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NACUMS 2018 Conference Highlights

We recently had the pleasure of attending the National Association of College and University Mail Services (NACUMS) 2018 Conference in New Orleans. NACUMS is a vibrant hub of mailroom technology solutions where education experts collaborate and discover new and innovative offerings that enhance the campus mail and package logistics for students and faculty.
While at the conference, we gained some valuable insights from attendees and speakers about the various pain-points and logistical challenges for university mailrooms.
For starters, university mail rooms process more mail and packages than just about any other mail service platform. In fact, the rise of online shopping has increased package volume in university mailrooms by nearly 150% over the past decade. A noted change mentioned by many attendees is how students are now coming to college with nothing but a suitcase. Once there, they simply order everything they need online. This kind of online shopping growth among students has pushed nearly all higher education campuses to look to technology for effective package management solutions.
One solution that was very prominently represented at NACUMS was electronic parcel lockers. In fact, self-service lockers have been gaining traction at many of the largest campuses in the US, making the solution one of the highest-demand products on the market for campus mailrooms.
Electronic parcel lockers, like those offered by Parcel Pending, help to streamline the package delivery and pickup processes at campuses across the country.  A key benefit is allowing students 24/7 access to be able to retrieve their package quickly and at their convenience. Lockers also increase mailroom staff efficiency, integrating seamlessly with mail-tracking software- all backed by our 24/7 Always On Customer Service team.
It was encouraging for us to speak with so many passionate and experienced mailroom professionals at NACUMS 2018.  Many of the attendees spent extra time with us discussing their experiences, their needs and where they anticipate the future for campus mailrooms. It was exciting to personally witness the tremendous collaboration and commitment to sharing valuable ideas that improve campus mailrooms across the country. The comments were unanimous, technology and solutions like electronic parcel lockers that improve the student life experience and drive efficiency for campus operations were key focuses for mailrooms of all sizes!