As a mailroom manager for largescale organizations or university campuses, you may be all too familiar with software integration difficulties. As facilities management technology continues to evolve, it can be frustrating to ensure that all your resources work cohesively. By utilizing updated carrier integrations such as UPS Quantum View, FedEx Insight, and USPS Partner Delivery, you have complete accountability of chain-of-custody on all mail and packages as they move from these carriers to your mailroom. Here, the in-building logistics experts at SCLogic discuss the various benefits of carrier integrations and how our campus and facility logistics software, Intra, can help.

Carrier Integrations Allow for Advanced Forecasting

One of the major pain points for many facilities managers is organizing their daily workload and allocating responsibilities amongst mailroom employees. All too often, mailrooms are not equipped with the proper software or insights to have documents regarding the volume of packages coming into their mailroom each day. With carrier integrations such as UPS Quantum View, this pain point is eliminated and replaced with detailed reporting and a streamlined workflow for your employees. Through this integration, you will be able to plan tomorrow’s schedule by anticipating package volumes and adjusting workloads accordingly. Not only does this provide a sense of relief knowing you have insight into the day ahead, but it eliminates frustration knowing you can staff adequately.

Furthermore, carrier integrations such as UPS Quantum View provide a level of accuracy in reporting and supply chain management, ensuring that each party is held accountable. For example, if you pull a report for the day ahead saying that your mailroom will be receiving 260 packages that day, but you only end up receiving 145, you are then able to provide this report to the carrier and inquire about the remainder of your packages. This not only improves efficiency but helps to prevent potential issues of lost or misplaced packages for your employees, students, or faculty.

Carrier Integrations Improve Data Accuracy in Receiving & Shipping

In addition to the insight and reporting that many carrier integrations provide, they also improve data entry and modernize inbound receiving and outbound shipping processes. When a package is scanned using our integration with UPS Quantum View or FedEx Insight, the data entered by the shipper is automatically populated into Intra, allowing you to gather more data with less work and improve the accuracy of the data you already have without changing your process. This is a massive benefit for both enterprise and campus logistics managers, reducing human error and potential loss of packages.

Not only is this data beneficial for getting packages to the end-user, but it can also be a fantastic tool in helping you measure KPIs internally and monitor SLAs with your carriers. Our Carrier Audit feature allows you to pull reports showing information, including the carrier service, estimated delivery date, and actual delivery date. These reports provide tangible documentation for your mailroom so that you can discuss any gaps in delivery with your carriers and create an effective solution quickly. This also allows your mailroom to show stakeholders the success of your processes, ensuring that you are not blamed for any inefficiencies from your carriers.

Carrier Integrations Streamline Workflows for University Campuses

As a university logistics manager, your days are often filled with reactivity. Student packages being misplaced, an overflow of mail that has not been picked up, and a lack of student and faculty data to assist with package tracking and forwarding. As universities navigate hybrid learning and alternative protocols amid COVID-19, it can feel almost impossible to find a comprehensive and organized solution. As a result, SCLogic and USPS have come together to form an integrated last-mile solution for university campuses. With the Delivery Partner Program, packages are sorted and scanned out within USPS to be taken to the university campus.

Incoming package information is generated and sent to the university. As the USPS courier delivers packages, they are received into the Intra EDU database, barcodes are scanned, and an email or text notification is automatically sent to the student or faculty member. Finally, students and faculty will come to pick up their package, which can be retrieved manually, or through one of our additional features such as intelligent lockers or kiosks. After pickup, a full status report is generated and sent back to USPS to complete the accountability loop.

By utilizing carrier integrations with Intra EDU for universities, accountability and efficiency are always at the forefront. Suppose you are currently using our campus logistics software but were unfamiliar with our integrations. In that case, we encourage you to schedule a demo with our team so we can show you just how productive your mailroom can be. As vaccination continues across the country, universities are gearing up for an influx of students next year. It’s our job to make sure that your mailroom can handle it with ease.

Why You Should Consider Improving Your Intra Subscription With Carrier Integrations

If you have been using Intra for any length of time, you know that our team is adamant about making sure each piece of our software works together effortlessly. This holds true with our carrier integrations, creating an accountability loop with all major carriers that provide your mailroom with data, reporting, and tools to help you save time and money, as well as improve efficiency. To learn more about the benefits of carrier integrations and how our team can assist you, contact us or schedule a demo today.