The following is from an audit by the USPS OIG on “Mobile Delivery Device (MDD) Deployment and Functionality”
July 8, 2015 – Mobile Delivery Devices (MDD) are new handheld scanners that allow U.S. Postal Service letter carriers to track package delivery in real-time. Package visibility is essential for the Postal Service to be competitive and also to support package growth. MDDs replace the Intelligent Mail Device (IMD) and clamshell cell phones that letter carriers currently use to track package delivery in near real-time.
IMDs have limited capabilities and are experiencing end-of-life issues. MDDs are single devices intended to support multiple requirements — such as Sunday delivery and dynamic routing — report scan data faster, and support future software enhancements.
Real-time delivery notification with the IMD occurs about every 15 minutes and the MDD goal is notification within 5 minutes. The initial MDD software release for the period of July 2014 to February 2015 provided the same on-street delivery functions as the IMD. Unlike the IMD, the MDD is a single device that is intended to support multiple requirements — such as Sunday delivery and dynamic routing — report scan data faster, and support future software enhancements.
Between September and December 2014, the Postal Service deployed 75,386 MDDs to letter carriers at a cost of $149 million. It began Phase 2 deployment of 188,000 MDDs in February 2015. Management plans to complete Phase 2 deployment for $349 million in September 2015, for a total deployment of 263,386 MDDs. Our objective was to assess the deployment plan and functionality of MDDs. As of February 27, 2015, the Postal Service has deployed 109,584 MDDs and is on schedule to complete the deployment in September 2015.
What The OIG Found
We visited 40 sites and interviewed 92 supervisors and 154 letter carriers in the Capital and Northern Virginia districts and found that Phase 1 MDD deployment was adequate and ahead of schedule.
However, we found three common functionality issues: screen freezes, laser beam reader freezes, and insufficient battery life. Letter carriers used ineffective or inefficient workarounds, often counter to operating instructions when MDDs did not work as designed.
In addition, we found the MDD training program needs improvement and the Critical Parts Center processes eBuy2 and help desk-requested MDDs and accessories without ensuring the parts actually need to be replaced or are not covered by warranties.
Inadequate MDD functionality, training, and spare parts management can cause mail and service delays, which may reduce customer satisfaction and prevent the Postal Service from becoming the shipper of choice. In addition, the MDD program has an added expense of over $255,000 because of purchasing items for spares or replacements that were under warranty.
Letter carriers also stated that they write down or take pictures of the delivery information with their personal cell phones and manually enter delivery information later or use another letter carrier’s MDD. We found that delivery personnel returned to the unit for a replacement MDD or IMD or asked a supervisor to bring them a replacement (21). Supervisors are not always contacting the MDD help desk to report battery issues and obtain replacement batteries. The exchange of the batteries through the MDD help desk is part of the vendor’s warranty.7 Instead, the Postal Service purchased 2,270 new batteries through eBuy2 or the help desk between November 2014 and March 18, 2015, at a cost of $ ($ each).
When the Postal Service cannot provide real-time delivery information to its customers, it can lose customers and its brand and reputation can suffer.
What The OIG Recommended
We recommended management establish controls to ensure all MDD functionalities are operating, evaluate current MDD training, and establish controls for processing MDD eBuy2 and help desk requests to ensure there is an actual need for replacement and equipment is not under warranty.
Mr. bed time for Bonzo, The Postal Service isn’t losing 1milloin pre month! The pre funding of health care is but an excuse to strangle the Postal Service. The asinine, invented, manufactured, unnecessary cost dreamed up by ex president Forrest Gump and his Ratpublican Rats. You want America to go back in time. So we can all work for nothing! In the 50’s My father earned .86 cents per hour as an PRO clerk. The Ratpublican president Dwight Eisenheimer, vetoed six pay bills. Your employer should be forced to prefund it’s health care costs so he could cry over” losing money”
The MDD’s were deployed in my office about three months ago. A vast improvement over the former IMD. The IMD had to paired up with a cell phone in order to download information the carrier had recorded along the route. Pairing the two devices was a time consuming pain in the neck every morning & often had to be paired up again while on the route. The IMD didn’t scan in direct sunlight or at any angle but straight-on. You also had to wait for the IMD to progress from screen to screen (another waste of time).
The new MDD is fantastic! A mere second between screens! I might add that this the exact same scanner that is used by UPS. Don’t know if their software differs from ours, but the equipment is exactly the same.
After reading the previous comments I am glad to have retired September 2013. I wonder if the person complaining about still being in business with the huge losses is aware of the health care issue for carriers not yet born? Yes there are spending issues, but funding so far ahead is a major factor.
I find it amazing that Pan American Airlines went out of business because it was losing $1 million a month over 3 years………..yet the US Postal Circus is still “in business” after losing $80 BILLION since 2009. just another corrupt govt agency that makes up the greater corrupt federal govt. States Rights and shrink govt to get these clowns out of our life. Donald Trump 2016!
Your last 3 words says it all!!!! Haha………………
What is taking so long for my comment to be approved and who approving?
Have not had one problem with my new scanner. Vast improvement over the 1982 technology. At our plan 5 they now tell us we are talking to customers to long, that the new scanners alert them of our delays. Quantity over quality is the new norm.
What kind of horse redundant not helping us with our jobs is this horse? I haven’t been there for 15 years and I still can clearly see the bull. Who continues to push and profit from this s..after s.. after stupid s.. order? I didn’t serve my country for 4 years for this s….
coolest job in america and I am working on right now as others are as well.
What training?
The main reason the Postal Service uses the scanners is control! The stupidvisors feel that they must know where the lazy carriers are every second of the day. The Postal Service will spend millions to be able to discipline one employee. The get their jollies when an employee is placed on the rack. Just clean fun to them. How about giving the employee a shock when the employee is bad?
Sure did see the Postal Service coming. Sure glad they had the money to spend on this device.
Shocking, the USPS can’t seem to do anything right
More tech dipping in the till ! What kind of hat do they wear to stir this broth ? Just follow the MONEY ! !
Like the contract for new vehicles at $68,00 apiece for a bucket of bolts, no surprises.
That seems like a very minuscule amount of carriers interviewed and use that as a basis to assume that these devices are flawed?- my screen froze up the other day but as a whole they are a vast improvement on the old scanners
Federal government needs to cut a lot of defense budget, and foreign aids. A lot of our tax payer monies go to foreign countries for nothing. Israel gets the most of our money for nothing, just wasting our money but no money for domestic issues. US loans money from other countries especially from China with interests and giving away our money to other countries, just wasting our tax dollars.
The usps is NOT funded by the government or your precious tax dollars! When are people going to stop thinking this? The postal service is funded by revenue (postage sales) ONLY! Get your facts straight before posting!
When Fox News quit telling them what to think……………………….
It’s a farce, just like everything else we do.
all I can say is these babies work 100 time better than the old models. The scanner scans in almost any direction. The biggest problem we have is customers mailing packages with barcodes to be scanned but the customer printer doesn’t have enough ink. Missing sections or unreadable barcodes are a huge problem. These scanners are reading more of them than the old ones did. Nobody in our office of 60 carriers have had any of the problems listed above. These units are faster by far and easier to use. For once the upgrade equipment is better.