Month: December 2011

Postal Service to test lockers, following Amazon’s lead

by dldamore

Fascinating article.

 

Postal Service to test lockers, following Amazon’s lead:

 

Credit: Courier Express & Postal Observer

The U.S. Postal Service plans to start testing its own locker system for packages, similar to the lockers that Amazon.com has been rolling out on a trial basis, according to a report this week by the Courier Express & Postal Observer news site.

USPS will test the system at a variety of locations in Northern Virginia under the name “gopost,” according to the site.

 

(Via GeekWire)

Questions:

What if the USPS placed these lockers in high density areas, areas that had access to a warehouse nearby?

Could the USPS do same day delivery of items from a warehouse a few miles away to a locker close to where you live or work?

What kind of premium could be charged for such speedy service?

Would people value it enough for the USPS to make money?

Other thoughts

Time will tell if something like a more centralized delivery system could work. For a while I’ve thought that the USPS would put some sort of locker-box (Like the ones apartments have) up the street for the 50 or so house on this block. Mail could probably be delivered in less than 15 minutes for the whole block rather than what is probably an hour now. Certainly there would be much less walking for carriers. The USPS delivery vehicle could probably be parked less than 25 feet from the locker-box and perhaps as close as 5 feet.

Fine-Tuning the Perfect Employee – WSJ.com

by dldamore

Training and development for employees might be one of the best investments a company or organization can make. People feel valued when they get training that will enable them to do and become more, in their job and in life.  Even if the employee leaves in a few years, the investment could still payoff if the employee has a good feeling about the firm. In that case, they might find and refer a proper candidate to replace themselves after they depart.

Fine-Tuning the Perfect Employee – WSJ.com:

“Companies have long devoted resources to training and development, either internally or through partnerships with universities and community colleges.

But many companies cut back on programs or cancelled them altogether to save money during the downturn.

That appears to be changing: According to the American Society for Training and Development, U.S. employers spent 36% more on learning and development in 2010 than in 2009. Direct expenditures for learning, as a percentage of payroll, rose to 2.7% in 2010 from 2.3% in 2006.”

 

(Via .)