Enabling Visibility across Postal Network

Enabling Visibility across Postal Network

1. Introduction

Today, the postal market is undergoing significant changes due to forces like globalization, liberalization, privatization, competition and technology. Fierce competition from express mail providers and, of course, the email revolution, have resulted in declining volumes of postal mail and some businesses have given up on international postal mail altogether.

Added to this, the customer perceives mail as a non-priority & non-time-sensitive product thereby allowing the courier companies to offer such services. Private companies are dominating the market for the time-sensitive delivery of mail and packages.

First class mail, which has been postal operators’ high-margin product, faces serious threats. Postal customers are much more demanding regarding the level of service due to various alternatives.

2. The Way Forward

The Posts must adapt to the current dynamic environment by improving efficiency, modernization, offering new products and effectively leveraging the opportunities offered by new technologies to meet the ever increasing customer expectations.
While price, quality of service and innovative products will be primary focus, value added services can go a long way in attracting and retaining customers.

The Posts can provide the following services to match their private courier counterparts:

Detailed real-time status information
Delivery delay warranty
Advice on potential delivery date/time
Proof of mail deposit
Day & Time Definite services
Data Integration across web & call center
Alerts for disruptions
E-mail and SMS for subscribed check points

These services translate to a need for effective collaboration among the Posts, airlines and agents for making shipment data available to customers.

“Today, the influence of postal technology on the efficiency and quality of postal services is an accepted fact” - UPU

Download

Download full paper At
http://www.enjineer.com/forum