Postal industry: Review and reengineering framework for sustainable growth

No sector of the economy is immune to changes and the associated challenges that come with it as witnessed in the postal industry. The declining demand for postal mail service somewhat attributed to technological changes call for proactive reengineering approaches for sustainability and continual relevance of the postal mail sector in a rapid changing economy. The study reviewed the throughput of the postal industry in terms of operations, logistics and products from a global perspective and it attempts to relate it to what is obtainable in South African Post Office (SAPO) mail business using a comparative analysis approach. The study equally identified innovations within the postal industry and perceived factors that influence consumer demands resulting in declined mail volumes. In this paper, the reality of imminent future technological changes, the impending effect on the postal sector and structures required to remain relevant were also explored. In evaluating innovation, the postal industry trends were considered in terms of business growth parameters. Innovative dynamic models which have the potential of stimulating growth in the postal industry were explored from a technical point of view and recommendations were proposed accordingly. In future, the study can be expanded by considering legislations and social parameters in forecasting innovations.