Automated parcel management: combat parcel chaos to avoid frustrations – and costs

Bart Vercoutere, Hardware Director at Bringme, not to mention former director of i-Cleantech Flanders, board member of Natuurpunt and chairman of the board of experts for Leuven2030, explains the role of the Bringme Box in the transition towards a low-carbon community.

In a time of constant innovation, is it not surprising that residential building entrances haven’t changed over the last fifty years? The current systems do not communicate with one another with separate letterboxes, a doorbell panel, intercom in the apartments, many keys and locks and a price tag between €1.000 and €1.500 per apartment. Yet despite this considerable investment, the entrance no longer meets the needs of residents.

The corona crisis is forcing companies to economise drastically. According to a recent PwC report, 45% of work-related tasks can be automated. But where are the quick wins? The answer is right at your company’s front door:  install a virtual receptionist. After all, the number of visitors in companies has been greatly reduced and the cost of the traditional receptionist is no longer proportional to the yield. Almost all reception tasks are repetitive and can be automated. In addition, the receptionist is not able to carry out the necessary prevention tasks, let alone bear this responsibility. Facts and figures.

We shop online en masse and having parcels delivered at work is becoming increasingly popular. However, private parcels in the workplace are a delicate matter. Many companies take draconian measures to protect the data of clients and employees, but the private lives of those same employees are in the balance at the same time.

Very often, in a company environment, we associate hospitality with a friendly receptionist who greets and assists visitors. An unstaffed and automated reception seems to be the exact opposite of the concept of customer-friendliness. Nevertheless more and more companies are opting for a visitor management system without a receptionist, not only for cost-savings but also because of the following three factors.

More and more companies are choosing Bringme. But forward thinking developers are also onto this innovation. Gands is one such developer. We asked CEO Stéphane Verbeeck for his vision of housing in the future.

Leuven is hot, there's no need to tell Leuven natives that. But how does the average inhabitant of Antwerp think about that? Or someone who lives in Brussels? Or a Dutch person? Although there are some good seasoned Leuveners in the Bringme ranks, most of us hail from outside of Leuven—or even outside of Belgium. That's why we asked Eva, who moved here from the Netherlands, for her opinion.

In part 1 we read how – through his fascinating journey – Jo Vandebergh got the inspiration of what would later become Bringme’s very foundation. Part 2 takes us 10 years back in time to the early days of what would later become Bringme and provides us with a thrilling glimpse of the vision behind the brand. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand Bringme.

At Bringme, we'd rather look ahead than back, but for once we don't mind making an exception. We talked to our CEO Jo Vandebergh about the kick of complexity and the cocktail of daring and versatility. Part 1 starts at the time when the 18-year-old Jo leaves school to become an entrepreneur and ends with Bringme's very beginning. A life story that reads like a thriller.