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Case study: RFID improves the delivery experience in Norway

DeliveryX

Online eyewear shop, Extra Optical, participates in a RFID pilot project at Bring that is already showing impressive results, including increased traceability, faster delivery and fewer customer service inquiries.
Innovation and usability are key words at Norwegian online eyewear shop, Extra Optical, who believes that the best delivery for customers is to have the parcel delivered in the mailbox.

Øystein Sandø, Extra Optical

Øystein Sandø, Extra Optical

“At mailbox delivery the customer does not have to go to a delivery point or be at home to receive the parcel. Therefore, we want to deliver our products directly to the customers’ mailboxes. However, a major challenge with this type of small parcel delivery is traceability. Bring had a solution to this with their new RFID technology,” says Øystein Sandø, manager at Extra Optical.

RFID tags are inserted in the parcel label and when the parcels approaches an RFID scanner at the carrier, the RFID label is automatically read and updated with EDI messages about the parcel via antennas. By doing so, the carrier does not have to hand scan the parcel. When the label is RFID scanned the carrier may add events to the parcel, for example sending a your parcel is on its way notification to the customer.

After successful results with internal use of RFID technology for measuring of delivery times, Bring sees the benefits in using the technology externally too.

“RFID labels cover the need for track and trace on small parcels sent to the mailbox. The EDI transfer, as in the past only was possible on parcels, makes it easier to send small parcels. Altogether, RFID and EDI makes it easier to send small parcels, as the processes for sending small parcels to the mailbox are in line with the functions, there are on larger parcels today,” Tor Even Blom-Ramberg, senior project manager at Bring, explains.

Bring wants to launch the RFID technology gradually and invited among others Extra Optical to participate in a pilot project to test the technology before a full launch.

Øystein Sandø is convinced of RFID’s benefits: “We have shortened the delivery time by one day, and we have virtually no errors in deliveries. Our customers experience a better service and increased degree of usability as we and our customers always have an overview of where the parcel is located. It also means that our customer service receives far fewer calls regarding tracking of parcels. Now we just hope that RFID also will be rolled out in Sweden, Denmark and the rest of Europe.”

It was easy for Extra Optical to integrate the RFID technology in the shipping process, Øystein Sandø continues: “We bought an RFID label printer from Bring and we also buy the RFID labels at Bring. When RFID becomes a more established product, we buy our own printer. Bring has together with their delivery management software partner, Consignor, been very helpful in setting it all up.”

Bring also has no doubt that the future in delivery includes RFID technology. “RFID is a generic technology that is used in many different industries today. Within delivery, we believe that RFID will be widely used on post around the world. Small parcels sent to the mailbox are currently not labeled with bar codes, which is why RFID will make a big difference in terms of optimizing the shipping process. It also means that online shops through RFID labels can make their delivery more competitive like Extra Optical,” Tor Even Blom-Ramberg concludes.

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