Smart Lockers are the Future of the Corporate Office

Corporations are always looking for meaningful ways to save money and time while increasing productivity. Parcel lockers simplify incoming and outgoing package management. They provide a secure, automated mailroom solution that takes the financial strain and inefficient weight of menial task management off the bottom line. These kinds of impressive benefits mean smart parcel lockers are here to stay. 

What Smart Parcel Lockers Can Offer

Smart parcel lockers have more to offer than most people realize. They are contactless, alleviating the need for a mailroom attendant at all hours, and ensuring the recipient can get their packages anytime. 

They are courier agnostic, which means companies aren’t limited to convenient package handling for only some couriers. All packages from all couriers are able to utilize parcel lockers, making mailroom operations much more flexible and efficient. 

Parcel lockers are customizable! Choose a specific size for all lockers or include a variety of sizes so couriers can match the parcel size to the appropriate locker, making the lockers space-efficient. Plus, add wraps and designs to ensure the lockers are well-branded. 

Beyond these benefits, there are a number of other ways parcel lockers just make sense for any corporation looking to consolidate their mailroom tasks and make their parcel management more efficient, secure, and cost effective. 

Complete Chain of Custody

Smart parcel lockers ensure a complete chain of custody for each and every package. Deliveries remain secure, even after the courier hands them over because they remain in the parcel locker until the recipient opens the locker. By achieving a completely secure and traceable chain of custody, the opportunity for human error is eliminated. 

The Correct Circulation of Information

Smart parcel lockers are more than boxes that hold deliveries. They are a reliable communication system and information storage device as well. When a package is delivered, the recipient receives an instant notification of the package details, where it’s located, and instructions for pick-up. 

The recipient will be able to see who the package is from, its weight, and other details. Having access to this digital information prior to physically handling the package gives the recipient a way to manage packages, such as refusing delivery, even after the carrier has left it in the locker. 

Safe and Security

One of the biggest concerns of individuals and organizations alike are safety and security. When a package is delivered to a residence, package pirates can steal them before the resident has the opportunity to bring it inside. Similarly, corporations run the risk of missing or stolen packages because not all mailrooms are perfectly secure. 

Even with a mailroom attendant on staff, realities such as human error, inefficiencies, and imperfect oversight can lead to problematic security. Parcel lockers eliminate all these challenges by maintaining the security of the carrier-to-recipient handoff. 

Types of Use Cases

Smart parcel lockers aren’t just for packages sent through the mail. They are being utilized for a number of purposes, making many types of operations and exchanges more efficient for everyone involved. The following are just a few examples. 

Equipment Exchange

Everyone has the need to drop off equipment after the product breaks down at one point or another, but making your way to a shop and waiting in line to drop off your item is time consuming. Utilizing parcel lockers saves time for both the customer and the repair professional, leading to a better overall experience and more satisfied customers. 

This pickup and drop-off model works for more than equipment repairs and maintenance. Companies are utilizing smart parcel lockers for everything from the hand-off of secure banking transactions and legal documents to checking out and returning library books, prescription fulfillment to food bank donations, and even restaurant food pick-up.

Ease the Transitions of People

Increasingly, universities are using parcel lockers to ease the stress of new student orientation days. Instead of finding their way around campus to pick up textbooks, IDs, dorm keys, and more, a centralized location for parcel lockers enables students to receive all their items securely and efficiently so that students can use their orientation time to attend tours, meet new friends and professors, and find their classrooms. 

Similarly, new apartment dwellers, AirBnB and other short-term renters as well as remote workers and new hires enjoy the efficiency of parcel lockers. They can pick up residence and office keys, rental and new hire agreements, and more. Parcel lockers help make the process of the exchange of information and physical objects much more productive than arranging in-person meetings and unnecessarily lengthy handoffs. 

Use as a small warehouse

Supply chain management often means many products and parts move from warehouse to warehouse. When security is vital, the opportunity to leave pallets of inventory in a secure parcel locker offers peace of mind and secure transitions from location to location and courier to courier. 

Final Thoughts

While they are often overlooked, the benefits of parcel lockers are strong. They are a vital tool for corporations and others to manage mailroom operations, provide secure handoffs, and so much more. Smart parcel lockers are certainly here to stay. 

If you are looking for these types of package handling solutions, reach out to All Copy Products today. Our professionals can outline some of the best solutions available to serve your unique needs.