16 August 2012

All delivery staff at AN Post, Ireland’s national postal operator, have been equipped with Intermec CN50 handheld computers as part of a project to introduce an electronic proof of delivery system across the board.

The organisation is said to be the first of its kind in the world to introduce an ePOD system for its entire postal delivery workforce, whether they work on foot, on cycles or in vans.

The project has been managed by Zetes, which also developed the mobile application for An Post. This features in-vehicle scanning, "mini-track and trace" and real-time traceability of consignments. Zetes is also providing a three-year managed service, which includes next-day replacement of faulty devices, remote device management, application support and IT service management.

Zetes says the project had four key objectives: to improve customer experience by providing real-time tracking data; to reduce the manual administration required for POD cards; to keep AN Post at the forefront of mobile technology; and to reduce paper consumption.

Home shopping has provided a spur to the investment, according to AN Post’s mails operations director Liam O’Sullivan. "As the volume of e-commerce transactions continues to rise," he says, "being able to offer this level of service to all our customers for deliveries or returns is a big differentiator for us."

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