During fiscal year 2019, we reviewed package scanning procedures at 25 Postal Service delivery units to determine if employees were properly scanning packages. During our audits, we found that Postal Service employees were not always following package scanning procedures at 21 of the 25 units. Customers rely on accurate scan data to track their packages in real time. When employees do not scan mailpieces correctly, customers are unable to determine the actual status of their packages. By improving scanning operations, management can potentially improve mail visibility, increase customer satisfaction, and enhance the customer experience and the Postal Service brand.

We judgmentally selected a combined 1,126 packages at these units that were in the facility before the carriers arrived for the day to review the scanning and tracking data. We found that 423 (38 percent) of these packages had improper scans. Examples of the improper scans included, but are not limited to:

• One hundred and ninety-one (191) packages that were scanned “Delivered” to the addressee, but which were still at the unit. A “Delivered” scan is routinely made when a package is successfully left at the delivery address.

• One hundred and thirteen (113) packages that did not have a stop-the-clock (STC) scan indicating why they had not been delivered. All packages should receive a scan at the time of attempted delivery.

• Six packages that were scanned as “No Access” at points other than the delivery address. A “No Access” scan is routinely made at the delivery point.

• Five packages that had multiple “Arrival at Unit” scans on multiple days. Packages should receive an “Arrival at Unit” scan prior to, or not later than, the day after receipt at the delivery unit; multiple scans indicate inefficiency, as the package is being handled multiple times.

Source: USPS Office of Inspector General