Escher Group, a provider of point of service software, has revealed the results of its Future of Posts 2019 postal industry survey. The survey, which was compiled using feedback from postal leaders in 32 countries worldwide, highlighted the increasingly important roles that technology and the customer experience are playing in the development of new postal strategies.
The survey revealed that 91% of posts have or are planning to install self-service kiosks, while 65% already offer services such as bill paying, stamps and package pick-up, or plan to offer such services in the next 12 months.
Digital transformation is also enabling posts to better understand their customers. The Future of Posts 2019 survey found that 94% of posts either use or plan to use data analytics for customer awareness. Furthermore, 92% of posts believe digital solutions play an important role in improving branch productivity, and when it comes to success over the next five years, parcels will be the most important service according to 90% of posts.
E-commerce will continue to have a significant impact on postal operators according to 83% of participants, and 68% of posts plan to add POS channels in the next five years. Finally, 83% of posts plan to equip some or all of their mail carriers with mobile devices to facilitate transactions on-the-go and optimize their routes
“The results of our survey back up the fact that the postal industry is undergoing massive changes due to competitive pressures,” said Nick Manolis, CEO of Escher. “We will continue to see posts innovate – putting the customer first by providing an immersive customer experience. We will also see the adoption of innovative technology that assists postal workers in handling the influx of parcel volumes over the next five years.”