Innovative digital technologies
How Swiss Post is improving its services thanks to digitization
From robots in logistics through to chatbots in customer service: thanks to innovative digital technologies, Swiss Post is making its in-house processes more efficient and relieving its employees of repetitive activities in their everyday work. Customers also benefit from AI through new, practical services.
How can we develop new services and make existing ones more customer-friendly with digitization? What can we improve and speed up in everyday life? Questions such as these shape the innovation processes in all Swiss Post units: from marketing to customer service, from customs clearance services to hospital logistics.
Versatile communication solutions based on AI
Swiss Post is launching the minimum viable product (MVP) “Text Creator with AI”, which uses ChatGPT technology. Based on the user’s individual needs, the product creates suggested text for letters, which can also be printed, packed and sent if required. Swiss Post is also using digitization and AI in its Contact Center. The aim is to structure the service more efficiently and respond to changing customer requirements, such as voice-to-text, chatbot, live chat and WhatsApp. What’s more, queries can be answered around the clock via AI and e-mail automation. Thanks to large language models, Swiss Post is integrating a chatbot system into its manual for customer advisors. This chatbot can answer employees’ specific questions directly, saving them long searches through the manual. Swiss Post is also making progress with voice technology: a new Alexa skill enables customers to track consignments or use the “pick@home” service.
Robotic process automation in customs clearance
Robotic process automation (RPA) is automating tasks with the assistance of software robots. More than 80 RPA processes have already been introduced at Swiss Post. One example processing missing customs clearance documents: the robot initiates contact with the customer digitally, gathers the necessary information via an online form and attaches it to the consignment as a PDF. Customers who have items to declare also receive support via AI, which has been trained using over 8 million imported letter and parcel consignments. The system reports whether a consignment can be regarded as subject to duty or duty-free. For large e-commerce suppliers, robots can differentiate between different types of query, make decisions, analyse data, track consignments and communicate with customers – an automation solution that reduces turnaround times considerably.
Robots in hospital logistics
Swiss Post is using robots to support logistics in hospitals – including Triemli City Hospital in Zurich, where four robots work autonomously throughout the night to distribute medical consumables to the hospital’s 34 floors and dispose of used materials. The robots can carry more than 450 kilos of goods and operate independently for up to 10 hours. The robots reduce the medical staff’s workload considerably, ensuring they can spend more time caring for patients.
Digital Innovation Center
Technological knowledge and skills alone do not result in innovations. That’s why Swiss Post has created its Digital Innovation Center. The virtual, cross-functional team supports Swiss Post’s various units in developing digital solutions and acts as a bridge between the technology and business worlds.
Digital customer solutions
ePost: the digital letter box
Receiving, sending, archiving and tracking post digitally, making payments and signing contracts: all of these services are available in ePost, the digital letter box. This communication platform offers simple solutions that enable private individuals to save on time and paper and guarantees companies and public authorities can send sensitive data securely.
epost.ch/enVoting electronically
In 2023, the Federal Council approved Swiss Post’s e-voting system. This means that eligible voters in Switzerland and abroad can cast their votes via computer, smartphone or tablet. Swiss Post’s solution for cantons and municipalities is based on the latest technology and guarantees voting secrecy and complete verifiability.
swisspost.ch/e-votingCommunicating confidentially and securely
No one should overhear private conversations – even if they take place online. That’s what Swiss Post’s communication platforms for companies guarantee. Tools such as co-browsing and video calls enable employees to communicate securely with customers. Swiss Post also offers a secure solution for holding physical, hybrid and virtual events that require high security standards.
spotme.com unblu.comIncaMail: sharing data securely
IncaMail is Swiss Post’s solution for sending confidential documents such as contracts or personal data in encrypted and verifiable form to the required recipients. Messages are sent directly from the user’s usual e-mail client or business software: it’s quick to implement, easy to use and fully data protection compliant.
swisspost.ch/incamailDigitizing healthcare
Swiss Post believes firmly in the value of the electronic patient record (EPR) as a cornerstone of digitized healthcare. Today, the company supports six electronic patient record providers, specifically reference communities, in every linguistic region of Switzerland as a technology partner.
patientrecord.chMonitoring cybersecurity
While cyberattacks may be hard to prevent, the damage doesn’t have to be: the key is to react quickly. The services from Swiss Post’s cybersecurity specialists ensure that threats to companies’ and public authorities’ IT infrastructures are identified and reported in a very short time – enabling these organizations to take the right measures.
hacknowledge.ch terreactive.ch/enStoring and sharing files securely
Whether it’s communication, data transfer or collaboration in the cloud, digital cooperation is quick, efficient and practical. But in a business context in particular, we often deal with sensitive information and have to comply with strict legal requirements. Swiss Post is the specialist for data security and offers simple, trustworthy solutions for data transfer, collaboration and storage that are aimed primarily at public authorities.
tresorit.comTrustworthy digital identity
Many online services do not work unless the user verifies their identity in front of their screen. SwissSign issues the cross-sector SwissID login and offers additional user-friendly solutions for certificates, signatures and identities that can be integrated seamlessly into existing processes and IT systems.
swissid.ch/en