Postal Reform
Blog Tag
To the USPS: Focus on Mail Volume Growth, Not Postage Rate Increases
After the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) released its 10-year strategic plan, Delivering for America, I shared my thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the plan. Two of my largest concerns were the limited focus on growing mail volume and the plan’s reliance on price increases to drive financial stability. Since the plan was released, the USPS has proposed the largest postage rate increase in 15 years.
Breaking Down the USPS Strategic Plan – Areas of Support and Concern
Last week, the U.S. Postal Service released its long-awaited 10-Year Strategic Plan. The plan, entitled Delivering for America, outlines how the Postal Service proposes to achieve financial stability over the next ten years. As with any plan of this scope and scale, there are aspects many postal stakeholders can support and other aspects that may cause stakeholders concern.
2021 Promises to be an Active Year in Postal Affairs
When I last wrote about what was happening with the Postal Service, the agency was in the midst of an overwhelming holiday peak season, during which a COVID-driven drop in employee availability combined with record parcel volume had resulted in extreme delivery challenges in several parts of the country.
The Postal Service Will be Here Tomorrow – Despite What You’ve Seen in the Media
The U.S. Postal Service has been the trending story in the news cycle for the last few weeks, raising questions about a variety of Postal Service issues including mail delivery, operational changes, removal of equipment, and USPS finances. As a result, marketers are asking questions about what to expect in the coming weeks and months, […]
A Mid-Year Look at the Postal News and Issues We are Tracking
June was a popular month for postal meetings. It started with the Association for Postal Commerce’s (PostCom) Study Day review of postal policy, followed by the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) spring meeting, during which members of the mailing industry discussed issues of concern with USPS executives, and wrapped up with the Idealliance Postal Operations & Technologies Council (POTC) (hosted by IWCO Direct), which addressed the operational side of industry/USPS interactions [...]
IWCO Direct to Host POTC Meeting in Chanhassen
IWCO Direct is actively involved in a number of associations that advocate for the mailing industry on postal issues, including EMA, PostCom, and Idealliance. We believe it’s important to be vocal about issues ranging from postal reform legislation to mail preparation and other postal operational concerns [...]
Why You Should Care About the Latest Postal News
Have you heard of Areas Inspiring Mail (AIM)? It’s a Postal Service program that offers mailers and marketers the opportunity to meet with USPS Area and Headquarters leaders to learn about the latest postal news and initiatives and how to integrate mail into omnichannel marketing campaigns. I have the privilege of serving as the industry […]
Postage Increase 2019: Rate Adjustment Could Mean a Rocky Road for Mailers
When it comes to the recently announced postage increase for 2019, those of us in the mailing industry thought we were getting vanilla, but what the Postal Service served up was rocky road. Depending on the specific rates a given mailer relies on, that road can look pretty rocky, indeed. The rate adjustment filed […]
Your Fall 2018 Postal News Update: New Governors, New Initiatives, and the Need for More Collaboration
As I alluded to in my post this past June, it’s been a year of non-stop activity for postal nerds. The opportunities to learn about new approaches to postal optimization just keep coming. The fall meeting of the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) was held last week, with additional association meetings happening through Thanksgiving (even […]
Summer 2018 Postal Update: Reform Appears On Hold Until Task Force Issues Report Later This Summer
The last few weeks have been busy for postal nerds like me. While postal issues may not get the press other topics in Washington do, there is certainly a lot going on behind the scenes—including factors impacting postal reform—to continue to keep people like me busy over the summer. Let’s take a look at what’s […]
