The Office of Inspector General of the USPS has commissioned a study by Stanford's Value Chain Innovation Institute on the impact emerging technologies may have on the final, crucial link in any e-commerce transaction: the last mile. This is where the rubber used to hit the road, but may soon take to the sky among other things. Advanced data analytics and algorithms, drones, driverless vehicles and robotic deliverers are poised to disrupt and surpass the time honored USPS courier's creed: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night..." The VCII white paper goes into detail regarding the major players in the development of these technologies and business models for their application. It describes the current state and future arc of each and teases out implications and opportunities for the USPS itself.
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