Notes

ABOUT BPOST -
bpost (or Belgium Post) is a postal organization that serves over 4.5 million households across Europe. The company is responsible for delivering over 150,000 parcels every single day using a fleet of 8,000+ vehicles.

CONTEXT -
Once a parcel is picked up for delivery, it is either transferred, stored or sorted at multiple hubs, terminals and delivery centers before finally proceeding for last mile delivery (i.e. the customer’s doorstep). The issue bpost is faced with pertains to being able to uniquely identify a single parcel from a heap of other parcels (typically for exception management). Solving this issue requires parcels to be sorted, stored and transferred in a specific sequence - which is currently not the case. Additionally, when the delivery person arrives at the customer’s doorstep, identifying the right parcel to be delivered at that address involves a time consuming process of manually sorting through a heap of parcels - one at a time.

CHALLENGE -
In simple terms, bpost is looking to come up with an innovative solution to help them quickly and easily identify a specific parcel. The solution can be IT-based or non IT-based. However, a crucial aspect is that the specific parcel should possess the ability to alert delivery personnel to its presence and precise location.
For example, the solution can be IoT-based - such as attaching a reusable, rugged sensor that is small - and cheap - to the parcels. Alternatively, it can be a sort of ‘magic’ ink that, when sprayed on a parcel, adds a specific color for easy identification. It could be a type of smart fabric. We’ll leave it to your imagination.

HOW DOES THIS HELP BPOST?
Solving this critical challenge will deliver huge operational efficiency for bpost. With 8,000+ vehicles delivering more than 150,000 of parcels every day, an average saving of just 1 minute for each parcel delivery at the customer’s doorstep will substantially boost the efficiency of delivery operations. Moreover, the precise visibility and accountability of each parcel at hubs, terminals and delivery centers could bring in considerable reduction in parcel handling times, which, again, will contribute to increased operational efficiency.