Estimates May 2008(Occupation Codes:  25-2031, 43-5052, and 47-2061)
Thanks for the great response to last week&#8217;s blog.  Last week, we asked about pay comparability, and 23 percent of those polled voted that the goal for postal compensation should be to match the prevailing private sector compensation.  However, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2194</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Nationwide Wage Uniformity</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2170</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2170#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:06:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Human Capital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compensation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[private-sector comparability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 included the goal of matching postal employees’ compensation with that of private sector workers.  The recently enacted Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) did not alter that goal.  However, such a comparison is virtually impossible since private sector compensation varies considerably by locale, whereas postal compensation does [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2170</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>53</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Envisioning the Future</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2145</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2145#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[delphi technique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[future]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2145</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Think ahead to 10 years from now.  What will the world look like in 2020? How will consumer behavior change? What should logistics companies do now to prepare for the future?
Deutsche Post attempted to answer these questions in its global Delphi study published in June (click here to view the study).  The Delphi [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2145</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Periodicals</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2113</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2113#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cost, Revenue, and Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Periodicals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2113</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Since the earliest days of the Post Office there has been a public policy goal of promoting the dissemination of information throughout the country.  This goal was also part of all 14 of the rate cases conducted under the Postal Reorganization Act.  By law, rates had to consider “the educational, cultural, scientific, and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2113</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>23</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Should the Postal Service Sell Its Products?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2100</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2100#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:13:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[upsell]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2100</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Service has a long and proud history in public service. It has always been viewed as part of the federal government, yet has also been told to “act like a business” and to be self-sufficient. These distinctions can lead to interesting real-world implications, such as the degree to which retail associates should “upsell” [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2100</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>39</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Will Electronic Reader Technology Affect the Postal Service?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2078</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2078#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:29:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electronic reading device]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[publishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2078</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
It wasn’t too long ago that digital audio players such as iPods and MP3s revolutionized the music industry. Now, almost a decade later, the same sort of revolution is occurring in the publishing industry with the introduction of electronic reading devices such as the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader. Electronic reading devices allow users to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2078</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>To Award or Not to Award:  What’s the Postal Service to Do?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2038</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2038#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:08:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Suspicious Expenditures host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[incentives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postal service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recruitment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2038</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Should the Postal Service be allowed to freely award employees for a job well done? The Postal Service operates as a businesslike entity, but it is also part of the government. Appearances count — particularly in tough economic times. The Postal Service has an interest in recruiting and retaining talented employees to remain competitive, but [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2038</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>53</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Brainstorm Ideas Part 2</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2001</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2001#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:55:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>OIG editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brainstorming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public forum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=2001</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As noted in the update on Wednesday, there was a tremendous response to last week’s brainstorming exercise! As of Friday afternoon there were almost 350 comments posted &#8212; many more than usual! If nothing else, this shows widespread and heartfelt concern for the well-being and financial viability of the Postal Service. Not only was the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=2001</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>126</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Brainstorm Ideas to Help the Postal Service</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1952</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1952#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>OIG editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brainstorming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public forum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1952</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Wednesday Update:
Wow. Thanks for the fabulous response to the brainstorm. We’ve been overwhelmed by the sheer number of thoughtful responses. To give everyone enough time to comment and us a little time to read through everything, we’ve decided to extend the period for taking comments and post a blog about the brainstorm with the poll [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1952</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>441</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Look at India Post</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1860</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1860#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:59:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>OIG editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[international]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[private sector competition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1860</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This post office is located in Goa, a former Portuguese colony in India.
In developing countries, postal services are often critical to reaching a vast underprivileged populace. How do posts in these countries cope with the tension between their universal service obligation and financial viability? A look at today’s India Post offers some insights.
First founded under [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1860</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>22</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What’s the Right Level of Financial Reporting?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1818</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1818#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:57:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Financial Reporting host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finances: Cost & Revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oversight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public reports]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1818</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
If you’re reading this blog, you likely have an interest in the Postal Service and its financial welfare. How can the Postal Service provide you and other stakeholders with the most appropriate financial information?
When the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (the Act) was enacted on December 20, 2006, it made significant changes to the Postal [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1818</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>24</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hollywood’s Take on the Postal Service</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1670</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1670#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:58:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Human Capital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public perception]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reputation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1670</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
It takes a lot of digging to find a positive Hollywood portrayal of postal employees. From Cheers’ Cliff Clavin to Seinfeld’s Newman, TV and the movies have not always portrayed postal employees in the most favorable light. Even Mr. Rogers’ postman sidekick, Mr. McFeeley, was seldom seen actually delivering any mail. “Going postal” was coined [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1670</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>To Cut or Not to Cut:  That&#8217;s the Negotiating Question</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1451</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1451#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:58:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>RARC host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1451</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Service has asked suppliers to cooperate in efforts to reduce contract costs in light of the current financial crisis by identifying scope reductions, process improvements, and price reduction opportunities. In his March 25, 2009 Statement before the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Postmaster General John E. Potter stated:

The Postal Service, with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1451</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>29</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Automation and the Life of the Letter Carrier</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1356</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1356#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:02:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Delivery host Dallas</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carriers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FSS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1356</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ It’s 7:30 am and you’re a letter carrier . . . so take a moment and imagine the following as a typical workday.  First, you walk into the office, clock in, and check in with the boss.  Then, you load up the vehicle with the mail that is already prepared for your [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1356</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>69</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Use of Industry Best Practices in Processing Parcels</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1343</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1343#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:13:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Network Ops host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1343</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
While the Postal Service leads the world in processing letter mail, private sector competitors have a higher market share for parcels.  And while letter volumes are decreasing, parcel volumes are projected to increase.  Although parcels represent less than 2 percent of mail volumes, the Postal Service parcel business makes up 13 percent of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1343</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Running a Summer Sale</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1214</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1214#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2009 13:17:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cost, Revenue &#38; Rates Host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cost, Revenue, and Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
 Sale is not a word usually associated with the Postal Service, but there is a first time for everything.  Mail volume has dropped significantly this year, and the Postal Service is proposing a “Summer Sale” to encourage mailers to send more Standard Mail.  The Postal Service believes it can use its excess [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1214</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Business Reply Mail</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1168</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1168#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2009 13:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Field Financial East host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Products & Services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1168</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Do you know why some magazines include postcards in the middle? Or have you mailed a letter back to a company in their envelope without having to put a stamp on it? Did you ever wonder how this service works?

The Postal Service offers a service called Business Reply Mail (BRM). By opening an account with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1168</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>21</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Local Political Campaigns — The Forgotten Mail Volume Generator</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1151</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1151#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2009 13:08:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sales &#38; Service host</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
While 2008 was not a good year for mail volume in general, one source of optimism for the future is the continued growth in mail tied to spending on political campaigns.  This is spending during political campaigns on direct mail to promote candidates or issues and to raise funds.  Fundraising requests can also [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1151</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Banking on the Postal Service?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1127</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1127#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 13:16:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1127</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Source: National Postal Museum
Imagine an economic collapse in which millions of people lose half of their life savings and their trust in the country’s largest financial institutions is severely shaken.  To help restore trust in the financial sector, the government creates a savings system operated by its postal administration.  Sound unrealistic?  Maybe [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1127</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>24</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The OIG Wants to Know How You Feel about Sick Leave</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1099</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1099#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1099</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Career employees earn 4 hours of sick leave for a full pay period (80 hours), or at a rate of 5 percent.  Some career employees are currently taking sick leave at approximately the same rate, liquidating their leave bank.  The Postal Service’s sick leave absence rate (absenteeism) was 4.3 percent in 2008.  [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1099</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>127</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Postal Service’s Green Initiatives</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1069</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1069#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:21:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1069</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 this year, making now an appropriate time for a blog on the Postal Service’s green initiatives.  The Postal Service’s environmental efforts fall into many areas including:


Packaging — The Postal Service is the nation’s only shipping company to achieve Cradle to Cradle certification for human and environmental health [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1069</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>22</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Leveraging Postal Service Purchasing Power to Generate Revenue</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1031</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1031#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:48:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strategy & Public Policy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=1031</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Service spends approximately $13&#160;billion each year with contractors, most of whom are also customers of the Postal Service.  Meanwhile, the Postal Service has experienced the most significant mail decline in its history.  Mail volume fell by 9.5 billion pieces in fiscal year (FY) 2008.  The economic stress of current times [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1031</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fuel Economy and the Postal Service:  A Quiz</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=995</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=995#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:57:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=995</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Two families trade in their vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones.  If both travel the same amount each year, which will save more fuel by making the change?


Family 1 decides to trade in their 4-wheel drive Jeep Patriot (25.5 avg. MPG) for a Civic Hybrid (42.5 avg. MPG).
Family 2 decides to trade in their 4-wheel [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=995</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Options for the Postal Service</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=957</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=957#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:54:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finances: Cost & Revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=957</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
As Pushing the Envelope noted 8 weeks ago, the Postal Service is facing a severe financial challenge. There are concerns the Postal Service could end this year without enough cash to pay all of its bills. The Postal Service attributes its problems to two major factors: (1) the long-term erosion of high-margin First-Class Mail volume [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=957</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>City Delivery Route Consolidation</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=917</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=917#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>strat75</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=917</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mail volume plummeted 4.5 percent — or 9.5 billion pieces — in fiscal year (FY) 2008. Reduced mail volume allows the Postal Service to combine delivery routes to maximize efficiency and reduce workhours, overtime, and other expenses. The Postal Service is seizing this opportunity by consolidating more than 87,000 city delivery routes — which could [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=917</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>36</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>FERS Flu:  A Looming Epidemic?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=887</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=887#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:22:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Human Capital]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=887</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The federal government has two main retirement systems. Most employees hired since 1983 fall under the Federal Employees’ Retirement System, known as FERS. Unlike their counterparts under the old system called CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System), FERS employees do not receive any service credit for their unused sick leave upon retirement. As a result, there [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=887</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Click-N-Ship® — Have You Used It?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=879</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=879#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:02:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Products & Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Click-n-Ship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=879</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) independently audits the efficiency and effectiveness of Postal Service programs such as the online shipping solution Click-N-Ship®.  However, OIG employees are also customers of the Postal Service, with their own experiences.  Tara, a member of the OIG’s Communication team, tried Click-N-Ship®  over the holidays and volunteered [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=879</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Free and Reduced Rates</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=872</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=872#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:26:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>strat75</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pricing & Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=872</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered why the Postal Service offers free rates for the blind, balloting materials for overseas voters, and items sent by some consular officials? Or why it offers reduced rates to qualified nonprofit organizations, election officials, local newspapers, and publishers of educational material? It is because Congress mandates that the Postal Service provide [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=872</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Preventing Workers’ Compensation Fraud</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=790</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=790#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[claims]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compensation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[owcp]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=790</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Postal Service funds workers’ compensation benefits for employees who sustain job-related injuries. In FY 2008, the Postal Service incurred over $1.2 billion in workers&#8217; compensation expenses.  In addition, the Postal Service estimated its liability for future workers’ compensation costs at nearly $8 billion.  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=790</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>25</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Neighborhood Mail</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=819</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=819#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:57:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=819</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Postal Service requires full addresses on most mail, but this creates unnecessary complications for small local businesses such as pizza parlors and dry cleaners that simply want to send a flyer to every address in the surrounding area.  It would be much easier for them to bring a stack of unaddressed mail pieces [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=819</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Returning Purchases through the Postal Service</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=757</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=757#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:04:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Products & Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parcel Return Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parcels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=757</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Merchandise Return Service and Parcel Return Service allow merchants to pay the shipping charges for their customers&#8217; returns.  Merchandise Return Service is the end-to-end version, and Parcel Return Service provides workshare discounts for mailers willing to pick up the packages within the Postal Service&#8217;s network.  The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=757</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Postal Service’s Financial Crisis</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=738</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=738#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:01:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finances: Cost & Revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial crisis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=738</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Postal Service lost $2.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2008. This year, the Postal Service is concerned its loss could grow to $6 billion or more. Since the Postal Service is limited by law from borrowing more than $3 billion per year and the Postal Service started 2009 with only $1.4 billion cash on [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=738</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Voting by Mail</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=714</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=714#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:24:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cost, Revenue, and Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[voting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=714</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
More than 31 million ballots were expected to have been mailed in the recent 2008 election — nearly twice as many as in 2004. Voting by mail has expanded as more states offer “no excuses” absentee ballots or conduct elections through the mail. Oregon has voted by mail since 1998 and has saved 30 percent [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=714</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>24-Hour Parcel Service?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=637</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=637#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:59:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>strat75</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas Worth Exploring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automated postal center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mailing kiosk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parcels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=637</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Source: Deutsche Post AG
A recent presentation by Deutsche Post describes the German delivery and logistics company’s efforts to transform its retail network. One particularly interesting innovation is self-service Packstations. Like the U.S. Postal Service’s APCs (Automated Postal Centers), these kiosks allow customers to ship packages. However, Packstations also provide 24-hour access for parcel pickup. Customers [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=637</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Crime Takes No Holiday</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=566</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=566#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>strat75</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mail Theft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=566</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Keeping the Mail Safe
Even though the holiday season is behind us, as the old saying goes, “crime takes no holiday.” In fact, as the economy dips, crime generally moves in the other direction. A recent crime data report by a retail trade group showed an 84 percent increase in shoplifting as the economy weakened, with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=566</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top 10 Postal Stories of 2008</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=518</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=518#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>strat75</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[top 10]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=518</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we start a new year, those of us helping on the Office of Inspector General blog thought it would be fun to reflect on the past year and pick our top 10 list of postal stories from 2008. We would like to hear your views. Take a look at the list and tell us [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=518</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What are we doing with your blog feedback?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=442</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=442#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:12:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>strat75</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automated postal center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feedback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kiosks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pallets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=442</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After blogging for several months, the Office of Inspector General wants you to know how it’s going.  So far, we’ve posted seven blogs (including this one) and received more than 100 comments. There have been a number of thoughtful observations about the Postal Service, and the Mail Transport Equipment blog actually led to a tip [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=442</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mail Volume: What Goes Up…?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=411</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=411#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:24:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Blog Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cost, Revenue, and Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Processing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[standard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[volume]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=411</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 1970, the Postal Service delivered fewer than 85 billion pieces of mail. Thirty years later, mail volume had more than doubled to nearly 208 billion pieces of mail — average growth of about 3 percent per year. The Postal Service relied upon this dependable growth in mail volume to finance the expansion of its [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=411</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>21</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Moving Less Mail</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=403</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=403#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:27:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fuel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=403</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Postal Service moves mail using planes, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, bicycles, hovercrafts, subways and even mules.  It operates the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world with more than 219,000 vehicles.  Its fleet of trucks drives nearly 4.1 million miles and uses more than 400,000 gallons of fuel daily.  To put this [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=403</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>28</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A New Kind of Post Office?</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=380</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=380#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:59:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>rburghart</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mailing Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=380</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Woodfield Station located in Schaumburg, Illinois is an innovative, new retail environment that tests the limits of how the United States Postal Service interacts with customers and sells products and services. Dubbed the “Retail Learning Lab,” this completely redesigned post office serves as a testing ground for new products, new methods of serving customers, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=380</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mail Transport Equipment—Inventory Management and Loss Prevention</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=330</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=330#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:26:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Leonhardt</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mail Processing & Transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=330</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[USPS Mail Transport Equipment (MTE) consists of specialized containers such as sacks, pouches, trays, hampers, over-the-road containers and pallets. The Postal Service has more than 1.1 billion pieces of MTE, which is used at close to 400 processing facilities, over 33,000 post offices and hundreds of major mailers nationwide to help achieve the safe, secure [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=330</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Self-Service Mail Technologies</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=207</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=207#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:37:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Snaps</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices & Retail Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automated postal center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mailing 24/7]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mailing kiosk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mailing label]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-service mail center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stamps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vending machine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dmzwamp/?p=207</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Automated Postal Center (APC) is a self-service kiosk typically placed in Post Office lobbies to provide customers with a convenient alternative to the full-service counter. APCs offer customers a wide range of postal products, services, and information.
Based on the user’s direction via touch screen and PIN pad, APCs can weigh and rate letters, flats, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=207</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>57</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who We Are and Why We Blog&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=238</link>
		<comments>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=238#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>strat75</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[OIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[about]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dmzwamp/?p=238</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) plays a key role in maintaining the integrity and accountability of America’s postal service, its revenue and assets, and its employees. The USPS OIG achieves its mission of helping maintain confidence in the postal system and improving the Postal Service’s bottom line through independent audits [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?feed=rss2&amp;p=238</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>28</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
