Mail Center Management

The e-commerce boom has changed student buying habits. Many schools are learning how to receive, sort and deliver an exponentially higher number of packages, quickly and accurately, to thousands of students every day. This high volume of incoming packages is the new normal that is straining campus mailing services, increasing operating expenses and overwhelming mail center employees.

Smart mail center managers cope via tracking systems. No more handwritten package-delivery notices. An inbound package tracking system scans packages the second they arrive, prints a barcoded label for the package and generates an email notice for the student recipient. Students receive the email in real time, which encourages fast pickup and reduces the amount of time that packages pile up in your mail center.

An inbound package tracking system also gives you another huge benefit: real-time data. You can see the exact number of packages your mail center receives daily by carrier as well as the amount of time a package sits in your mail center before a student picks it up. Instant data at your fingertips translates into stronger reporting up to management.

Finding packages during the pick-up process gets easier, too. Packages with barcode labels facing out can be stacked to maximize shelf space and can be accessed easily for checkpoints in the process. Plus, barcode tracking reduces the number of lost or missing inbound packages to almost zero.

Grab end-to-end control by automating your inbound parcel management today. Who wins? You. Your mail center staff. And, most importantly, your school’s students.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Christopher M. O'Brien is executive vice president, Communication and Shipping Solutions, for Neopost USA (www.neopostusa.com). He can be reached at [email protected] or 203/301-3400.

Featured

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.