The e-commerce sector is constantly developing, dozens of new stores appear, more and more entrepreneurs notice the potential of creating online businesses. Such a development has consequences in the form of an increasing number of parcels to be handled. This becomes a direct burden on transport corporations, which are responsible for fast, safe and efficient delivery of goods to end recipients.
For years, many supply chain processes have been done manually, through the hands of employees, which could cause frustration both for them and for the recipients of packages. This translated into the possibility of making many mistakes.
Customer expectations also did not remain at the same level. Currently, one of the factors determining competition in the market is the time and flexibility of delivery.
The future of the postal sector
The 21st century is the age of automation. It also affects the postal sector more and more, supporting the delivery process. How? What are the challenges that businesses based on deliveries are facing that can be successfully solved by a well-implemented click & collect system? In the following sections, we present 8 problems that can be solved by automatic parcel stations:
- Human resources – it takes time to handle shipments and get them properly delivered to final recipients. What’s more, seasonal peaks, such as Christmas, generate more orders, while reducing the workforce (occasional holidays, winter sickness). Click & collect deliveries significantly increase the efficiency of the process, reducing the number of hands needed to handle the same number of parcels.
- Accessibility of recipients – according to the research, most recipients of parcels are of professional or educational age. Therefore, it is very difficult to deliver parcels so that the recipient is available at the right address. Failed delivery attempts force repeated deliveries, generating costs and using the couriers’ valuable time. Parcel stations allow you to pick up orders at a convenient time, regardless of the courier’s working time.
- Storage of parcels – unclaimed parcels need to be stored somewhere until delivery is possible. This leads to a large number of them remaining in company headquarters, occupying space and generating unnecessary costs.
- Security – Privacy and data protection are serious issues, so post-room processes must protect from deliveries to the wrong addresses. Shipping and collection from the parcel terminal allows you to better control the entire process while maintaining greater anonymity.
- Inefficiency – Companies try to do more with less and invest in technology to improve efficiency and lower costs. Increasing staff to handle the growing number of shipments is not in line with this trend.
- Missed Opportunities – Late deliveries can mean missed business opportunities. In addition, staff time spent sorting shipments could be better spent elsewhere.
- Cost of failure – it may be necessary to replace lost parcels, for a fee. Moreover, employee time wasted due to unsuccessful delivery attempts and a laborious, inefficient, manual process is a cost for the company
- Traceability – All of these issues can make postal workers vulnerable. Digitizing many aspects of the process can protect them with traceable digital records, rather than relying on error-prone paper processes.
Will automation help?
As you can see, parcel machines enable more efficient shipment management while improving security, all while providing much more freedom to recipients, who in the 21st century are mobile and difficult to grasp.
The harmonization of the courier and the recipient is no longer necessary. The parcel is placed in a secure parcel station and the recipient is notified by e-mail or SMS containing the code that opens the designated locker. It is also a system that frees up staff to do other things.
SelfLocker self-service solutions for courier services are available in the I’mRetail offer. For more information, go HERE.
