Well, a good try IMO. To tackle the labor shortage while keeping cost low, one of the way is self-service.
Self-service to collect might turn out a prefer way, rather than queuing-up in post office during office hour, just to collect a parcel.
SingPost lockers may go to 100 locations
SINGAPORE — A new automated delivery locker system that allows customers to receive parcels round the clock may be expanded to almost 100 locations, if an ongoing pilot proves successful.
The system, dubbed POPStation (Pick Own Parcel Station), could be placed “around MRT stations, bus interchanges and shopping malls, among other locations”, according to Singapore Post (SingPost) Group Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Baier.
Piloted at five locations, it allows customers to be notified by SMS or email to collect their undelivered parcels at a nearby POPStation. “There are also plans to eventually allow users to post parcels via the POPStation,” Dr Baier added.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/sin...-locations
This initiative will certainty delight customers, but will it benefit SPOST financially? Is revenue going to increase just because it is now easier to retrieve a parcel? Are there going to be costs saving? I don’t think so, on the contrary, I think it will costs more as SPOST has to deliver the parcels to various POPStation locations as compared to customer coming in to a post office now. But to be able to delight a customer is always a good thing and SPOST will be able to differentiate themselves more from their competitors.
Ah...Singpost may price it into their charges or as an optional charge in future if it gets popular with the mass.
(17-04-2013, 10:49 AM)a74henry Wrote: [ -> ]Ah...Singpost may price it into their charges or as an optional charge in future if it gets popular with the mass.
So....collect your parcel at a POPStation, FOC; collect it at a post office, pay $X admin fee, something like that? Possible...but POPStations must be widely available. And in that case, logistic costs could increase for SPOST, and do they need to pay a rental for installing a POPStation in a MRT station or Shopping Mall? Hmmm....maybe more revenue for SMRT/CDG or CMA
(17-04-2013, 10:46 AM)Ben Wrote: [ -> ]This initiative will certainty delight customers, but will it benefit SPOST financially? Is revenue going to increase just because it is now easier to retrieve a parcel? Are there going to be costs saving? I don’t think so, on the contrary, I think it will costs more as SPOST has to deliver the parcels to various POPStation locations as compared to customer coming in to a post office now. But to be able to delight a customer is always a good thing and SPOST will be able to differentiate themselves more from their competitors.
Will it benefit SPOST financially? Well, the answer is definitely a big YES.
Previously, paying a postman to deliver the parcel to house, if un-delivered, leave a note, re-deliver to nearest post office, find a place to store it till the addressee arrives, serve him/her to deliver the parcel.
Now, deliver the parcel to nearby POPStation and send the collection note to addressee. Period.
(17-04-2013, 10:55 AM)CityFarmer Wrote: [ -> ] (17-04-2013, 10:46 AM)Ben Wrote: [ -> ]This initiative will certainty delight customers, but will it benefit SPOST financially? Is revenue going to increase just because it is now easier to retrieve a parcel? Are there going to be costs saving? I don’t think so, on the contrary, I think it will costs more as SPOST has to deliver the parcels to various POPStation locations as compared to customer coming in to a post office now. But to be able to delight a customer is always a good thing and SPOST will be able to differentiate themselves more from their competitors.
Will it benefit SPOST financially? Well, the answer is definitely a big YES.
Previously, paying a postman to deliver the parcel to house, if un-delivered, leave a note, re-deliver to nearest post office, find a place to store it till the addressee arrives, serve him/her to deliver the parcel.
Now, deliver the parcel to nearby POPStation and send the collection note to addressee. Period.
Yes and No I would say, not able to quantify precisely at this moment. Postman does not deliberately make a trip to deliver a parcel. Instead, parcels are delivered along with other mails when postman makes their daily rounds. But with the new service, I guess a deliberate effort to go to the POPStation is necessary. On top of that, if customers need to be informed of collection via a collection note, then postman still need to deliver the note to the customer’s house regardless. But it was announced that customers will be notified by SMS or email to collect their parcels, so okay, they could be some saving , but now someone need to sit behind a computer and start sending mails and SMS
The key is for SingPost to maintain its competitive advantage by being innovative and customer-centric as compared to its competitors (eg. FedEx). It is defending its market share of parcel deliveries which they had spent a lot on improving its machines to cater to parcels on top of its mail as more people shop online.
(17-04-2013, 11:09 AM)Ben Wrote: [ -> ] (17-04-2013, 10:55 AM)CityFarmer Wrote: [ -> ] (17-04-2013, 10:46 AM)Ben Wrote: [ -> ]This initiative will certainty delight customers, but will it benefit SPOST financially? Is revenue going to increase just because it is now easier to retrieve a parcel? Are there going to be costs saving? I don’t think so, on the contrary, I think it will costs more as SPOST has to deliver the parcels to various POPStation locations as compared to customer coming in to a post office now. But to be able to delight a customer is always a good thing and SPOST will be able to differentiate themselves more from their competitors.
Will it benefit SPOST financially? Well, the answer is definitely a big YES.
Previously, paying a postman to deliver the parcel to house, if un-delivered, leave a note, re-deliver to nearest post office, find a place to store it till the addressee arrives, serve him/her to deliver the parcel.
Now, deliver the parcel to nearby POPStation and send the collection note to addressee. Period.
Yes and No I would say, not able to quantify precisely at this moment. Postman does not deliberately make a trip to deliver a parcel. Instead, parcels are delivered along with other mails when postman makes their daily rounds. But with the new service, I guess a deliberate effort to go to the POPStation is necessary. On top of that, if customers need to be informed of collection via a collection note, then postman still need to deliver the note to the customer’s house regardless. But it was announced that customers will be notified by SMS or email to collect their parcels, so okay, they could be some saving , but now someone need to sit behind a computer and start sending mails and SMS
Well, parcel delivery is quite diff from mail delivery. Mail delivery is one stop at mail boxes for one block, while parcel is house base. Delivery to POPStation is quite similar to mail, one stop for an area.
SMS and email can be automated easily.
Labor cost is the largest expense of SingPost, more than 30% of revenue. Mail delivery is probably the least productive among them.
(17-04-2013, 12:15 PM)CityFarmer Wrote: [ -> ]Well, parcel delivery is quite diff from mail delivery. Mail delivery is one stop at mail boxes for one block, while parcel is house base. Delivery to POPStation is quite similar to mail, one stop for an area.
SMS and email can be automated easily.
Labor cost is the largest expense of SingPost, more than 30% of revenue. Mail delivery is probably the least productive among them.
I believe it will take some time to see the results, they are only piloting at 5 locations for now. End of the day, customers must be able to benefit from it for this to work. Choosing between having the parcel delivered to your doorsteps or having to go out and self collect yourselves, if the price is the same, which would you choose? For those who are seldom at home and always have to go to a post office to collect the parcel, this new option might works.
As for labor cost, is 30% of revenue referring to just postman costs or total labor costs? I believe postman does not earns a high salary, so the net saving may not be significant if we were to less off the investment needed such as IT, extra delivery vans and its maintenance, rental etc.
Having said all these, I agree this is a push towards productivity, and I do hope it will be successful.