Since COVID-19 was discovered in late 2019, it has spread to 213 countries and territories around the world,1 and has infected over 9 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). As cases persist around the world, governments and organizations are focused on determining how to safely go on with our normal everyday activities.  

This is certainly true at colleges and universities, with the fall semester fast approaching. Decisions have to be made quickly about the best course of action. Some are opting for another remote semester, some are attempting to physically reopen, while others are going with hybrid methods.

Reopening colleges and universities during the pandemic poses a special challenge, as younger people are accounting for an increasing number of cases.2 Still, it is critical for schools to find ways to provide suitable learning environments without leading to any resurgence of infection among the students and staff. 

The abrupt transition to remote learning earlier in the year made for a rocky first attempt at educating amidst the pandemic. With a better understanding of the virus and how it spreads, as well as more time to develop and implement helpful solutions, schools are in a much better position to get back on track this semester.

While social distancing rules, mask guidelines, temperature checks, and increased sanitization will continue to play a big role in keeping students safe, there has also been a rush of technological innovation to develop solutions (or repurpose resources) that can promote on-campus health and safety. Here are some new technologies and smart solutions that can help universities provide a safer environment while also adding new conveniences and cost-saving opportunities.
 

Limit Physical Contact with Intelligent Lockers  

One of the most important ways to slow the virus’s spread is by limiting physical contact. While much of the focus has been on how to achieve this in a classroom or lecture hall setting, typical campus life also includes opportunities for interaction in places like dorm buildings, libraries, and student centers. Smart locker systems like Exela’s Intelligent Lockers provide a versatile solution for reducing face-to-face contact in a variety of ways. 

Contactless package delivery has become an enduringly popular option during the pandemic, and will likely remain so even after this is all over. Intelligent Lockers enable contactless delivery by offering a secure dropoff and pickup location where deliveries will be safe from would-be “porch pirates,” and retrievable via touchless access options like RFID chips in student and faculty IDs or QR codes sent to users’ smartphones.

Similarly, they can facilitate the safe handoff of library books or distribution of required class materials. Plus, their 24-hour access adds convenience for students while potentially reducing staffing costs for campuses facing new budget constraints. Smart locker solutions are streamlining package delivery making it more convenient for universities and students.  

Smart Lobby and Visitor Management

Universities hoping to limit person-to-person contact can also benefit from automated check-in systems and virtual lobby support and various key points around campus. Libraries, administrative buildings, and student centers equipped with automated guest services technology like Exela’s Intelligent Kiosks can empower social distancing while still providing quality service and helpful information.

Smart technologies address issues and offer versatile solutions that can be used to digitize reception services at colleges and universities. Guests can check in, self-register, get directions, and print their guest badge with zero human interaction at reception.

Health Scanners and Apps

Technology has and is constantly evolving. With the pandemic crisis, many tech giants with the help of the government are developing applications that can track people's travel and medical history. Innovative solutions for quick and convenient temperature checks, like the use of thermal imaging cameras, can help keep school buildings safe and promote responsible distancing. Universities could also invest in contact tracing apps which would help track spread amongst students and contain potential outbreaks. 

Innovative Solutions to Enhance Safety

The pandemic has enforced new rules that are likely to stick around and we must adapt ourselves to live cautiously. In a post-COVID world, the need for convenient and secure contactless services and solutions is only going to rise. If your organization faces these and similar challenges, but you are not yet discussing how to meet them, now is the time to start.

You can learn more about Exela's Intelligent Lockers that can provide a better experience for students and faculty on college campuses, check out what Exela did for George Washington University.

1. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/countries-where-coronavirus-has-spread/
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/us/coronavirus-cases-young-people.html

When COVID-19 hit, suddenly many of us had to adjust to an entirely new work atmosphere. Social distancing became crucial to slowing the spread, and within weeks, remote working arrangements became the norm for more than half of the country. Now, even with many businesses around the country reopening, many people have mixed feelings about returning to the office. As of mid-May, 7 in 10 American workers were still working remotely all or part of the time, and just 1 in 4 say that they would return to the office if it was up to them.¹

As they look to reopen, businesses may need to find innovative solutions that will reassure their workers that they are taking serious precautions to protect employee health. 

Masks and temperature checks may become more common in the workplace, at least for a while. But the increased desire to maintain social distancing, and the potential for future temporary regional lockdowns to prevent a second wave, may help fuel some bigger changes and modernizations in many offices. Here are some of the new technologies and services that can help businesses provide a safe working environment while also adding new conveniences and cost-saving opportunities.

Contactless Lobbies

Protecting against a virus that can easily spread through common interactions will mean limiting as much face-to-face communication as possible. That person-to-person contact often begins with a greeting in the reception area, but that no longer needs to be the case. Exela’s Intelligent Kiosks enable guests to check in with zero human interaction. Greet guests with a pre-recorded message rather than a living, breathing, potentially contagious human, and allow them to self-register, confirm their arrival, get directions, and print their guest badge. The kiosk will even send an automated notification to the host so that they know exactly where the guest is and when they arrived.

Of course, sometimes it’s nice to be able to interact with an actual human rather than a software system, despite the threat of transferable illnesses. If a guest requires assistance with the check-in process, the Intelligent Kiosk allows them to summon a Virtual Lobby Ambassador at any time via text, audio, or video chat. A Virtual Lobby Ambassador will assist your guests with their needs or answer any questions they may have.

Mobile Facility Passes

The fact that we all carry devices capable of receiving emails and image files without physical contact can make it much easier to continue to follow social distancing guidelines, even as offices reopen. For example, a Mobile Facility Pass, stored on a visitor’s smartphone, allows both employees and guests a contactless solution for displaying security clearance. It can also be used to share useful information like maps of the building or WiFi login information, all without the need for face-to-face interaction. 

Intelligent Lockers

As we all adjust to the constraints of social distancing, contactless delivery has become a popular option for those hoping to make purchases and support businesses without risking the trip to potentially crowded shopping centers or stores. Smart lockers enable contactless delivery in a number of ways, while also providing a convenient storage option for employees.

Exela’s Intelligent Lockers can be accessed through the built-in touchscreen interface, but they can just as well be integrated with RFID, QR code, or biometric recognition technologies for a fully touchless experience. Intelligent Lockers offer flexible layouts and designs, improved access controls, anytime availability, and complete chain-of-custody tracking. They provide an excellent contactless means of exchanging, shipping, receiving, or storing goods.

Digital Mailrooms

Intelligent Lockers are great at limiting face-to-face interactions in the delivery process, but a fully integrated Digital Mailroom can take it even one step further. With Digital Mailroom, your physical mail is rerouted to a secure processing facility where it can be scanned and digitized with advanced ICR and OCR technology for completely electronic delivery. This not only helps keep your workers safe, but also centralizes your communications, and enables remote workers to access important business mail from wherever they happen to be.

Final Thoughts

Exela Smart Office solutions like these make it easier for workers to return to the office with confidence. The convenience and security these solutions provide will help keep people safe, put minds at ease, and help everyone adjust to the next normal.

COVID-19 is impacting more than just the way businesses operate their physical offices. Learn more about how the pandemic is speeding up companies’ digital transformation.

1. https://news.gallup.com/poll/311375/reviewing-remote-work-covid.aspx

As of April 2, 2020, COVID-19 has infected 956,588 people and killed 48,320^[1]. Hoping to contain the spread, the World Health Organization declared a “pandemic,” leading myriad companies to institute remote work. Many companies were unprepared. Even those with existing remote infrastructure were not necessarily ready for a scenario in which literally no one is in the office.

Nevertheless, Exela remains optimistic this great remote-work experiment will succeed. That’s because solutions ensuring business continuity even with no one in the office already exist. In fact, they’re integral to Exela’s Smart Office suite of solutions, which many of our customers had already been using prior to the pandemic. Smart Office automates a variety of office processes, enhancing efficiency, productivity, and security and setting the scene for seamless remote work. Exela’s Smart Office is comprised of a selection of data-driven solutions--some front-office, some back-office, all of which are aimed at creating and supporting a more efficient, productive, and sustainable workplace. These include, among others:

• Digital Mailroom, which transforms paper mail into digital format, securely routing it to its intended recipient(s) anywhere with an internet connection.
• PrintShop, which prints and copies documents remotely on-demand and securely routes them to their intended recipients.
• Intelligent Lobby, which eliminates the need for staffed reception spaces and allows office access without unnecessary, and risky, interaction.

Over the next several days and weeks to come, we will be addressing these and other Exela Smart Office solutions and how they can help your office retain business continuity in these uncertain times. As you work through the current global crisis, please be aware that the best remedy currently known for COVID-19 is prevention. Here are the CDC’s best practices for prevention. And please do not hesitate to contact us at covidresponse@exelatech.com, and let us know if we can assist you in any way.

[1]  https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – The Tao Te Ching, attributed to Laozi

A package may journey a thousand miles, but customer satisfaction begins with the "Last Mile" – Terry Holash, Senior Vice President Exela, Intelligent Lockers

Package delivery is big business (if there’s any doubt, consider that UPS’s revenues totaled $72 billion in 2018). The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2019 to be at 146.2 billion.[1] NASDAQ  predicts that by 2040, 95% of purchases will be made online. As a result, the volume of packages shipped is increasing daily.

Most logistics involved in package delivery are invisible to the customer. The one aspect of package delivery that is visible to the customer is the “last mile,” as it’s known in the industry. How things go in the last mile has the power to “make” or “break” customer satisfaction.

What is the “last mile” of delivery?

The “last mile” refers to the journey of delivered goods from the carrier’s local transportation hub to the “final delivery destination.”

What is the “final delivery destination”?

The “final delivery destination” refers to where delivered goods are placed in the “physical possession of the addressee.” Ideally, that will be in the hands of the addressee. Not in a lobby. Not with a receptionist. Not on a desk. Not in a package room.

The “last 50 feet”

That last leg of a delivered package’s journey (from arrival at an address to the actual hands of the addressee) as the “last 50 feet.” As e-commerce has become increasingly ubiquitous, the sheer volume of deliveries has encroached on those “final 50.” By necessity, packages are often deemed delivered upon reaching an address, rather than an addressee. At the same time, customer experience has come to hinge increasingly on those final 50 feet.

Controlling the final 50

To regain control over the final 50, some vendors require the addressee’s signature for delivery, but that also risks alienating customers. Another way to control the final 50 is via automated, programmable lockers, or “smart lockers.” Exela’s smart lockers, Intelligent Lockers, ensure the right package gets to the right person every time. Here’s how:

• A package is placed (by carrier, or mailroom personnel) into an Intelligent Locker (in a bank of lockers located conveniently to the addressee).
• The Intelligent Locker is programmed to send a message to the addressee containing a pin code to open that locker (and only that locker).
• The addressee receives a notification via text, or email that the package is waiting for pickup at a particular location.
• The addressee keys in the pin code, and the locker pops open.

Intelligent Lockers for YOUR business

Exela’s Intelligent Lockers aren’t just for use by e-commerce vendors. Our Intelligent Locker customers include banks, hospitals, universities, and other large organizations who have used them to, among other things:

• Reduce the number of people staffing their mailrooms
• Reduce the amount of security required by mailrooms while also permitting 24/7 access
• Decrease mis-deliveries
• Decrease the number of non-credentialed employees roaming the premises to make deliveries
• Promote privacy

Here’s how a large university learned the value of Intelligent Lockers. Here’s how a major insurance company provided its employees with convenient storage.

Exela’s Intelligent Lockers are part of its Smart Office suite of front office automation solutions.

[1] https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf