sorting office

Postal distribution center

A sorting office is a postal facility where mail is organized by destination before being sent out for delivery.

Workers and machines sort letters and packages by address, routing them to the appropriate carriers or onward facilities.

The term is more common in British English; Americans typically say mail processing center or distribution center.

logistics

parcels

Wrapped items for delivery

packagesWrapped items for shipping
lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
envelopesPaper containers for letters

dispatch · distribution · routing · tracking · consignment · conveyor belts · chutes · barcode scanning · delivery · collection

postal

mailroom

Delivery processing area

postmarksOfficial stamps on mail
mailbagsContainers for sorted letters
stampsPostal payment adhesives

postage · zipcode · mailbox · postman · postwoman · franking · pigeonholes · dead letter · registered mail · bulk mail

operations

workflow

Sequential task progression

automationSelf-operating system design
shift workLabor in timed blocks
night shiftOvernight work period

processing · handling · scanning · labeling · bundling · bagging · loading · unloading · sequencing · batching

organization

hierarchy

Ranked authority structure

supervisionOverseeing people or processes
managementOrganizing and directing resources
schedulingAssigning times to events

coordination · procedures · protocol · compliance · regulation · standardization · oversight · administration · delegation · chain of command

Categories

mailletter, letters, mail, email, envelope
postal historystamps, postmarks, postmaster, postage, postmark
historical maillove letter, telegram, postcard, airmail, registered letter
UK PlacesLondon, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bath
postal codeszip code, postcode, postal code, zip, ZIP+4

Opposites

postal workflow stage

sorting officedelivery point

Designated receipt location

post office counter · mailbox · letterbox · post box · doorstep delivery

order vs. disorder

sorting officedead letter office

Undeliverable mail processing center

Family

office, assorted, assortment, sorted, sorting, sorter, resorting, unsorted, sorters

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G