India Post achieved a significant milestone in its efforts to modernize and ramp up its mail processing centres when its automated mail processing system installed by Siemens at New Delhi became operational. The system consists of a sorting machine with integrated reading and video coding machine (IVR), which reads bar code or manually-written addresses on the letter line-by-line. Based on the address, the sorting machine automatically sorts the letters and collects it in a specified bin in a single run.
For successfully implementing the new automated sorting technologies, besides the supply, installation and commissioning of the sorting machines, video coding stations and power supply, Siemens provided operational consultancy services to the Department of Post which undertook a massive data collection exercise, where over 650,000 addresses of cities, villages and towns was incorporated in the system at the sorting centers.
The Postal Automation Technology installed by, Siemens will enable India Post to significantly reduce processing time, improve productivity and deliver high quality of service. The system is capable of processing different types of mails such as packages, plastic-wrapped items, magazines and letters. The system has a throughput of up to 55,000 items per hour – approximately 35,000 letters and about 20,000 mixed mail packages. The sorting centre in Delhi has a built up area of 6,500 square meters. This will enable the Department of Post to provide better and more efficient services with high level of productivity.Text
Globally, Siemens has installed more than 22,100 such systems for letter, parcel and courier express parcel services in more than 40 countries.
About Department of Posts:
For more than 150 years, the Department of Posts (DoP) has been the backbone of the country’s communication and has played a crucial role in the country’s socio-economic development. It touches the lives of Indian citizens in many ways: delivering mails, accepting deposits under Small Savings Schemes, providing life insurance cover under Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) and providing retail services like bill collection, sale of forms, etc. The DoP also acts as an agent for Government of India in discharging other services for citizens such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) wage disbursement and old age pension payments. With 155,015 Post Offices, the DoP has the most widely distributed postal network in the world.
About Siemens Ltd.:
Siemens Ltd., in which Siemens AG holds 75% of the capital, is the flagship listed company of Siemens AG in India. Siemens in India including Siemens Ltd. comprises 14 legal entities, is a leading powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering with a business volume aggregating about Rs. 12,000 crore. It operates in the core business areas of Industry, Infrastructure & Cities, Energy and Healthcare. It has a nation-wide sales and service network, 21 manufacturing plants and employs about 18,000 people.