Croatian Post uses RAF OCR to deliver next-day service
The new automated parcel sorting machine and improved OCR empower Croatian Post to process 15,000 parcels per hour and sort 180,000 letters an hour.
The Situation
Croatian Post dominates the letter business in Croatia with around 98% of the market, 1016 post offices, and has approximately 20% share of the parcel delivery sector. To continue to compete, it needed to be equipped with the latest technology. As well as postal services, Croatian Post offers payment solutions and retail outlets across the whole territory of Croatia.
"Our parcels used to pass through several sorting processes and the process had to mostly be done by hand," Antonio Videka, Croatian Post’s executive director of the optimization sector explains. "Capacity has risen nearly 700% and we can reach speeds of 15,000 parcels per hour."
Solutions
When Croatian Post officially opened what it understandably calls ‘the most advanced sorting center in Southeast Europe’ in September 2019, it was the culmination of seven years of planning, and was designed to keep pace with its double-digit annual growth rate.
BlueCrest worked with RAF to provide Croatian Post with full address machine print OCR, full address handwriting ICR, full name recognition on machine and handwriting addresses, complete directory redesign to create more precise match rates, mail type recognition for special handling requirements, and address learning systems for continuous directory improvement, among others.
The new automated parcel sorting machine from BlueCrest could sort 15,000 parcels per hour, with weights ranging from 100g to 30kg. The letter sorting machine could sort 180,000 letters an hour.
Products and Functionality Used
- RAF Argosy Post, Parcel Vision, Smart Script, and Smart Match-i.
- BlueCrest Five Vantage™ mail sorters for accurate, intelligent high-speed sortation, yielding high operational throughput, VariSort mixed mail sorter for magazines and small packets, and TrueSort Pro provides throughput, logically sorting by address, weight, and priority.
The Result
Investing in this latest technology paid off in many areas of the business. The massive increase in processing capacity has enabled Croatian Post to increase its market share in the parcel delivery market, streamlining its operation with increased efficiencies.
"In every way it’s better than our older locations," says Antonio Videka, Croatian Post’s executive director of the optimization sector. "We’ve been planning it since 2012 and when it finally opened it was a relief for everybody at Croatian Post. We used to be on the edge of failing to honour our promise of meeting delivery deadlines. Now we have enough space to increase the number of parcels and deliver them all on time, even during periods of peak traffic."
The customer said the new technology allowed them to be more efficient while ensuring document integrity and security.
Side-by-Side Economic Comparison
The new automated parcel sorting machine and improved OCR empower Croatian Post to process 15,000 parcels per hour and sort 180,000 letters an hour.
The Results
More Automation Means Less Human Error and Higher Read Rates
Though processing took longer with our technology, we automated a larger chunk of our daily volume to reduce pressure on personnel while increasing read rates.
Increased Daily Revenue and Gross Profit
The value per piece was the same across the board. But with the higher amount of mail pieces automated generates a higher gross profit.
Centralized Solutions Lead to New Revenue Sources
Using a central control, CEN-compliant software system ensures the customers can modify processes and services their own discretion.
Experience the RAF Difference
Join the ever-growing list of partners and companies depending on RAF for their crucial postal OCR solutions, pattern recognition, and unique signature verification needs. Ensure recipients get the materials they need with RAF Technology. Because performance matters.
