Royal Mail introduces ambient technology tags to boost efficiency and cut carbon

In a world first, Royal Mail has partnered with tech innovator Wiliot to become the first delivery company to use Wiliot’s digital tagging technology to provide unprecedented visibility across its network.

Royal Mail is about to finish tagging its 850,000 containers, called Yorks, which are used to transport customers’ parcels and letters around the country, and has plans to use the digital tags on individual parcels in the future.

Wiliot’s sticker-like tags house tiny computers that are automatically detected by nearby Bluetooth devices as they travel through the network, removing the need for manual scanning and providing real-time feedback on location. The tags can also monitor environmental factors including temperature and humidity.

Installing the technology is part of Royal Mail’s digital transformation as it modernizes its network to deal with increased parcel volumes and demand for next-day deliveries.

The continuous monitoring is made possible by Wiliot’s use of ‘ambient technology’, which powers the computers using surrounding radio waves and means the tags can provide constant feedback to a cloud and AI-based data platform.

As parcels travel between 37 mail centers, two automated parcel hubs and 1,200 delivery offices, via a vast network of vehicles, the tags create a live digital map of their journeys. This provides Royal Mail with unparalleled insight to address any issues and optimize its network.

In the future, Royal Mail plans to tag individual parcels, which will provide monitoring with even more precision and granular data on CO2e per parcel.

Nathan Preston, tech director for strategy, innovation and data at Royal Mail, said, “Data-led modernization is an important part of our strategy to improve the effectiveness of our operation and make it as efficient and customer-focused as possible. We are excited to be the first postal company in the world to be using Wiliot’s innovative technology.

“It has huge potential, from increasing reliability by allowing us to quickly spot and address any issues in the network, to reducing our carbon footprint by helping us to better fill our vehicles to avoid wasted journeys. Combining Wiliot data with other sources, we can more efficiently monitor the items in our network, without the need for any additional manual scanning.”

Tal Tamir, Wiliot‘s CEO, added, “Royal Mail’s heritage is well established and very rich. The significance of being central to its digital transformation mission is not lost on us. Through our platform, we’re able to provide complete visibility across the supply chain, giving organizations young and old the tools they need to deliver faster, safer and more environmentally sustainable services and solutions.”