How one East coast university used Intelligent Lockers to optimize package delivery for their students
Challenge
A large state university had been a longtime customer of Exela. Among other things, Exela had been successfully managing the University’s mail services, including its package delivery workflow, the infrastructure of which consisted of a package room where staff members would manually log packages and notify recipients of deliveries and where packages would be stored pending pickup. This had proven optimal until the increasing ubiquity of e-commerce began steadily increasing the volume of packages and the number of students entering the workflow. As a result of increased workflow volume, however, a number of problems arose:
- Not enough space in the package room for all the incoming packages.
- Not enough hours during workday for staff to log arrivals, notify recipients, and accommodate all students arriving to pick up packages.
- Overcrowding around package room
- Long lines for recipients to pick up packages.
These problems were exacerbated during busier times including fall move-in season, final exams, and the holiday season.
Solution
Exela Intelligent Lockers were the logical solution. Exela Intelligent Lockers are Exela’s automated, unattended, trackable delivery and storage solution, enabling smart, secure, end-to-end chain-of-custody for packages. The University’s choice was a logical extension of the University’s long-standing relationship with Exela. Exela and the University worked together to design custom-configured kiosks of electronically-operated individual storage units. Exela installed these Intelligent Lockers in a building that shared space with the University’s main dining hall, enabling extended access to the lockers until 10 p.m., but without additional staffing. Exela’s proprietary software was configured to send automated notifications to package recipients and track all openings and closings of the lockers. To control crowding and wait-time, Exela fitted the kiosks with easy-to-use, intuitive touchscreens.
Results
Students, employees, and the University itself were pleased with Exela Intelligent Lockers’ secure, unattended, space-saving, time-saving click-and-collect package workflow solution.
Benefits
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Greater flexibility and convenience for students
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Expanded operating hours
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Eased mailroom staff burden
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Eased mailroom space burden
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Efficient, streamlined package chain-of-custody tracking
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Decrease in human error and increase in package security
