Rethinking Resident Package Management: Identifying Property Needs

With U.S. e-commerce sales nearly reaching $1.2 trillion in 2024 and the average resident receiving at least one package per week, multifamily communities are facing a serious logistical challenge that encompasses much more than “just a few weeks before the holidays.”¹ The relentless flood of residents’ deliveries threatens to overwhelm existing community infrastructure, creating chaos, security risks, and an urgent need for innovative solutions.

While numerous options exist to address property package management challenges, taking a strategic approach enables you to navigate the market and select a solution that meets the needs of your budget, operating procedures, and residents.

This blog series will demystify the selection process, giving you the insights and framework necessary to make an informed choice that works for your community.

How to Gather Meaningful Insights

The first step in identifying and implementing a solution is to understand the scope of your problem. Effective solutions require a thorough exploration of everyone’s experiences and frustrations. To do so, identify all stakeholders in your current package management process – including owners, staff (full-time or part-time), and residents. Then, elicit their opinions and experiences.

Engage these stakeholders in discussions and decision-making processes which can look like:

• Organizing an inclusive meeting that encourages open dialogue from all team members. Be sure to create a safe environment where every perspective is valued.
• Mapping out the interconnected challenges that stem from current package management problems

In some cases, one-on-one conversations can reveal more nuanced insights than group discussions. You should also consider:

• Conducting individual interviews with residents and property staff to understand personal experiences with the current package management process
• Asking specific, open-ended questions about current package management pain points
• Requesting anonymous feedback via a property staff and/or resident survey

The most crucial aspect of this exploration is maintaining an open mindset and listening carefully to understand the root causes of frustration. Avoid using traditional phrases like “we’ve always done it this way” or “we can’t change this”. These types of constraints are not helpful at this stage, as they limit creative problem-solving. Instead, approach your feedback gathering questions with creativity, innovation, and a willingness to reimagine your entire package management ecosystem.

Asking the Right Questions to Solve Package Management Challenges

Effective package management begins with asking the right questions of your stakeholders and genuinely listening to the responses. Ask your team questions about the current state of package management, including:

• Do you feel package management is taking up too much of your time?
• Do you feel package management takes your time away from other key duties, such as sales or resident support? If so, how much time is taken away from these other key duties?
• What do you feel you could spend more time on if you did not have to manage packages?
• Are residents frequently waiting to retrieve packages? If so, how long do they typically need to wait?
• Do residents complain about missing the window to pick up packages?
• What is the process for logging in packages? How much time does that take?
• How often are packages lost or stolen?
• How often do you run out of space to store packages? What do you do in these situations?
• How do you notify residents of package deliveries? How much time does that take?
• How are oversized items currently handled? Where are they stored?
• What is the average time it takes to retrieve a package for a resident, including wait time?

The goal of gathering all this information is to gain a thorough understanding of the problem. This will ensure that, when researching solutions, you find the best option to address your property’s unique package problems.

Next Steps: Advancing Your Package Management Solution

Now that you’ve identified the problems that need addressing, your next critical step is to designate a dedicated project owner or manager who will champion the initiative and ensure focused leadership and accountability throughout the selection and implementation processes.

The project owner should conduct a thorough on-site observation to capture the current process in detail. They should track the time spent on package management, photograph storage areas to visualize spatial constraints, and collect concrete feedback from residents. With this documentation in hand, your team can begin identifying potential solutions, and distinguish between non-negotiable requirements and desirable (but optional) improvements.

This approach ensures that any proposed solution addresses your core operational needs while maintaining the flexibility to incorporate innovative enhancements that could significantly streamline your package management process.

Once you’ve identified and documented your property’s package management needs, you can begin gaining buy-in from stakeholders.

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Looking for support on adding package management to your budget? Parcel Pending can help. Speak to one of our representatives today to get more information.

Sources:

1. Haleem, Abbas. US ecommerce in 2024 more than double those of 2019. www.digitalcommerce360.com. March 3, 2025. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/