How Innovative Technology Has Hurt the U.S. Postal Service

The U.S. postal service has served as a beacon of worldwide communication for years. Within the last 15 years technology has really drove the post office into difficult times. It has caused the post office to do lots of restructuring. In the past if you wanted to use forms of communication other than the telephone it was mostly writing letters. Then the price of postage kept increasing. It was not long before we were introduced to electronic mail. Electronic mail enabled us to send messages and pictures any where in the world in a matter of seconds. This had a devastating effect on the postal industry. The post office was caught off guard with all of the new technological advances. Now there are some people that prefer to use what is now known as "snail mail." I probably mail something via post office once a year mainly around the Christmas holidays. I no longer have to send my bills off in the mail thanks to online bill pay services.

The U.S. post office was forced to cut costs by doing several things such as; discontinuing stamp vending machines, reducing its workforce, and closing some of its branches. The post office is even considering changing its traditional workweek of 5 8 hour days to 4 ten hour days. If the post office did not provide additional services such post office box rentals it probably would be almost non-existent. Then again its post office box rental service is suffering as a result of companies like mail boxes etc. which is now owned by United Parcel Service. As technology advances the post office's daily operations will continue to suffer.

New technologies such as email and online services have had a devastating effect on the U.S. post office. People have gotten away from writing letters. As a result of advances in technology the post office has had to reconsider the way it does business. If the post office plans to survive these new technologies it must upgrade its entire operation. If it does not within the next 25 years there is a strong possibility that it will be a service no longer used.