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Clemson Taps Tech for Contactless Package Retrieval

Students at Clemson University can avoid trips to the mail center and pick up their packages in a secure, contactless environment, thanks to technology from Ricoh. The institution has installed more than 500 Ricoh Intelligent Lockers on campus, expanding on an overall revamp of its campus mail and print centers.

When Clemson's mail services team receives students' packages, the packages are scanned and then delivered to Intelligent Lockers all over campus. Students then receive an e-mail notification to collect their package from a locker close to their residence. Students can unlock the locker and retrieve their package using a one-time release code, or via contactless options such as tapping their student ID card or scanning a QR code.

The university piloted the technology during move-in week, during which more than 1,400 packages were delivered. Student wait time at the mail center decreased by 13 percent, and 99 percent of students who used the lockers said they were extremely satisfied with their overall experience, according to a news announcement.

"Our biggest complaint has been from students who were not included in the original pilot, they also want access to the Intelligent Lockers," said Lori Brierre, strategic operations director for Procurement and Business Services at Clemson, in a statement. "We're thankful to be rolling it out for more students this fall. Our students like to do things on their own time, on their own terms and ideally in a very streamlined fashion — and now with the coronavirus pandemic, we anticipate options for contactless pickup to be a new ask."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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