Escher’s Riposte Platform: Paving the Way for the Digital Transformation of Posts

By 2021, over 2.14 billion people worldwide will buy goods and services online. eCommerce’s meteoric rise is just one of the factors contributing to the rapid transformation of the postal industry. Declining letter volume and the proliferation of the delivery industry are further adding to the changing business model. As Posts rise to the challenge, many are recognizing a single cohesive theme developing as they transform-enhance the customer experience. To accomplish this objective, Posts are turning to technology to help build the digital-first post office that puts customer service at its core.

For Posts to deliver on this mission, they must have technological capabilities at their disposal. Escher understands this and is continually innovating and evolving our software platforms to accommodate this new vision for the postal industry.

How Escher is working to meet the needs of our clients and the industry  

Last October, we announced some updates to the Riposte platform.

“Our latest release is built on our world-class messaging framework, providing a modular architecture and consolidated data center infrastructure. Enabling out-of-the-box implementation, with post-specific applications, this solution will deliver business value faster, and decrease the cost of implementations.” — Nick Manolis, CEO, Escher

What does Riposte now offer Posts?

Riposte’s open architecture ensures that Posts are not locked into specific components, services, technical architecture, or hardware. The solution easily integrates with existing applications and systems and can quickly expand to enable Posts to pivot and adapt to new services, markets, business models, and technologies. Riposte offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing the addition, removal, or replacement of components to support evolving needs.

With eight applications, Riposte will empower Posts to augment their digital capacity and presence in the market.

• Riposte Mail
  • Provides mail services for all mail formats and integrates with track and trace, based on best practice from over 35 Post implementations.
• Riposte Agency
  • Allows Posts to perform third-party bill payment transactions.
• Riposte Delivery
  • Automates how packages are received, stored or shelved, and/or handed over for pickup and drop-off for the recipient.
• Riposte Retail
  • Enables customers to enjoy a frictionless retail experience, including purchases, returns, and promotions.
• Riposte User Management
  • Facilitates general administration of user accounts
• Riposte Customer Satisfaction
  • Comprising three distinct products – Riposte Insight, Riposte AI and Riposte Digital Onboarding, making it possible for Posts to extract and interpret data to improve the customer experience.
• Riposte Assets
  • Simplifies transfer of inventory
• Riposte Taxes, Duties & Compliance
  • Powered by Hurricane, enables Posts to correctly identify product classification, screen for restricted products, estimate taxes and duties, and screen for denied parties.

How Riposte is promoting exceptional customer experiences

As mentioned earlier, customer satisfaction is now a critical focus of all business operations. Customers expect, almost demand, a service that is convenient, personalized, transparent, and interactive.

Riposte’s applications provide Posts with the technology to meet and resolve issues customers may encounter today.

Top Barriers to Superior Customer Service

• Inefficiency at retail locations
  • Problem:
    • One dedicated counter for service at the post office is not enough
    • Ability to serve customers quickly and directly in the line
    • Lower volume of transactions to offset fixed costs of physical branches
  • Fix
    • Introduce self-serve kiosks and mobile POS

The complexity of first and last mile

• • Problem:
    • Failed deliveries cost over $1B per year (in one region alone)
  • Fix
    • PUDO services rapidly expand points of engagement
    • 3rd party retail, parcel lockers, kiosks
    • Convenient pick-ups
    • Fast returns and drop-offs

Barriers to cross border shipping

• • Problem:
    • Constant changes in regulations
    • Providing the customer with the correct information around customs and shipping rules
  • Fix:
    • Simplify cross border services
    • Issue transparent costs for shoppers
    • Stay current on all regulations
    • Handle all taxes, duties, and compliance

Continuous improvement strategies

• • Problem:
    • Evaluating data to identify patterns and propose solutions
  • Fix:
    • Leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to detect patterns
    • Real-time monitoring, recommendations, and actionable insights

Riposte in Action

One customer rolled out 11,000 cost-effective PUDO centers. The installation costs were minimal- franchisees used handheld mobile devices, wireless printer, and operate over a phone network- and customers now had more locations to choose, easier parking, and extended business hours.

Riposte is purpose-built, scalable, channel-agnostic, and incorporates post-centric intelligent automation. Posts get complete access to all transactional data and rely on Escher to provide a safe and secure platform.