Swiss Post has completed the upgrade for its Frauenfeld parcel center in the northeast of Switzerland, increasing its hourly sorting capacity by 25%.
The upgrade is part of a CHF60m (US$60.5m) project to increase the sorting capacity at three of Swiss Post’s parcel centers including additional locations at Härkingen and Daillens. Swiss Post completed the upgrade to the Härkingen parcel center in autumn 2014 whereas work began in Daillens in summer 2015.
The Frauenfeld parcel center was originally capable of sorting up to 20,000 parcels per hour with conveyer speeds of up to 1.7m/s (5.6ft/s). The new conveyer and sorting system has increased the capacity to 25,000 parcels per hour and is capable of belt speeds of 2.5m/s (8.2ft/s). Parts of the new system can also be shut down during quieter periods, leading to energy savings of up to 80%.
Parcel volumes in Switzerland have been steadily increasing in recent years with Swiss Post delivering a record 112 million packages in 2014. At peak times such as the Christmas period, over one million parcels are handled every day.
The sorting center upgrades are part of Swiss Post’s ongoing e-commerce strategy. This includes new services that offer customers even more flexibility when receiving and sending their parcels. For example, customers can now request a second attempted delivery in the evening for missed consignments.
Another new feature is a single Swiss Post login that allows customers to register in various online shops. This means that personal data and delivery addresses only need to be entered once. The network of My Post 24 parcel lockers and services are also being expanded. During the course of 2016, Swiss Post will also launch the individual management of parcels and registered letters.
October 29, 2015