Better Multifamily Package Management Is Within Reach
Americans send over 800 million packages through USPS between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Amazon averages 1.6 million deliveries around the world every day. That’s a lot of parcels to sort through in multifamily communities and many potential victims of porch piracy. In fact, apartment residents are 113% more likely to experience stolen packages. This can make the holidays not-so-jolly for hard-working property managers.
As we head into fall, there is no better time to prepare for the package rush by upgrading your multifamily package management system. Package management solutions can be expensive, but they don’t have to be. If you’re on a tight budget, here are three affordable package management upgrades you should consider.
1. Create a Package Room
Unlike traditional package lockers, which have limited size and capacity, package rooms offer a secure solution that is both flexible and affordable.
Package rooms pair an existing space in your community with the robust protection of smart technology. They are just as secure as package lockers, but only a fraction of the cost.
With real-time activity tracking and security cameras, package rooms keep all parties accountable while simultaneously simplifying the process. Couriers only need one PIN code to deposit deliveries, residents fetch their packages at their convenience, and property managers can trust that package room activity is monitored at all times.
While package lockers can’t support larger deliveries or high volumes of parcels, package rooms are endlessly adaptable. They can even secure oversized deliveries, like furniture. This eliminates the need for an insecure overfill room or the management burden of directly monitoring packages. If you’re looking for a complete package management system that will secure all types of deliveries, upgrading your community with a package room is at the top of the list.
2. Install Amazon Key
Depending on what type of smart access you have on your external doors, Amazon Key could be a free way to improve your delivery process. Many smart building solutions, like Homebase, are fully compatible with Amazon Key and will guide you through the process of introducing this free upgrade.
First, you’ll install the Amazon Key device into your community’s Brivo or Allegion RC access control panel. Then, delivery drivers will use their Amazon Delivery App to unlock the installed device. From there, they can deliver packages directly to residents’ unit doors or place them in a secure package room.
While this upgrade is only effective for Amazon packages, it’s an easy addition to reduce porch piracy. Since leaving packages by unit doors does not eliminate the possibility of stolen property, a secure package room is recommended to ensure your residents’ orders stay safe.
3. Use Visitor Access
Amazon Key may only work for Amazon delivery drivers, but fortunately, UPS and USPS delivery processes can be automated with Visitor Access.
Historically, if a member of the property management team didn’t let delivery drivers inside the building, packages would collect outside the community doors. However, to reliably deliver packages into the building, a member of the property management team would need to be onsite at all delivery hours.
Amazon Key solves this problem for Amazon packages, but a more encompassing solution is necessary to account for all delivery types. That’s what Visitor Access provides.
With Visitor Access, properties can send vendors time-bound access codes that allow them to navigate through the front entrance and into your secure package room. Your management team can monitor this activity in real-time so they can ensure that the package room is secure from anywhere.
By providing flexible and secure entry for all deliveries, Visitor Access rounds out a complete multifamily package management solution. As an added perk, it can also be leveraged to offer self-guided tours and other types of secure visitor management.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Despite the growing risk of porch piracy, it’s possible for property managers to keep their residents’ property safe. Affordable package management upgrades like package rooms, Amazon Key, and Visitor Access can ensure that packages are signed, sealed, and delivered safely to residents.
Ready to get started? Without breaking your budget, you can make this holiday season more joyful for everyone involved. To learn more about multifamily package management options for your property, connect with a smart building specialist today.
