Americans have experienced some of the most jarring months in modern history. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted every aspect of our lives. Businesses have had to rethink how they interact with their workforce critically, and logistics departments are no exception. Mail centers have done their best to reduce the amount of human interaction between delivery personnel and employees. One of the many strategies companies are employing to reduce potential COVID spread is to create contactless delivery options. Here are three examples of how companies are reducing human-to-human contact in their logistics processes.

24 Hour Quarantine

The 24-hour quarantine method is among the more straightforward strategies for a company to implore when it comes to receivables. To use this method, a facility must first dedicate an area for quarantining mail and packages. Once you designate a dedicated space, you must allow all incoming items to remain in that space for 24 hours (or whatever time frame you choose) to ensure sterilization.

Intelligent Lockers

Package deliveries present the most direct opportunity for human interaction and potential COVID spread. Integrated Intelligent Lockers provide a secure and safe alternative vehicle for delivering goods. Using sophisticated in-building logistics software, delivery staff can transfer a package to an assigned locker, let it sit for 24-hours for sterilization, and send an electronic notification to its recipient for pick-up. Intelligent locker delivery eliminates the opportunity for human transmission and minimizes the chance for surface transmission.

Kiosk Use & Remote Location Pick-Up

Mail centers have a particularly difficult task in that they must reduce the use of their service windows. Fortunately, kiosks have been an innovative way to engage in the pick-up process of mail and packages and other central services. Kiosks work in conjunction with remote pick-up locations, which allows a recipient to forgo a person-to-person package transfer and safely retrieve their package at a remote location within a mail center. People would swipe their ID cards to access the kiosk to see if they have any packages available and designate if they want to pick them up now or later. The recipient will receive a notification when their package is in the pick-up area, eliminating in-person interaction and the number of people in the mail center.

Are you utilizing contactless delivery methods in your facility? Let us know in the comments section below or by visiting the contact page of our website.