Western New York District used teamwork and data analysis to improve its recent Priority Mail score, but employees also relied on the Lean Six Sigma improvement process.
A team used Lean Six Sigma principles to analyze the NW Rochester Processing and Distribution Center’s Priority Mail procedures.
The team identified ways to stagger the manual Priority Mail dispatch process, better align mail sortation and transportation schedules, and install visual signals to boost efficiency.
These changes, along with others, helped Western New York become a national leader in Priority Mail performance during the third quarter (April 1-June 30). The district is one of 44 that met or exceeded the national score, which improved by almost three percentage points.
The team that worked on Western New York’s project was comprised of employees who have received black, green and yellow belt designation through Lean Six Sigma. The team’s efforts included using Kaizen methodologies, which focus on identifying and eliminating wasteful practices.
The team received praise from District Manager James Lentz, Acting Sr. Plant Manager Monica Nevins and Plant Manager Stephanie Harris.
“This was a total team effort,” Lentz said. “We moved our Priority Mail service scores from good to great and involved all of our employees, increasing employee engagement at all levels.”