OIG: How Effective is the Flats Sequencing System in the Capital Metro Area?

Project Title: Flats Sequencing System Performance in the Capital Metro Area
Start Date: Thursday, January 4, 2018
Estimated Report Release Date: July 2018

The U.S. Postal Service has 100 Flats Sequencing System (FSS) machines nationwide, with 18 in the Capital Metro Area. FSS machines were designed to sort flat-sized mail, which includes large envelopes, newspapers, catalogs, circulars, and magazines, into delivery point sequence (DPS) to eliminate manual sorting for delivery.

In January 2014, the Postal Service made FSS mail preparation a requirement for flats addressed for delivery in ZIP Codes processed by FSS. However, as of January 2017, all FSS discounts were eliminated by the Postal Service.

Our objective is to evaluate machine performance of the Postal Service’s Flat Sequencing System in the Capital Metro Area.

How effective are FSS machines in the Capital Metro Area in sorting mail into delivery point sequence to reduce manual mail sorting?

What factors are ensuring or preventing Capital Metro Area FSS machines from achieving productivity and throughput goals?

Please explain, as a recipient or as a mailer, any benefits or issues you have experienced with FSS machines in the Capital Metro Area.

Source: USPS Office of Inspector General

Related: Boondoggle: The FSS Goes from Bad to Worse

Leave a Reply

Required fields are marked *