Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), a global technology company that provides commerce solutions in the areas of ecommerce, shipping, mailing and financial services, today announced the expansion of its lockers portfolio with the launch of ParcelPoint™ Smart Lockers, a new suite of robust, secure contactless locker solutions unique to Pitney Bowes. Ideal for organizations planning the safe reopening of offices, college campuses and government agencies, these smart lockers give organizations the confidence that every package and asset moving across a location will be delivered safely and securely. Powered by proprietary SaaS software, organizations can remotely manage a single locker or a fleet of lockers across locations, backed up with unrivalled local Pitney Bowes service, support and detailed analytics.
The ParcelPoint Smart Locker portfolio augments existing Pitney Bowes locker technologies and builds on a century of expertise in shipping and mailing, offering businesses a choice of smart locker solutions which best fit their requirements and budget. Express Series smart lockers provide a sophisticated, pre-configured, easy-to-use solution built to meet evolving package and mail volume demands, which can be delivered in four weeks or less1. With SendSuite® Tracking Online – Pitney Bowes SaaS parcel tracking and processing software – already integrated into the solution, Express Series lockers simplify the end-to-end package and mail management processes.
Plus Series smart lockers are modular and scalable, perfect for organizations with more complex workflows. Delivered in ten weeks or less, Plus Series lockers are individually customized to meet the unique needs of organizations with more extensive parcel workflow, asset management, or with specific space or volume requirements. They can operate standalone, without a tracking software or seamlessly integrate with SendSuite Tracking, SendSuite Tracking Online or with an organization’s existing tracking software.
Kerry Caylor, Vice President, SendTech Parcel and Locker Innovation, Pitney Bowes said, “The global automated parcel locker market is expected to exceed $1.4 billion by 2027, driven by organizations looking for ways to manage the exponential growth in ecommerce and parcel volume. Pitney Bowes ParcelPoint Smart Lockers with powerful SaaS software make it easy for organizations to automate, streamline and digitize their parcel and mail management and deliver a user-friendly contactless pickup experience. By providing the both pre-configured and customized options, we’re giving organizations the choice and flexibility to select the smart locker solution that exactly matches their requirements and the needs of the clients they serve.”
Global parcel volume is forecast to reach 200 billion by 2025, challenging organizations to find ways to simplify package management and optimize resources. As they reopen safely organizations will bring in new safety and security standards, with requirements to limit direct contact and minimize the time parcels are left unclaimed. Pitney Bowes ParcelPoint Smart Lockers solve these challenges, providing a streamlined digital experience, sophisticated functionality and accurate tracking, while meeting growing user expectations. The locker solutions are ideal for organizations with centralized mail centers which manage high volumes of parcels and physical documents, tasked with their safe, secure, effective delivery. Integrating seamlessly into centralized mailroom processes, operators access the smart locker interface from their device to identify an appropriately sized available locker in a suitable location. They place the item in the locker, then an automatic alert with an access barcode is sent to the recipient who scans the barcode and retrieves the package at their convenience. Real-time reporting and analytics ensure absolute visibility of the package’s journey throughout the process.
During the product design process for ParcelPoint Smart Lockers, Pitney Bowes interviewed 200 enterprise and higher education leaders to better understand their barriers to efficient package management. 66 percent of enterprises were concerned about leaving items unattended and 52 percent felt restricted by storage and space constraints. Higher education respondents were also concerned about package security. Now, 88 percent of enterprises and 76 percent of higher education respondents say that lockers have completely alleviated their security concerns, and 72 percent of enterprises say lockers have addressed concerns relating to space and storage.
Smart lockers transform parcel management processes for government agency and university
The State of Louisiana Office of Technology Services (OTS) is tasked with the timely and accurate delivery of mail and parcels to 120 branch state agencies and quasi-agency locations across the Capital area. Prior to the pandemic, a team consisting of six drivers and five operators hand-delivered mail to approximately 1800 delivery points across the state buildings complex. In 2020, the need to avoid direct contact and enable employees to access their mail without entering the building became a priority. Processing more than 2.5 million mail pieces every month, the OTS accelerated its transition from in-person mail delivery to smart locker technology from Pitney Bowes. OTS said, “Now, we have security, accountability and tracking. Tenants love the service and the convenience of the locker system, and we love the ease-of-use, generous screen size, quick configuration and installation.”
Washburn University is a public university in Kansas with just under 7000 students. The pandemic accelerated the need for contactless experiences across the campus to ensure the health and safety of students and staff. The university also wanted to deliver a better university bookstore experience. Pitney Bowes delivered a solution that would allow students the ability to buy online and pick up from a smart locker. Now, students are able to place their bookstore orders online and pick up their items when it’s convenient with the scan of a simple barcode. The university also uses the lockers for different campus needs such as returning students’ items from Lost and Found to their owners.
To find out more, listen to ‘Modernizing Processes with Contactless Delivery’ here. For insights on the future of work and return to the office, catch up on our recent webinar here.
1 Delivery outside of the contiguous U.S. may take longer than four weeks
About Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) is a global technology company providing commerce solutions that power billions of transactions. Clients around the world, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on the accuracy and precision delivered by Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics, and APIs in the areas of ecommerce fulfillment, shipping and returns; cross-border ecommerce; office mailing and shipping; presort services; and financing. For 100 years Pitney Bowes has been innovating and delivering technologies that remove the complexity of getting commerce transactions precisely right. For additional information visit Pitney Bowes at www.pitneybowes.com.
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