Picking The Right Site

When solving the growing package and delivery driver management problem in your apartment or student housing communities, you have two choices: an Onsite Solution or an Offsite Solution. You want to carefully consider the details of these two methods to determine what is best for your needs.

Onsite Solutions

Onsite solutions have many advantages and some disadvantages.

Advantages include:

1. Strong resident satisfaction due to packages arriving many times same-day or next-day as Amazon and many other online retailers are delivering quickly
2. 24/7/365 pickup of packages that work around the resident’s schedule
3. Strong customer/resident support at the time of need
4. Higher security of packages as packages are left in a secured location
5. Package returns right in the community (reverse logistics)
6. Very efficient model due to no middleman touching the packages like in the offsite model.

Disadvantages include:

1. Could be higher cash upfront to set up the system
2. Space must either be available or a modular container must be dropped on the property to provide space.

Offsite Solutions

Advantages include:

1. An easy ‘yes’ – it is super easy to hire an offsite solution provider to take the problem of too many packages and too many delivery drivers off of your hands
2. There is generally no upfront capital cost to using a service like this
3. Delivery drivers do not come on the property so this issue goes away
4. The space issue is handled by the residents sending all packages to an offsite warehouse location.

Disadvantages include:

1. Residents waiting an extra day or more to get their packages
2. Low levels of customer support when packages don’t arrive on time
3. Packages being left at the resident’s door and being stolen
4. The apartment or student housing provider sees cost increases due to the amount of labor, fuel, warehouses, and vans involved in the offsite model. All of these inputs are subject to inflation
5. Inconsistent performance due to the number of humans that must perform each day to make the system work properly.

Whichever package and delivery driver management system you choose to purchase, just keep in mind what the residents want. The fast and efficient delivery of their packages is quickly becoming the most used and potentially the most important amenity in your communities. A good way to check what residents really want is to look on BBB (Better Business Bureau), Yelp!, Google Reviews, etc. to see what they are saying about the various solutions in the marketplace before making your decision.