The digital age has changed the campus environment. And nobody has experienced the effects more than the mail centers on campus dealing with the huge volumes of parcels. Which come in with space limitations, labor-intensive delivery procedures. As the amount of parcels and students grows and the number of parcels is increasing. So too will the need for modernizing the delivery of student parcels. Learn more about how smart parcel lockers function as well as how they could enhance the campus experience for students and faculty.
For universities and colleges, this involves deploying smart lockers for packages all over campus. To improve the efficiency of managing parcels and improve student services.
Delivery of student parcels earlier in the day
In the past when a student was on campus could receive a package of care from home or a mail order every once or twice per semester. Another student who worked in a tiny campus postal center could manually enter the details of the parcel, and then put them aside till the person who received it arrived to pick it up. This was the end of the process of delivering parcels to students.
Today is the day that student parcels delivered to students.
What makes the delivery of student parcels such a challenge in the present? Every year, American students spend an average of $8.4 billion online shopping and campus shipping volumes rise at 14.8 percent per year. These tiny campus mailroom built before e-commerce was a popular idea is overwhelmed by the influx of mail. This flood of packages arriving encompasses more than just students’ care packages and online orders. Mail centers also handle important documents for administration, research samples , and objects for faculty, as well as equipment and supplies to the facilities.
The fight is real and its effects is evident in the volume of packages lost or not delivered and complaints filed by students, faculty and senders, who are typically parents that pay tuition.
Read also: What is a Parcel Locker
Students parcel delivery is now happening and even after the pandemic
The universities and colleges were badly affected by the outbreak and the mandates and closures that were enacted. Social distancing makes it even more difficult for already challenging services on campus. Standing in line at a post office or any other distribution center isn’t just a hassle in the present, it could pose a the cause of health risks. It’s not easy to maintain a safe distance in a busy mail center, which was built to function at a different hour.
A new era for student parcel delivery – Smart Lockers
Students’ future in student-related services, such as the delivery of parcels, lies in automated. Universities and colleges across the nation implementing smart lockers paired by automated tracking solutions. It provide modern, secure student parcel delivery services.
For students, this can translate to ease of use. Students are notified via email that they have a package ready to pick up. They are able to pick it up in a locker. And not have to wait in the line in the center for students where they will assisted. For families and friends who are not students deliver packages in the same way as they have always done. The only distinction is in the way these packages are dealt with once they reach campus.
Smart lockers in the mail center can provide:
- Up-to-date status information starting at the time the parcel arrives at campus.
- The ability to process incoming parcels quickly.
- Automated messages instantly about pickup and delivery.
- Knowing exactly where each parcel located until the delivery.
The option of having packages delivered to a parcel locker extremely beneficial. And not limited to those who use the postal center. Locations for parcel lockers on campus utilized to enhance services for students. And faculty in the new ways that they’ve come to have come to.
Delivery expectations and delivery problems
As the volume of parcels and students grows University mailroom are trying to keep up with demand. As well as space limitations and campus-wide delivery, and most of all, the faculty and expectations of students.
Expectations
Faculty, students, parents and administrative personnel are expecting shipping times to be exact and that’s why there are there will be no delays in delivery once an item is delivered to the campus.
Customers require fast, 24-hour reliable updates and prompt notification.
Safety and health is a top concern for faculty, students, and parents. They want to be assured that their concerns are being addressed.
Challenges
Higher volumes require longer shifts, resulting in overworked staff.
The time-consuming process of tracking packages manually reduces responsiveness and costs.
The packages that aren’t removed quickly take up precious shelf space.
Packages lost or not found cause negative experiences.
What college campuses can gain from an intelligent locker system?
The universities and colleges utilize smart lockers to automatize asset and package distribution, maintenance of IT for retail services, and bookstore sales.
Contrary to conventional lockers accustomed to lock, the smart one is a substitute for manual locks. And equipped with automated security features as well as an interactive touchscreen. It improves the security of student parcels and delivery.
Automated lockers can also elevate automation to new levels by adding third-party software that gives administrators the ability to electronically and remotely monitor the contents of their lockers.
The additional benefit of tracking software is that it also provides the ability to live-stream data, analytics and even data feeds.
Benefits of smart lockers for universities and colleges
- Enhance the efficiency of operations at the mail centre and at other distribution points
The back-to-school season and the holiday season influence the amount of mail that students receive on campuses. However, students can shop all year round and a smart locker gives schools and universities an additional location for delivery for students. When you receive a package, or mail item, scan in your system for tracking, take it to the locker, and deliver it to the locker and as that, you’re out of your mail centre. There is more space available for other deliveries. Staff can concentrate on other projects and the mail center is humming regardless of the inbound mail volumes.
The same advantages apply to every distribution point in the busy city, be it the bookstore on campus or student services, or even the lab.
Automate manual processes
Universities and colleges known as a bastion of tradition. However, it is not uncommon for that to extend into the postal center. Many mail centers on campus are still using paper and pen to record relevant information about packages. Such as the number of parcels received each day as well as the time each parcel deliver. As well as the person addressed to and the date taken care of and signed. Automating these manual tasks could cut down on the time it takes for delivery of student parcels from days to just a few hours.
Smart lockers are not only able to facilitate student parcel delivery, but they also automate processes to manage campus facilities such as audio-visual and lab equipment printers, laptops, laptops, books, and so on.
Reducing theft, loss and unauthorized use
Although theft and loss claims not common on your campus, errors bound to happen. Particularly in overcrowded and understaffed equipment and mail centers. Utilizing a smart locker to keep track of assets and packages in real-time ensures an entire chain of custody. Barcodes used to confirm the receipt and delivery of the package. If the item is the case of a campus asset or departmental asset you’ll be able to identify who used it.
In addition to the chain of custody features, sophisticated tracking tools will also have tools. It will let you define who has the authority to use and access specific equipment and assets.
Ending
With the help of a smart lockers college and university administrators can reduce the burden of mail center operations. And safeguard valuable assets, while increasing efficiency. And protecting the health of students and increasing satisfaction.
