Sorting offices are facilities where letters, parcels and other postal items are organised for onward delivery. Mail arriving from postboxes, businesses, delivery depots or other sorting offices is processed and directed according to its destination, often using postcode and address information. Staff and automated equipment may separate items by size, shape, service type and delivery route, while checking that items meet handling requirements. These facilities typically provide the behind-the-scenes stages of postal distribution rather than acting as ordinary shops or public counters. Work can include scanning and tracking items, preparing mail bags and containers, transferring consignments between transport services, and despatching sorted mail to local delivery offices or other destinations. Some sites may also handle undeliverable or incorrectly addressed items and items requiring additional processing.