KTSM Technologies

Tag: User interface

  • Brainstorm how to build the optimal locker capacity feature.

    Brainstorm how to build the optimal locker capacity feature.

    In times when new technologies such as self-learning optimization software and AI are leading innovation, we wonder how we could use similar intelligence to transform our industry—especially seeing that while Lockers are great for future-proof OOH delivery, they have challenges of their own. Lockers have limited space, and especially shared lockers are unpredictable. As a result, couriers cope with parcel overflow, which causes inefficient re-routing of parcels, resulting in higher CO2 emissions and increased costs. For customers, full lockers are also frustrating. Space for in-door lockers is also not endless. We have to look at how we can optimize the locker space and use each compartment best. It got our R&D heads spinning; could we expand our software with an intelligent locker capacity feature?

    In this article, you get a glimpse into our thought process. A well-thought-out reservation feature that maintains the agnostic nature of the system can lead to a future of truly smart capacity optimization.

    The base for a locker capacity feature lies in empowering smart capacity booking

    Let’s start our brainstorming from a simple base: What if we developed the ability to reserve compartments? One of the biggest advantages of reserving is the ability to plan what to deliver. By allowing couriers to announce their parcels ahead of time and reserve part of the locker space, they know exactly which parcels to take where before departing from sorting centers. By securing reservations, we can prevent instances of overflow. This means fewer instances where parcels need to be redirected to different locations, thus streamlining the entire delivery process.

    Moreover, when we use lockers efficiently through the capacity reservation, it can prevent out-of-route kilometres. Couriers can plan their deliveries with certainty, ensuring that they do not waste time and resources on unnecessary detours. This optimized route planning reduces the carbon footprint of the entire delivery process, leading to lower CO2 emissions and a positive impact on the environment.

    How to maintain the agnostic nature of a locker when developing a locker capacity feature

    For agnostic parcel lockers, maintaining their neutral nature is the most important. In developing a reservation feature for agnostic lockers, we have to make sure that it does not compromise the shared nature of the system and treats all connected partners fairly. Here are some key considerations for our design brainstorm.

    1. The reservation feature should follow industry standards to ensure compatibility with all major courier services.
    2. The announcements of parcel loads should be timed fairly, or we should realize a type of split within the system set to a maximum amount of compartments reservable per operator.

    By following widely accepted protocols and levelling / partly restricting reservation freedom, we can protect the agnostic nature of the lockers, allowing seamless integration with diverse courier networks.

    What else?

    1. Data security, of course. The software should have the ability to set up clear data separation and a locker space split. Not only to uphold GDPR standards but also to ensure innovations in retail or sustainability can continue to be part of the locker ecosystem. In a way, we have to allocate a suitable amount of space and compartments per service or feature.
    2. The reservation feature should be designed to accommodate future advancements in technology and capacity optimization. A scalable and adaptable design ensures that the system remains relevant and functional as the delivery landscape evolves.

    Last of all, what about consumers? If all compartments are reserved and thus blocked for use, customer experience plummets.

    1. Compartments reserved yet empty should be categorized per courier company. The empty compartments should remain accessible for customers’ returns or shipments. Reservations should also be kept for only a limited amount of time.

    With the base considered, let’s add a dash of innovation.

    The integration of capacity reservation in agnostic lockers is just the beginning of our journey toward smarter capacity optimization. As the technology evolves, our R&D heads are already spinning up a 2.0 version of our capacity feature that considers various factors for an even better ecosystem. What could we have our system learn and track to optimize itself over time?

    1. Predicting consumer behavioural patterns: Setting up advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze consumer behaviour and predict peak usage times. By understanding when lockers are most likely used, the system can allocate capacity accordingly, reducing the risk of overflow. It could also send timely suggestions for a better split of reservation requests. 
    2. Inter-ecosystem communication. Instead of looking at locations in isolation, we should approach capacity management as a network tool. Having locations share capacity updates dynamically. The system could come up with alternative distributions of parcels to create the optimal level of capacity guarantee. These suggestions could incorporate consumer feedback either given in advance at check out or requested in real-time.  
    3. Courier schedules: Integrating real-time courier schedules enables the system to optimize the delivery routes based on courier availability and workload, further streamlining the delivery process.
    4. Integrating traffic updates and route planning: Incorporating live traffic updates and intelligent route planning can help couriers avoid congested areas, reducing delivery time and CO2 emissions.
    5. Weather forecasting: Imagine we could protect our customers from biking through the rain. Systems could suggest the best time frame to pick up parcels with the lowest chance of needing an umbrella.
    6. Overselling capacity especially optimized around the peak season: A truly smart capacity optimization system can ideally oversell capacity based on historical usage patterns and predictive models. This approach minimizes instances of unused capacity and maximizes locker utilization, benefiting both courier companies and locker operators. Especially during the peak season, we have to use our machines the best we can.

    Will it be worth it? Benefits of launching capacity reservation or optimization features across an ecosystem of agnostic lockers

    Having a network of agnostic lockers across a city, all utilizing the same technology and capacity reservation feature, offers huge advantages:

    Seamless capacity sharing: A network is stronger when connected. With capacity data sharing among lockers, an overflowing locker can automatically suggest forwarding overflow to nearby lockers within the ecosystem. This ensures that no parcels are left stranded, providing an unmatched reliable service.

    Resource optimization: Shared data enables better resource management, allowing locker operators to allocate resources efficiently and cater to varying demands in different areas, for example, retail solutions. 

    Optimal revenue potential: By implementing capacity intelligence across a network, the network can reach its highest capacity potential, and so increase the revenue of network operators. 

    Enhanced user experience: There is nothing more frustrating than having your parcel re-routed to an inconvenient location or postponed for delivery. If we part-eliminate these events and, where impossible to eliminate, notify the customer in time, maybe even ask for their preferred re-direction location, we can achieve unmet customer satisfaction, encouraging more consumers to use these smart lockers for their deliveries.

    All in all, with the proper consideration, a deep understanding of how locker networks work and are used, and a dash of tech brilliance, we could build a better ecosystem.

    Do you have some final words? Well… yea

    Developing a locker capacity feature in agnostic parcel lockers is the next best step towards smarter capacity optimization in last-mile delivery. It pushes beyond the boundaries of lockers (something we love doing at Smartmile). By reducing parcel overflow, re-routing, and CO2 emissions, the reservation feature could bring undeniable benefits to courier companies, consumers, and the environment.

    We are thrilled to share that we have secretly started on this journey. But this is, of course, incredibly secret stuff;). Learning lots from our Courier partners, we started out developing unique system capabilities for our secret sauce. With this article, you get a glimpse of what is going on inside our magic minds.

    Let’s join forces and embrace the power of modern technology, break free from the constraints of the past, and create a future where delivery is a true asset to us all.  Follow our updates on Linkedin or read our past blog posts to bridge the time!

  • A look Behind the screens.

    A look Behind the screens.

    What happens behind that smooth and functional User Interface?

    We’ve created something new, and you might have to use it.

    And even though you didn’t explicitly ask us to upgrade our system, we still picked up on concerns, feedback and conversations we received. From you, your neighbour or maybe even a family member of yours. We want to ensure that using the Smartmile hubs will be as easy as possible.

    Even though the biggest visible change is our machines’ design and looks, much more has changed. So let’s look at the ‘behind the scenes or actually ‘behind the screens’ since that’s even more accurate. 

    Let’s start with why we felt it was important to change our current User interface. In the years that we’ve existed, we have been improving the front and back end to ensure our systems run conveniently on a day-to-day basis. Last year we made big changes to our back end, and this year, we focused on finalising the front end. You can use the hubs to collect, send or even return your parcels, and couriers use the hubs to deliver or pick up parcels. And we hope to create a pleasant experience for you while using our machines.

    Step 1: “Stop, look & listen” – Donna Summer 

    The User Interface worked and looked okay, but we don’t want to be told ‘you’re looking okay.
    Who doesn’t want to be called stunning and good-looking? That is why we wanted our new User Interface to sweep you off your feet and make you fall in love with us a bit more.

    Secondly, we wanted to listen to you. No matter if that ‘you’ is a consumer, supplier, courier or even a potential future partner or investor. 

    So after launching our previous User Interface, we started to listen to all the given concerns and write down any feedback we received to develop our front-end 2.0. 

    To do so, we had to work as a team. Sounds logical, but have you ever thought about the complete process of optimising a consumer experience? We didn’t just change a few colours and buttons.

    We asked our customer service, the heroes you might have spoken to on the phone or in an email, to give us a clear insight into all the feedback and concerns they have collected over the years.

    This combined gave us a good start, so we could focus on specific aspects and pain points to improve.

    “We’ve received some calls over time concerning the customer journey. Some customers found it unclear what to do when they picked a compartment that was too small and got confused by the interface.” 

    – Laila, our Customer Service queen.

    So in the flow design, we focused on making the interface self-explanatory, keeping instructions minimal and instinctive yet effective. We compared all flows against repeated customer feedback. So step one, optimising flows and simple directions done.

    Step 2: Getting that interface looking and feeling all fly

    This is where our marketing and brand team came in. To make sure that we could improve our current user experience, they designed a new and improved interface that would clear up any potential confusion and put the focus on the task at hand from the user. So they developed a design to make every process as clear as possible. 

    “I wanted to keep the design simple, cutting down any visual clutter. When it comes to flow and experience, we played with instinctive more than directive design. We tested different versions many times in different cultural contexts, supported by the information we received from the users themselves.”

    – Michelle, Head of global Marketing and Brand.

    Apart from even better looks, which we improved on our machines, there is a lot of functionality behind it. To ensure that any consumer or courier has the most efficient User Interface, we designed a clear button that sets the interface apart for couriers and consumers. If you’re a courier, you click on the button for couriers, and you’re on your way to fill in your credentials and start loading the parcels in the machine. 

    Are you a consumer? Just click on the action you want, and the machine will do the rest. Pick up your parcel? Just click the button. Return your package? Click Return. Are you sending a parcel to a new owner? No problem, just click send. 

    Any screen that follows will show you clearly what to do and how to do it. 

    We need our amazing tech team to make this beautiful design usable on our machines. Because looks aren’t the only thing that matter. 

    After finishing the design and incorporating all the collected information, the tech team started to develop design mock-ups to practice. 

    Before I reveal any of our tech secrets, keep in mind that the following paragraphs will contain a lot of technical information. If that is not your cup of tea, feel free to skip to the section with the subtitle ‘Step 4: Showing off a little’ to continue reading about our newest development. 

    Step 3: Nerdy talk…

    For those still with me, welcome to some nerdy talk! 

    Because optimizing and developing a system that has the flexibility to integrate any hardware or future partner into its ecosystem, isn’t built in a day. 

    The tech team has been working on a system that removes most of the machines’ weight. By stripping internal functionalities and abstracting API functions, they took some pressure off the system processes, speeding up the useability of the machines. This way, we can load the next screen faster and easier, offering the user a better experience. 

    Next, we changed the skeleton of all our software to improve our possibilities in the future to optimize the Smartmile machines. With this new skeleton, it will be even easier than it already was to add new initiatives, partners, other hardware manufacturers or even new courier companies to our ecosystem. Not only is this faster for the user, but it’s also a lot smarter behind the screens, abstracting API functions and simplifying the process of adding these new features for our tech team.

    Allowing innovations, green initiatives and even new future tools to be even easier implemented into our systems whenever we need to.

    “Tech will always keep changing; that is also why we need to be ready for any changes in the future.” 

    – Morris, Project manager on the new UI, team tech.

    As Morris already said, we are making sure that we are ready for any future innovation in tech. Connecting drones to our parcel hubs? Click, click, POW! We can integrate it. Do you want us to offer click-and-collect for online and offline stores? We will have the supporting tech ready in no time. 

    Besides that, Morris emphasised that the updates are necessary for overall security. If the software and hardware aren’t up to date, it could become a cybersecurity issue. 

    Our machines are secure because of active support and ensuring all the software is up to date. 

    With the new software, we can show the operator any problem with the machine, no matter where our operator might be on the planet. No matter the location, our team can and will ensure that all operations go as smoothly as manageable/ possible. 

    Step 4: Showing off a little

    What are some other improvements we implemented into the new user interface? 

    One of those is a new favourite from Maarten: 

    “When our machine freezes in the middle of a loading screen, it will reset itself in a minute. This way, the courier doesn’t have to call us to fix it cause the machine fixes itself.” 

    – Maarten, Operations manager NL.

    Maarten is one of our operations geniuses, so this software will make his job easier. Instead of getting a call from a courier that is losing valuable delivery time, the machine will restart itself, ensuring that the courier can quickly continue his job.

    In that valuable time, our customer service unicorns and operational heroes can focus their efforts on other affairs, like helping others out. 

    A few of our unicorns presented our new UI to potential partners, giving them a sneak peek into their possible future partner interface. What they came back with; was many feathers and excitement.

    “They loved our new design, which is easy to follow. Apart from that, they found it very advanced and believed it would be a valued addition to the customer experience.”

    – Seda, Head of Sales.

    As we’re getting closer to entering a new market, it gives us a lot of confidence to hear such positive feedback from, hopefully soon to be, a new partner.

    Altogether, this project was only possible with the hard work of many different departments. We’ve created something beautiful by working together and including all the various departments. Just like we hope to work together even more with other companies, partners and investors to build a brighter future with strong delivery ecosystems.