Packing More into Less

Background

The Office of Technology Services (OTS), in partnership with Procurement and Support Services (PSS), manages statewide operational infrastructure for Louisiana government agencies. Among their responsibilities is ensuring that state agencies can send mail and packages efficiently, cost-effectively, and with full accountability. When shipping operations became fragmented and difficult to oversee, OTS stepped in to bring order, visibility, and modernization to a process that touches virtually every corner of state government.

Problem

Louisiana's state agencies handled outgoing mail and packages independently, each using different tools, rate structures, and reporting methods. This decentralized approach made it nearly impossible to track shipping spend, enforce consistent standards, or identify waste. Manual tracking and reporting created unnecessary administrative burden, while redundant equipment contracts drove up costs without improving service. Over time, the lack of coordination left agencies operating in silos, and leadership without the visibility needed to make informed decisions.

Solution

OTS Product Delivery, working alongside PSS and Pitney Bowes, designed and implemented Shipping 360 — a unified, statewide shipping platform that replaced the patchwork of legacy tools and vendor agreements. The team consolidated vendor contracts to secure better rates, rolled out modernized equipment across device hubs, and built centralized tracking and reporting capabilities into the platform. Together, these changes gave agencies a standardized way to ship and gave leadership a clear, real-time view of statewide operations. The new governance model also laid the groundwork for scalable, long-term management of mailing and shipping services across Louisiana.

Outcome

Louisiana state agencies now operate from a single, standardized shipping platform that reduces redundancy, controls costs, and improves accountability. Leadership has the visibility they need to make data-driven decisions, and agencies spend less time managing logistics and more time serving the public. Shipping 360 demonstrates that modernization isn’t limited to software — it extends to the operational systems that keep government running every day.