Abstract
M.Tech.
The South African Post Office or SAPO is the national postal service of
South Africa and is owned by South African government. It employs 17000
people and operates more than 2400 postal outlets throughout the
country. The history of SAPO can be tracked back to over 500 years. In
1994 South Africa was readmitted to the universal union following the end
of apartheid.
SAPO currently operates under a 25 year license granted by the
Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and in
terms of this must provide a universal service to all citizens of the country.
The monthly service delivery performance target as set out by the postal
regulator (ICASA) is 98%.
With the current pressures of having to deliver services according to the
license agreement with the regulator, it becomes imperative that SAPO
has to improve its business process in order to enable it to meet and
exceed set delivery standards with the aim of satisfying its customer’s
needs.
Throughout the 1990’s the South African Post Office (SAPO) has been
offering communication system that was used even before cell phones
were introduced and it is still one of the communications channels (SAPO
history). As a result there has been increased interest in the application of
total quality management (TQM) principles. The emergence of the revised
ISO 9000 standard (9001:2008) now permits the South African Post Office
gain advantages to improve their performance in a manner that can be
measured and monitored precisely.