How to Handle High-Volume Parcel Intake?

Mailrooms and reception areas were once quiet, predictable spaces. Not anymore. With the explosive growth of e-commerce, these hubs are now at the mercy of a daily parcel surge, a logistical concern that can bring workflows to a grinding halt. When a single day can see a 93.7% surge in parcels during Black Friday or a 184% increase during student move-in, traditional methods simply can’t keep up.

Aside from being an inconvenience, this situation is a drain on resources and a source of constant frustration. University or property staff spend hours handwriting package details, while students, residents, or employees wait anxiously for notifications. Lost packages, endless inquiries, and cluttered mailrooms become the norm, breaking trust and confidence.

The good news? You can transform this disorganized pain point into a well-oiled system. The secret lies not in hiring more people, but in leveraging the right technology.

When the Floodgates Open: High-Volume Situations

The first step to solving a problem is understanding its cause. For many organizations, the high-volume challenge isn't a constant, but a seasonal or situational event. For instance, student accommodations experience this seasonal surge. During the first few weeks of term, sites like Vita Group can be deluged with 100-200 parcels daily, a figure that spikes even higher during peak move-in periods.

Another major driver is the e-commerce peak season, marked by holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). Parcel volumes can nearly double in a matter of days, overwhelming unprepared mailrooms. This isn't just a challenge for residential properties, but modern workplaces also face a workplace package boom, as personal deliveries add to the daily strain on administrative staff.

The Tech-Driven Solution

Manual processes are the main culprit behind this chaos. Logging each package by hand on a spreadsheet is slow and error-prone. Posting package details on a board is also tedious. These are outdated methods that waste valuable staff hours. A modern parcel management system, like Parcel Tracker, eliminates these inefficiencies with a suite of powerful, automated features.

With Parcel Tracker, staff can perform a single scan of a parcel label with any smartphone or tablet to instantly log the package. This simple step is a game-changer, making parcel processing up to 3.6x faster as seen at Greenwich Creekside, which achieved 750 hours of annual time savings. At AXO Student Living, staff noted that parcel processing time was reduced by approximately 80%, resulting in an estimated 1,615 hours saved annually.

Once a parcel is logged, the system automatically sends a notification to the recipient via email or SMS. This frees up staff from the tedious task of manually tracking down recipients and fielding endless inquiries. As Carly D., an Assistant Residence Manager at Vita Group, said, "The amount of time that it saved while still being efficient with the parcels, it just made perfect sense."

In addition to providing speed, a tech solution ensures an unbreakable chain of custody. Every delivery is time-stamped, and proof of delivery is captured digitally through a signature or a photo. This creates a secure, auditable record that eliminates lost parcels and the disputes they cause. You can also leverage centralized analytics to monitor parcel flows and identify bottlenecks, enabling you to optimize your operations for maximum efficiency continually.

Why Parcel Tracker Works?

Parcel Tracker is a platform built for simplicity and scale. It works on any existing device, meaning there's no expensive hardware to buy or complicated systems to install. Our software is designed to handle the sheer volume of peak seasons with zero stress, helping you provide a seamless, five-star service to your residents, tenants, or employees.

The results speak for themselves. Going back to Vita Group, they now serve over 9,600 recipients and achieve a total annual time saving of 24,960 hours with our solution. This allowed them to redirect staff time toward enhancing the customer experience, leading to an increase in rebooking.

Empowering Your Organization to Thrive

High-volume parcel intake is a modern challenge, but it doesn't have to be a source of chaos. By embracing the right technology, you can streamline your operations, empower your staff, and create a better experience for everyone. Proper mailroom management is a cost-saver and an advantage.

Ready to take control of your parcel flow? Learn how our mailroom management software can transform how you handle high-volume parcel intake.