Royal Mail has chosen Zebra Technologies as the provider of its new hand-held devices, called Postal Digital Assistants (PDAs), following a supplier selection process led by BT.
The provision of the 76,000 next-generation TC75 devices is at the centre of a £130 million technology investment programme which will be implemented over five years. The investment is part of Royal Mail's budgeted expenditure.
The PDA investment will transform operational efficiency in the processing, delivery and collection services of Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide. Roll-out of the devices will begin in summer 2015.
The new next-generation TC75 devices will:
Improve customer service by providing sender and recipient with greater visibility on the journey of their parcels. The PDA will be used to scan all barcoded items from processing to delivery
Deliver a better customer experience on the doorstep as a result of the larger HD screen with improved signature capture technology
Increase operational productivity with faster scanning, extended 10-hour battery life and robust, lightweight units.
Zebra Technologies was selected following a competitive process and extensive laboratory testing by frontline staff and across multiple scenarios to ensure the suitability of the technology.
The supplier selection and procurement process was led by BT on behalf of Royal Mail, and forms part of its managed service agreement with Royal Mail. BT will also provide on-going maintenance for the devices through its Field Force Automation service.
The new PDAs and technology is aligned with Royal Mail's investment in automated parcel sortation, which also involves scanning technology and is being rolled out at around 20 of the UK's busiest Mail Centres.
Commenting on the appointment, Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said: "This is an exciting phase in the transformation of our parcels service. The launch of our new hand-held devices will deliver immediate impact for our customers, and our postmen and women. We are pleased to be supported by Zebra and BT as Royal Mail continues to innovate and preserve our leading position in the UK parcels market."
Emer Timmons, President, BT Global Services UK, commented: "Businesses perform best when their people and technology work in harmony to achieve their goals. So we worked with Royal Mail to understand the needs of its postmen and women and used this insight to test competing devices. We found that Zebra's TC75 was an excellent match and our BT Field Force Automation team is now looking forward to rolling it out with Royal Mail nationwide."
Anders Gustafsson, Chief Executive Officer, at Zebra Technologies, added: "The TC75 enterprise mobile computer, designed for field service and direct delivery use, will help Royal Mail achieve its goal to provide mobility to its staff while improving the quality of services and the handling of registered mail and parcels. This is a key milestone in our long-term relationship with BT and Royal Mail, and we are confident in the benefits this solution will provide Royal Mail in achieving enterprise asset intelligence."
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