Automation and the future of the United States Postal Service

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a systems engineering approach to the evaluation of automation of the mail processing system of the United States Postal Service. The mail processing system is the most demanding and important part of the total operations of the Postal Service. It is a core process involving tremendous amount of resources of all kinds. To meet the modern world's customers need, this system demands a great attention. The first priority is, to improve and utilize new technology for automation. The speed and accuracy of processing mail is vital to the growing demand of timely, consistent and affordable mail services by the customers of modern age. This thesis illustrates the mail processing system with a full description of different automated equipment that is in use in the Postal Service at this time. Also, the mail Processing system is ever changing and improving as the Postal Service strives to compete in the market. Electronic mail brings a real threat to the old ways of communication. The Postal Service has no other option but adapt to the new demand and find its fair share of the market by investing in new technology. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...