The Postal Service is collecting valuable data by scanning mail and packages and using the information to strengthen customer service, USPS leaders told industry executives this week.
“It’s just not about having more data. It’s what you do with it,” Acting Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Jim Cochrane said at the National Postal Forum, which was held this week in Anaheim, CA.
For example, the Postal Service is using data to make processing plants more efficient and provide timely, accurate delivery information to customers who use the new My USPS.com application.
“With these new insights, we are revolutionizing the way we manage processing, transportation and distribution,” Cochrane said.
The data is also being used to provide employees with important information.
During the recent unrest in Baltimore, for example, supervisors alerted letter carriers to potential problem areas by sending messages to their Mobile Delivery Devices.
Conference attendees were also told how the Postal Service is using data to help businesses produce more effective mailings, including pieces that are “personalized” based on customers’ spending habits, recent purchases and product usage.