Reduce Operating Expenses by Automating Package Management

architecture - engineering - construction

Reduce Operating Expenses by Automating Package Management

June 13, 2022

A lot has changed in property management in the last twelve months. Now that 2021 is underway and future directions are starting to become a bit clearer, leaders in the property management industry, are seeking out creative new ways to adapt and excel.

Advances in Smart Package Management Solutions Improve the Bottom Line

We are working with many property managers who have identified package management as a primary opportunity to reduce costs and improve operations in 2021. After ending 2020 (a year which reported 44 percent increase in ecommerce) with a blockbuster fourth quarter in which national and regional carriers set a $3 billion parcel holiday season delivery record, it is easy to understand why, for anyone managing a residential building, package management solutions are top of mind.

Adding to that, amid the turbulence of 2020, renters have changed how they prioritize amenities. Renters who completed our December 2020 Multifamily Resident Survey: A Renter’s View told us that package management solutions were among the most important amenities.

Estimate Your Savings with New ROI Tool

The more you know about the hard and soft costs of package management at their properties, the better you can build the financial case for improving operational efficiency and cost savings by automating package management.

Instead of allowing your package management operation to evolve ad hoc, put yourself in the driver’s seat. Use Package Concierge’s ROI Calculator to evaluate how much your current manual process is costing your property.

The calculator assumes that a package requires five minutes of handling time by property staff working 260 days per year (which many properties have told us is a bit conservative). The volume of packages processed per day is assumed to be in the range of 30 to 35 percent of the total number of residents.

We invite you to try the tool based on information you already have at your finger tips:

How many residents?
What’s the hourly rate of property staff?

Consulting with clients who have used our tool, we have jointly identified potential costs that range from $24,667.50 to $41,112.50 per year, making it ripe for an automated solution. With numbers like these, property managers recognize a win-win opportunity, and they want to know more.

Refine ROI Impact with Property-Specific Data

Demonstrating attention to fiscal details and being proactive about improving the bottom line increases owner confidence and respect. Using the initial analysis from the ROI Calculator, we help property managers take the next steps to further define the hard and soft costs of their current methods of package management.

1. Detail hard dollar costs.

Collect property-specific data on the number of deliveries.
Your staff knows much more now than they did a year ago about receiving and managing packages. Ask them to tally how many packages you receive every day for a month. Where does your average fall in the typical range of 30 to 35 percent? Ask the regional and national shippers who deliver to your property for their quarterly reports on the number of deliveries per week and per month to your property.
Review each staff member’s assignments in package management.
Do carriers drop their deliveries at the dock or the door, or do they bring them into a staging area or storage room? Where does the building staff’s responsibility start?

2. Restate soft benefits that could boost the experience for residents and staff.

Ask the staff what they could be doing if they spent less time on package management.
Typically, creating greater efficiency in package management frees up staff time to do things that are seen as value-add by the residents. However, be realistic and credible. When it comes to package management, there will always be some requirement for intervention by property staff.
Ask residents what they expect when it comes to packages. Likely they will tell you they want convenience and self-service, flexibility and security, plus safe access and contactless social distancing. That translates into 24/7 onsite access, online notification, and barcode scanning. Residents want to know their packages are secure while they are off at work or traveling and accessible no matter when they return home.
Spell out the pain points that smart package management eliminates. For your residents, receiving a package is an everyday part of life. Make it hassle-free by anticipating common issues like lost packages due to carrier error, delayed resident retrieval or notification, or disorganized room storage. Establish reasonable and friendly rules for package storage, with reminders that it is a temporary package locker, not a safe deposit box.

3. Evaluate appropriate smart locker solutions for your environment.

Configure a solution to meet your needs now that can be reconfigured if your needs change.
It is a misconception that smart lockers for package management require massive installations. Properties typically install systems to handle about 30 percent of their residents, based on the planning percentage of residents who receive packages on an average day. Our flexible package solutions are available in a range of sizes, with features that meet a variety of needs. There are self-service options for every environment, from apartment lockers to access-controlled package rooms.
Seek advice from the experts.
We have a consultative relationship with our customers. Our advice isn’t limited to your smart storage configuration. We learn best practices in property management as we are designing efficient and cost-effective automated locker solutions for our partners from coast to coast. We can provide package management operating tips that have been property-tested in multifamily residences across the country. We help our clients configure systems that plan for averages with the wisdom to manage peaks.

Automating package management with a self-serve package locker system can save time and money. Savvy property managers seek to quantify those benefits and demonstrate improved ROI with the help of our modeling tool and hands-on expertise.

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Company: Package Concierge®