CanadaNews’ Reporter Notes

The United States Postal Service will be meeting in Anaheim, California this year for their national conference, the National Postal Forum.  Last year the conference was held here in Washington, D.C. at the Washington Convention Centre.  Also last year the two main areas I was interested in were:  international changes within the postal service and the [then] upcoming U.S. rate hike on postal stamps. About 2500 people attended the conference.  Just as many are expected to be in attendance this year. 

I recall John (Jack) Potter, postmaster general of the United States of America since June 2001, attended and gave a speech as the keynote on Opening Day.  His words were of innovative changes the Postal Service has made under his tenure.  “The United States Postal Service, as of last year, marked an unprecedented seventh straight year of productive growth and a fourth consecutive year of positive net income,” he said. 

With respect to the first part of my mission, I had the opportunity to attend a media event with Paul Vogel, Managing Director and senior vice-president of the Postal Service’s new Global Business organisation.  He’s held this position since July 2006.  His primary task is to manage the Postal Service’s worldwide trade with a focus on international business management. 

Vogel stated by saying the forum is always a great venue to meet the international needs of the world.  “The Postal Service has had a history of concentrating on domestic issues, for obvious reasons; but during this forum, specifically, we are looking at putting more of an interest at the international side of things,” he said.   During this forum alone, he mentioned, there were about 150 different organisations that have some sort of international connection.  Many of those connections are linked to Canada and Great Britain. 

Also, it was mentioned that numerous postal entities in other countries are extremely pleased with the performance and set up of the U.S. Postal Service.  Not only that, but even delivery competitors such as FEDEX and UPS have shown support for it’s attempt at expanding and organizing it’s international program. 

Vogel said, “The reason for the change is simple:  we presently have priority mail that is used domestically, and six different versions of international mail.  We want to consolidate these into one fixed system.” 

Consolidation is harder than you would assume; but not entirely.  The industry could reconfigure their technology since 85 percent of all the international mail the United States ships/receives, is with countries that have similar machines.  Companies that make these machines, like Pitney Bowes, sell internationally.  And a lot of the countries use the same lead heads.

Also the Postal Service wants to set all this up by reestablishing the extended postal mail code.  To do anything, the Postal Service first has to get the approval of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).  The UPU meets every four years, the next meeting will be in a year and a half. 

What is also interesting is:  85 percent of the mail traffic goes to 15 particular countries.  The possibilities with the extended postal mail code will either be a four number code or a two number code 

To get the message out to the citizens the United States Postal Service will continue to promote their new international changes via videos, commercials for TV and radio, stand up talks, signs and other media outlets. 

On the commercial/retail side of things, small and medium businesses, Vogel promoted developing partnerships.  He strongly supported rather than opening U.S. postal stations internationally, you establish a partnership with companies already in a particular country.  He also supports giving discounts to these small and medium if they have a presort work share created. 

Potter is looking to expand the USPS internationally and believes there will be an increase in revenue.  Potter has encouraged innovation throughout the organisation.  His tenure has resulted in new products and services – Click-N-Ship, Free Package Pickup, Negociative Service Agreement, Automated Postal Services, Flute Rate and Pre-Paid Priority Mail Packages.