Instead of the old software, produced in 2006, Ukrposhta will install a new front office system

26.10.2021

By the end of 2022, Ukrposhta plans to replace obsolete software in fixed post offices with a new front-office system and fully computerize the work of travelling post offices and postmen (both in cities and villages).

Under the EBRD loan program a tender for the software supply for fixed and travelling post offices was held. The winner of the EBRD tender is the Irish company Escher Group (IRL) Ltd, the world leader in the postal operators transformation, which offered the contract price of 7.8 million Euros. The company’s software works for more than 30 postal companies around the world.

After signing the contract, Ukrposhta will introduce in its postal offices a specially created EscherRiposte platform, which will simplify all operations and significantly improve the speed and quality of customer service.

The new solution will provide online and offline operation with the customer service support based on the Android operating system devices. In parallel to the finalizing of the rural postal offices computerization, postal employees, even in the smallest settlements, will switch to the electronic document management and stop using "papers" and abacuses.

In addition to electronic services, a postman's device will have a complete list of tasks that shall be performed during the working day. There will be no need to print additional lists and forms before the start of the route. It will also minimize the amount of information that must be entered when providing services. Moreover, all customers will be able to pay both in cash and by bank card, regardless of the channel and place of service (even in rural areas). This will speed up both internal processes - the formation of electronic reports instead of paper ones, and customer service in postal offices – service time reduction due to possibility for a customer to put an electronic signature on a device screen instead of waiting paper forms and receipts to be printed.

"We are close to the finish line of digitalization of all Ukrposhta processes and to complete refusal from paperwork and counting frames in our post offices. I set myself the goal of making all processes in the company modern and fast, so that our employees could render any service for a client in a few clicks. Escher, with whom we enter into an agreement, is the world leader in the special software development for postal companies. Escher Group developed similar software for postal offices in Canada, Norway, and Vietnam. The only but very important difference for Ukraine, which complicates a bit the task for our partner, is the necessary requirement for the new system to work online and offline, with or without the Internet connection. This will allow our travelling postal offices workers, even in the most remote villages, where there is no stable communication, to make all operations in electronic format as well. At returning of the team to the base depot with good internet coverage, all data will then be automatically uploaded. I feel certain that these changes will be appreciated by both employees and customers", said Director General of Ukrposhta, Igor Smelyansky.

In accordance to the terms of the contract, 43,000 licenses for the software use will be supplied, as well as the additional 4 years technical support services and software iteration will be provided if necessary.

Ukrainian Post is taking all the right steps to position itself for further success and we are honored to be part of this transformation, said Brody Buhler, Escher Group CEO. - This software will change Ukrposhta by giving it much higher efficiency, decreasing expenses, boosting revenue and offering greater convenience and more digital services to the customers. We will be glad to help Ukrposhta to increase its e-commerce growth income and to support its first and last mile transformation”.

The Irish company Escher Group (IRL) Ltd has previously completed modernization of the retail operations and integration with all e-commerce and logistics channels for Canada Post. For the Vietnam Post the digital transformation was realized and for the Norwegian Post the update of the current retail services model and the creation of a "single window" at service points were made.

The next step in digitalization of Ukrposhta will be the introduction of a CRM-system, which will allow to analyze information about consumers, see the history of a customer transactions and the services the most often used by the client in Ukrposhta.

It shall be noted that the process of its full digitalization and automation Ukrposhta began in 2018. Initially, Ukrposhta started implementing a single ERP system (instead of 80 separate ones) and in March this year signed with the winner of the tender (IT-Enterprise) a contract worth UAH 95.8 million