Royal Mail in rollout of 25,000 mobiles
Further 70,000 expected to be commissioned in coming years
By Leo King | Published 01:00, 02 October 08
Royal Mail is set to roll out 25,000 mobile devices to post vans.
Customers will have real time delivery tracking of “signed-for” post as a result of the move, Royal Mail said. It will also enable the elimination of paper-based systems, including for taking customer delivery signatures.
Using the technology, delivery staff will also have the ability to map routes and exchange messages with their base locations.
Supply chain firm Intermec will provide the devices, which will be installed by IT services firm CSC as well as subcontractor Blackbay, a mobile working specialist. CSC already maintains Royal Mail’s 42,000 desktop PCs and its servers, as well as developing applications for the company.
A further 70,000 postmen and women who deliver letters and parcels in the regular post service are expected to be equipped with mobile devices in the coming years, in line with plans announced in February.
Robin Dargue, chief information officer at Royal Mail, said the mobile devices would play a part in “increasing our efficiency”. This is particularly important to Royal Mail as competition is widened in the postal marketplace.
Royal Mail is currently undergoing a wider £1.2 billion three-year IT transformation programme promising customer service improvements.
It is also hoping to save £300 million by next year after implementing an SAP e-procurement platform.
