As technology evolves, the demand for efficient mailroom management systems becomes increasingly prevalent – especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. As more people are turning to the online marketplace for their shopping needs, businesses and property managers alike must implement strategies to maintain efficiency during an influx of client demand. Utilizing PropTech such as mailroom management software can be monumental in improving their tenant’s experience and refining the online shopping experience.
It is no secret that staying home during a pandemic has increased the demand for online shopping – compared to March 2019, there was a 74% increase in online shopping by March 2020, and data suggests this trend will continue.
Figure 1: Data from Parcel Tracker 2020-2021 Usage
The two main groups observed within this trend have been current e-commerce shoppers who are increasing their online shopping, and new shoppers entering the e-commerce world such as the elderly. Regardless, online shopping is here to stay, and an increased demand must be accommodated.
Mailrooms In Residential Buildings: The Tenant Experience
Property managers in residential buildings serve to provide a positive experience for tenants, including the successful distribution of packages they order online. When an online shopper successfully receives a parcel at home, they subconsciously attribute this happiness to the distributor as well as their living complex, so it is important to ensure seamless completion of the delivery.
This influx of deliveries is especially challenging in residential buildings with receptions that hold packages in a mailroom where the tenants must retrieve them. During Work-From-Home conditions these deliveries were collected consistently, but now that people are returning to the office, the volume of packages being held is building up, and this issue is only going to increase. It is critical to have an efficient system in place to avoid losing packages and holding the packages in a mailroom for an extended period. As online shopping increases, the demand for efficient mailroom management follows. Though this is a challenge, there is an opportunity for landlords to create efficient systems that maintain an excellent experience for the tenant.
How Landlords Can Accommodate For Increased Online Shopping
Accommodations must be made to maintain customer satisfaction throughout the online shopping experience. On the distributor side of the transaction, companies like Amazon embraced the opportunity, hiring more than 175,000 warehouse workers in 2020 to accommodate for increased demand. Similarly, a mailroom management software must be implemented in residential buildings to guarantee the same service is honored.
Traditionally companies used a paper logbook in their mailrooms, which eventually evolved to an electronic log using excel spreadsheets. While this method improves efficiency, the best option to manage and distribute packages would be to invest in mailroom management software. Each mailroom functions differently and can benefit from a system to improve the efficiency of parcel management.
Figure 2: Data from Parcel Tracker 2020-2021 motions in study
Parcel management systems have many features that allow time-saving strategies within the mailroom. A label scanner or phone with mobile application extracts the name from a package, even when it is handwritten, which avoids paper records. Upon scanning, users can automatically notify the shopper that their package has arrived, as well as allowing them to electronically sign or use a QR code. By utilizing these features in the residential mailroom, parcel tracking becomes organized and automated, maintaining an enjoyable online shopping experience for tenants.
