How mailroom management software improves employee experience
Doorstep package theft is on the rise. A Wakefield Research study found that one in four people have had a package stolen and almost half know someone who’s been the victim of package theft. These numbers are even higher among Millennials, with one in three losing a package to theft and nearly 60% knowing someone who has.
It’s no wonder, then, that people are increasingly having personal packages delivered to work. This is, of course, a way more secure option and means employees don’t need to take time off or work remotely just to be home for a delivery. Unfortunately, without the right workplace technology in place, more packages delivered to work can mean:
- A lot more work for whoever manages deliveries — often the office manager, front desk staff, or mailroom employees
- More piles of packages, creating clutter in reception
- Greater chances of important packages being misplaced
Thankfully, digital delivery management can help. Learn how mailroom management software can streamline your office’s deliveries system, improving the workplace experience for everyone.
The porch pirate phenomenon and the impact on employee experience
Porch pirates are thieves who snatch packages from peoples’ doorsteps. Generally an opportunistic crime, porch pirates typically walk by a house with a package and spontaneously nab it. However, some porch pirates actually follow delivery trucks through neighborhoods, stealing packages as soon as they’re delivered. Nationally, the rate of packages stolen is 17 incidents per 1,000 people. However, this is highest in the San Francisco Bay Area at 24.2 incidents per 1,000 people.
Online shoppers have devised a number of ways to try and keep their packages safe. Strategies include requesting delivery drivers leave packages somewhere less visible from the street, installing security cameras, or arranging to stay home from work to receive a package.
However, none of these tactics are foolproof. Delivery drivers don’t always follow instructions. Video cameras aren’t always a deterrent and recording a theft on video is no guarantee the police will catch the culprit. Plus, packages can be stolen in minutes, even if someone is home.
That’s why having packages delivered to work is the wisest option. And with the deluge of personal and professional deliveries going to your workplace, it’s important to take the burden off your front desk staff and streamline the process with mailroom management software.
What is mailroom management software?
Mailroom management software is a digital, delivery management system for workplaces. Office managers, front desk staff, or mailroom employees can use this software to quickly and easily scan packages and automatically let employees know that their delivery has arrived. Using a digital system is way more efficient and streamlined than manually managing deliveries which can be very time-consuming.
How does delivery management software improve workplace experience?
Two-thirds of employees have expectations around what will happen once their packages arrive at their office. They want to be notified when their package has been delivered, know where to collect it, and for their package to be safely stored until they can pick it up.
Traditionally, office managers or front desk staff have managed this process manually. However, with the significant uptick in online shopping and more packages being delivered to work, this has become a big drain on these employees’ time.
Using a mailroom management app improves the employee experience in the following four ways:
1. Huge time saver
It takes about ten minutes to manually handle each delivery, from receiving the package to handing it over to its recipient. Mailroom management software automates everything, making this entire process a breeze and reducing the handling time to a mere 31 seconds per package. This represents a sizable reduction in manual work for your office manager, reception staff, or mailroom employees, who can focus on more meaningful projects.
2. Automatic notifications result in less clutter
A quality delivery management app sends an automatic notification to let employees know their package has arrived. This creates a delightful workplace experience for employees who enjoy receiving these automatic alerts. A happy consequence is that they’re actually more likely to pick up their package promptly—usually within twenty-four hours—which means there are fewer deliveries sitting, waiting to be collected. And that means a less cluttered office.
3. Employees know where to go
Automatic alerts tell employees where to pick up their package so they can easily collect it themselves. They no longer need to wander around, searching for where an important package has been stored.
4. Digital paper trail is more secure
With mailroom management software, employees simply sign for their packages on an iPad kiosk. This creates a digital paper trail, making it easy to keep track of who has picked up each delivery. This is especially important in terms of tracking employees’ high-priority packages like work laptops, business cards, and thank you gifts for team members or customers.
Secure workplace deliveries let employees focus — and not worry about package theft
If your employees have a personal delivery sitting outside their home while they’re at work, they might be a little distracted, concerned that it could get stolen. This is especially the case if the package contains something valuable or important. They may even leave work early to collect their package before a porch pirate does.
Allowing employees to have personal packaged delivered to the workplace is a more secure option which improves employee experience. Increasingly, people are doing just that. A Wakefield Research workplace experience survey of 1,000 office workers found that 69% of respondents have had at least one personal package delivered to them at work. Sixty-three percent have packages delivered to work because they’re not home during delivery windows and half cited security concerns.
Get more tips on how mailroom management software can help to create a better workplace experience for employees.