AC DPA 5145 PWO October 15, 2003
Method for sending postal packets
Description:The invention relates to a method and to a device for dispatching postal parcels.
With the known dispatching methods, the problem exists that the recipient of the ship- ment often cannot be reached at the time of the delivery.
This is especially a drawback in delivering postal parcels that do not fit into conven- tional mailboxes.
The invention is based on the objective of improving a method of the generic type in that the delivery of the postal parcels is fast, reliable and involves as little dispatching effort as possible.
According to the invention, this objective is achieved in that the method is carried out in such a way that a provisional delivery address for the delivery of the postal parcel is input and in that the provisional delivery address can be changed (after being input), and ® in that, if the delivery address changes, the delivery is made to the changed delivery address.
The invention allows a flexible delivery of postal parcels. The invention especially pro- vides a flexible control of the dispatching process. Preferably, the desired delivery address here is treated like a virtual delivery address that can be changed as a function of the requirements of the customer or of the postal service company.
In order to combine great flexibility of the dispatching of the postal parcels with high reliability of the delivery, the delivery address and the time of the delivery are advanta- geously selected in such a way that the postal parcels reach the desired delivery location
) AC DPA 5145 PWO October 15,2003 within a predefined delivery period and in that, within this prescribed delivery period, the delivery to the desired delivery address takes place under the anticipated dispatching sequence of the postal parcel.
The link between the recipient identification code and the delivery address can be freely changed and this can also be done according to a predefined procedure.
A variable link between the recipient identification code and the delivery address trans- lates into maximum flexibility for the postal service company as well as for the sender ® and for the recipient of the postal parcel.
For example, in this manner, negotiation documents can be sent to a business person at the location where the negotiations are being held, or spare materials or special tools can be sent to a service technician at the place of use or to a delivery point located close to the place of use.
A change in accordance with a predefined routine is likewise advantageous.
For example, a recipient might prefer to receive a delivery at his workplace during regu- lar business hours, but might prefer the delivery to an electronic parcel compartment system while he is on his way home or else he might prefer the delivery to his home ¢ address after returning from work.
A stored table containing the allocation of delivery times and delivery places allows the postal service company to make the delivery to the place desired by the recipient in each case.
The above-mentioned example of the delivery to an electronic parcel compartment sys- tem is another preferred example showing the execution of the invention.
Such a delivery to the electronic parcel compartment system is especially advantageous if it is to be expected that the recipient of the postal parcel does not want the postal par-
AC DPA 5145 PWO October 15, 2003 cel to be delivered to his home or workplace at the anticipated delivery time or else if he does not want such a delivery modality as a general rule.
For example, all postal parcels or all postal parcels with a definable and changeable delivery interval can be delivered to the electronic parcel compartment system.
For the postal service company, this eliminates the effort involved in a failed delivery attempt to an unwanted delivery address, including the logistic effort associated with this for storing or holding the postal parcel or else for attempting delivery again.
The use of the method entailing delivery to an electronic parcel compartment system is likewise advantageous for the customer of the postal service company since this saves him unnecessary trips to pick up postal parcels and he receives the postal parcel at the earliest possible point in time.
In the case of delivery to an electronic parcel compartment system, the flexibility of selecting the delivery location is especially advantageous. In this manner, especially a flexible allocation of individual electronic parcel compartment systems, or individual postal boxes, is possible. ® In particular, the invention can be used to flexibly deploy the electronic parcel compart- ment systems, or the parcel compartments contained therein.
This makes it possible to provide especially recipient-friendly pick-up periods that optionally cover a longer period of time and, if a postal parcel is picked up from the par- cel compartment assigned to it, then — immediately after this postal parcel has been picked up — another postal parcel can be placed into the parcel compartment that has just become free.
The flexible selection of several potentially deployable electronic parcel compartment systems is another advantage for the customer. Thanks to the flexibility of the method
: AC DPA 5145 PWQO October 15, 2003 used, this advantage for the customer can be utilized with relatively little effort by a logistic company executing the method.
Additional advantages, special features and practical refinements of the invention ensue from the subclaims and from the following presentation of preferred embodiments.
The invention allows the use of various modalities of delivery and forwarding.
For example, when the customer of a merchant places an order, he indicates his postal ® number (customer number for this service) as well as a delivery location (parcel compartment system) for the delivery of the ordered products.
The post number contains a check di git so that the correctness can be checked.
The recipient identification code can be issued individually for each order and it can also be used for multiple orders. In the first step, the system tracks the issuing of a post number for each customer. However, it is also conceivable that, for each transaction, a number is issued that provides authorization to use the system.
It is especially advantageous for the postal service company to assign a fixed recipient ® identification code to a customer of the postal service company.
The delivery address can refer to the entire parcel compartment system (as well as to the individual parcel compartment). Both definitions of the delivery address are included.
The invention can be adapted to the delivery address that is used in each case.
Addressing
When the recipient places his order with the merchant, he provides his billing address as well as an alternative delivery address.
: AC DPA 5145PWO October 15, 2003
The address of the desired PACKSTATION (PACKSTATION address) is indicated in the delivery address. For purposes of unambiguously identifying the shipment as a
PACKSTATION delivery and for identifying the customer, the post number has to be indicated, also in the delivery address.
The PACKSTATION address is a customer-individual automat address or branch office address to which deliveries can be made. Preferably, the address consists of the follow- ing: post number, PACKSTATION and number, actual postal code and city. ® The addressing of the alternative delivery possibility is shown below by way of an example:
First name, last name John Doe or Doe 123456789
Second name field 123456789
Street, house number PACKSTATION 102PACKSTATION 102
Postal code, city 53113 Bonn 53113 Bonn » If possible, the house number is selected in such a way that no same house num- bers / automat numbers are issued to adjacent postal code regions. e The house numbers are three-digit numbers. « The house numbers are divided into two fields, so that an unambiguous allocation of the automat and the branch office is ensured. e The number range is defined as 001-499 for automats and as 500-999 for branch offices. * An automat in a branch office is designated and addressed as an automat. e The numbering of the automats / branch offices is not done separately for each postal code, but rather according to defined postal code regions, for example, 53 or
) AC DPA 5145 PWO October 15, 2003 the city area of Bonn, that is to say, in a postal code district, here in the 53 district, the house numbers are issued consecutively on an overarching basis. Adjacent postal codes start with a different numbering.
The numbering is done according to PACKSTATIONS. These are especially par- cel compartment systems or branch offices that are integrated into the logistic sys- tem and that serve for picking up the parcels.
Example: ® 53113 53152 53114 53110
PACKSTATION | PACKSTATION 2 PACKSTATION 3 PACKSTATION 4 i. 54025 54320 -- ee PACKSTATION 101 PACKSTATION 102 ee
Advantages of this form of addressing » Expressive street names + Better marketing possibilities + Higher customer acceptance + The customer preferably has only one post number for all alternative delivery ® options. The post number is preferably, for instance, a 10-digit number that is assigned to a customer and that identifies him. Preferably, it is part of the delivery address as a suffix to the name. » The customer does not have to register separately for each automat. + The geographic “postal code system” is retained « No problems due to distortion of competition
Disadvantages of this form of addressing « More manual work for the in-house personnel + Senders have to be thoroughly informed » The transmission of the post number is secured.
’ AC DPA 5145 PWO October 15, 2003
The following table contains a presentation of preferred process steps.
Process
Address entry dur- | Entering the post According to the postal ing the order place- | number in the address standard, a second ment ordering process name field must be present.
Provision of the check algo- rithm for the post number. 2. | Gluing onthe Printing option for | Senders without By updating the LOS file, this parcel label by the | the label with the master coding do point can be improved in the sender post number in the | not have to handle | future. Due to the product address field, PACKSTATION status as a PACKSTATION ® sender cannot print | parcels separately. | product, this can / will also be a master code covered by the SW shipment. 3. | Transfer of the Standard process shipments to
DPAG
4. | Master coding in Update of the LOS The update of the LOS file for the sender’s PZ file (post-internal) internal processing (PZ) can be realized up until the test phase. 5. | Sorting in the Separate chute Negative freight center (B-final places) elimination of the
PACKSTATION shipments, easier escalation possibilities
Reworking in Training the in- Entering the post The post number should be delivery basis house personnel, number can be applied onto the parcel by the (coding of the providing the dispensed with for | in-house personnel as a bar- ® customer number) | SW/HW prerequi- | the delivery; reduc- | code sticker; by means of a sites tion of the potential | product identification (product for errors; simpler | code), this can be done by the loading of the auto- | shipment SW; all information mat on site can also be integrated into the
NC2001 (going-live not con- firmed yet)?? 7. | Delivery Scanning the post number; shorter loading times; cor- rect time measure- ment
Return shipments Correct time meas- (retention time) urement
Standard process; Standard return shipment a
) AC DPA 5145 PWO October 15, 2003
SequencePrerequisites
The sender has the possibility to accept and to activate an alternative delivery address and optimally an additional address line in his systems on the order form.
An automatic check of the delivery address, for example, in the on-line shop, in the goods management system or in the shipping logistic system, would have to be switched off, or would have to accept PACKSTATION addresses. ® The recipient has to know the PACKSTATION address and enter it himself.
The post number should be indicated in the delivery address (= addressing of the parcel).
The prerequisites for the integration of an especially preferred embodiment are: « Defining the street designation + Updating the LOS file « Informing the central group BDV/LOS about the locations of the alternative deliv- ery options « Transmitting the post number from the ordering party via the sender to the [ Deutsche Post AG
In order to be able to realize a correct addressing of a print order (fax, letter) at post points, it is often necessary to implement a field for an alternative delivery address.
Data to be acquired / transferred
The most important information is the correct delivery address with: » The post number « Last name, optionally first name (if sufficient space available) « Street and number of the desired PACKSTATION « Postal code and city of the desired PACKSTATION
AC DPA 5145 PWO October 15, 2003 «The post number entered into the delivery basis by the in-house personnel
The examples presented show preferred embodiments of the method for sending postal parcels.
Thanks to the transition from the first-selected provisional delivery address to the final delivery address, a flexible sending of the postal parcels to the recipient in question can be realized. ® This also makes it possible for the recipient to designate other persons as the recipient.
For example, a customer who is unable to receive a parcel or to pick it up from an elec- tronic parcel compartment system can inform a server that is centrally integrated into the process — preferably a web server — about another person as the recipient by entering identifying information about said person, if possible, in encrypted form.
In this manner, another person rather than the originally designated recipient can retrieve a parcel from an electronic parcel compartment system during a prescribed time period without there being a need for the other recipient to know the customer identification information of the first recipient, which is supposed to be kept secret.