As the holiday season approaches, Royal Mail is implementing Wiliot IoT Pixel tags across its parcel network to streamline the massive surge of holiday shipments. With more than 387 million parcels processed during the last quarter of 2023, Royal Mail has turned to smart technology to ensure efficiency during one of its busiest times of the year.
To modernize its infrastructure, Royal Mail has installed over 2 million Wiliot IoT Pixel tags across its network. These tiny, postage-stamp-sized devices aren’t attached to individual parcels; instead, they’re installed on the “Yorks”—the rolling cages used for transporting groups of packages. This strategic deployment will help Royal Mail monitor packages through each stage of its network, reducing the chance of misdelivered or lost parcels, especially during the Christmas rush.
According to Steve Statler, Wiliot's Chief Marketing Officer, “Royal Mail is the first postal service to deploy ambient IoT,” a smart tracking technology currently based on Bluetooth but set to be integrated with 5G and Wi-Fi protocols in the future. This setup isn’t only about technology; it’s a cost-effective approach, with each Pixel costing around 30 cents. By placing multiple tags on each York cage, Royal Mail ensures robust tracking, even in high-wear environments.
The impact of this technology on Royal Mail’s performance is significant. Amid recent challenges, including an ongoing investigation by Ofcom for not meeting service standards, Royal Mail hopes to leverage this tech-driven initiative to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. A Royal Mail spokesperson stated, “The technology is designed to improve efficiency 365 days a year…our top priority is the service we deliver to our customers.” The seamless tracking provided by Wiliot’s IoT Pixels helps address these needs by increasing reliability and reducing missed deliveries.
In the future, Wiliot envisions applying its Pixels directly to individual packages, allowing for a more precise tracking process. This step is part of their long-term goal to develop “ambient IoT,” a system that Statler describes as “omnipresent” technology that could redefine how postal services operate. For now, Royal Mail’s adoption of the IoT Pixels on York cages represents a significant step forward in modernizing its services.
"This collaboration is expected to yield quick returns" as Statler highlights, Wiliot’s Pixel solution typically offers a payback period of less than a year. This makes it a financially sound investment as Royal Mail works to meet the demands of the digital age, particularly during peak times like Christmas.