Below is the text of a press release issued last week by the U.S. Postal Service. It is headed, "Postmaster General Restructures U.S. Postal Service/Layers Eliminated, Officer Ranks Reduced." As an ordinary user of USPS services, I have two questions about what I'm reading:
• In what sense do the administrative changes described in the release represent a "restructuring" of the Postal Service?
• What's the bottom line? Should I be encouraged? Discouraged? Indifferent? Or just baffled?
Does anyone else find this announcement as odd as I do?
WASHINGTON — A 16 percent reduction to the officer ranks, realigning revenue-generating business units and closing one Area office are among steps taken today by Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe to create a leaner, faster, smarter U.S. Postal Service.
While cost savings will be realized, the main objective of the restructuring is to enhance and strengthen customer service and relationships. The realignment flattens the organization, enabling flexibility to more quickly adapt to changing market forces and continuing mail volume decline.
The actions today also provide a more integrated focus toward accomplishing key business goals: Strengthening the business-to-consumer channel; improving the customer experience; competing for the package business; and becoming a leaner, faster and smarter organization.
“It is imperative that the Postal Service continue its evolution as a forward-thinking, fast-acting company capable of providing quality products and services for customers and a welcoming, diverse, professional workplace,” Donahoe said.
Major changes include:
* Developing both market dominant and competitive products now is the responsibility of one officer, the vice president of Domestic Products. Where those products are sold – in retail, online or in alternative spaces – becomes the responsibility of the vice president of Channel Access.
* All customer interaction and support, whether for large corporations, small businesses or individual consumers, will be the responsibility of the vice president of Consumer and Industry Affairs. The Consumer Advocate remains a vital part of customer service and will report to this officer.
* The engineering technology and systems that keep mail moving and prepare the Postal Service for the future of mail, including Intelligent Mail, will become an integral part of the Information Technology department.
* All Human Resources functions will be led by the Chief Human Resources Officer, supported by the vice presidents of Labor Relations and Employee Resource Management.
* The Chief Sustainability Officer will continue the leadership role in greening the Postal Service and the mailing industry. This officer will report to the Deputy Postmaster General.
* The senior vice president title has been eliminated.
The Southeast Area Office, based in Memphis, TN, will be closed to help streamline Postal operations. All previous Southeastern districts now will report to the Southwest Area Office, with two exceptions: Tennessee District will report to Eastern Area and Atlanta District will report to Capital Metro Area. No implementation date has been established yet.
“The Postal Service is committed to making necessary changes to continue to provide quality service to our customers and to reinforce the value of the mail,” Donahoe said. “Ensuring customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal of all plans and strategies we develop.”
Discussion
By D. Eadward Tree on Jan 10, 2011
The announcement is encouraging, especially if read along with Donahue's memo to staff and the new organizational chart. The Postal Service is finally recognizing that its Intelligent Mail program has gone off the rails. Dead Tree Edition has the details and links at http://t.co/BFpNHqf.
By D. Eadward Tree on Jan 11, 2011
Oops! I should have typed "Donahoe's".
By Patrick Henry on Jan 11, 2011
Our thanks to Mr. Tree for his illuminating comment, and our encouragement to everyone to follow "Dead Tree Edition," http://deadtreeedition.blogspot.com, Mr. Tree's outstanding investigative blog.
By Alan Robinson on Jan 11, 2011
It is clear that the changes represent an attempt to make both structural and cultural changes. The cultural change can be found in both the role of the the new Deputy Postmaster General who is focused on policy and improving relationships with customers (e.g. Helping customers deal with the bureaucracy)as well as dividing the responsibility in marketing between retail customers (those who purchases services one at a time or in small quantities and those that purchase services in large volumes.)
What is unclear at this point is whether the Operating departments will manage to a price point or will the marking departments will set prices based on operating costs. The former is preferable. The second is the old approach
By marie on Jan 11, 2011
I think you should be baffled,Patrick. The postal service has been omitting the actual truth for years. In one instance he says the senior vice president TITLE will be eliminated. He does not say the job will be eliminated. A leaner PO means that they are trying to rid themselves of career employees and hire transitional people with low pay and benefits. They have already eliminated 100,000 injured employees, they don't mention that. Insuring customer service just plain sounds good, but they're talking about revenue from big business, not every day customers. Residents are getting their mail at 5, 6 or 7:00 in the evening, if at all, because they won't hire carriers and many routes are unassigned and open on a daily basis. Clerks are excessed and working at two or more stations. Mail is piling up. I could go on!
Discussion
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