• The "Intelligent mailbox" project is launched with a beta test for one million GMX and WEB.DE users

• An artificial-intelligence based algorithm bundles all information relating to online orders and delivery status in an automatic and convenient way

• DPD's unique map-based Live-Tracking function offers additional information flows and is registering more and more users

• Maximum flexibility thanks to a wide range of delivery options and individual delivery preferences

 Aschaffenburg, 31 July 2018 – With DPD Germany as a cooperation partner the online communication services GMX and WEB.DE are launching an innovative facility for online shoppers: the "intelligent mailbox" with integrated parcel tracking provides a well-organised overview of communications relating to purchases made on the Internet. An algorithm based on artificial intelligence automatically identifies emails which are relevant to orders, and groups them in a new folder with entitled "My orders". The information from the collected emails is displayed by individual order and supplemented by tracking information. Details of the status of the parcel and the probable delivery time window are obtained by GMX and WEB.DE automatically and in real time from the DPD IT system. In the case of the two email services, the parcel tracking function represents the launch of their "Intelligent mailbox" project, which this week starts its beta test. From 31 July one million GMX and WEB.DE users will receive an invitation to test the new function. If the test phase is successful, the email service providers are planning an early market launch for all their 33 million users.

"For many users their own email account functions like a kind of electronic memory. It collects lots of information which is useful for their daily lives, but this information needs to be organised. With our new services we aim to provide users with a better overview and faster access to relevant information. As part of a beta test we will also apply the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence"

Jan Oetjen, CEO of GMX and WEB.DE

"For many users their own email account functions like a kind of electronic memory. It collects lots of information which is useful for their daily lives, but this information needs to be organised. With our new services we aim to provide users with a better overview and faster access to relevant information. As part of a beta test we will also apply the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence", states Jan Oetjen, CEO of GMX and WEB.DE.

Michael Knaupe, Director Customer Experience & Communications at DPD Germany, adds: "As the digital innovation leaders on the parcel market, we make sure that taking delivery of goods is just as uncomplicated as ordering them on the Internet. This includes making sure that online shoppers always have rapid access to the status of their shipment. In the process we focus on the user habits of consignees, and make sure that they can access the relevant information wherever they are. We're therefore delighted that we can now offer our consignees an additional channel, with parcel tracking in the intelligent mailbox provided by GMX and WEB.DE. From there users also have fast access to our flexible delivery options, which today already make the everyday lives of countless online shoppers more convenient."

In addition to the status of individual shipments, the "My orders" overview will also display further relevant messages such as order confirmations, for example. Users who participate in the beta test will be requested to provide feedback on the further development of the service, while the application of the algorithm's learning process will contribute to the reliable automated identification of emails relating to orders.

 

Transparent and flexible: managing and tracking parcel deliveries with DPD

In the "My orders" folder, a direct link to the DPD online portal provides users with convenient access to further options for the management and tracking of DPD parcel deliveries. On the portal DPD provides them with a reliable, 60-minute delivery forecast. During the delivery process the predicted delivery time is even narrowed down to 30 minutes. In addition, with DPD's map-based Live-Tracking function consignees are shown on a detailed online map where their parcel is at any given time. Consignees who won't be at home when the parcel arrives have a choice of options for changing the delivery. These include delivery on a different day, having the parcel left in a safe place by the driver, or redirecting it to a DPD Pickup parcelshop.

More and more consignees are taking advantage of DPD's digital services, which now have more than 3 million active users every month. The DPD App, which also provides all these functions in mobile form, has been downloaded nearly 2 million times. It already has 1.2 million registered users, who can use it to set their individual delivery preferences, for example. Around 11,000 new registrations are received every single week.

"Our digital services are not just highly practical, they're also fun to use", explains Michael Knaupe, Director Customer Experience & Communications at DPD. "For many consignees our Live-Tracking function, which is unique for the industry, is a highly popular service which people also enjoy sharing on social media. We also support this by seasonal features, for example relating to Christmas and Easter or during major sporting events." Most recently, for example, the delivery vehicle icon which displays the current location of a parcel in the Live-Tracking system was replaced by a van featuring a football design. At the same time the house icon which indicates the destination of the parcel became a goal. A click or a tap on the icon produced the roar of a goal celebration.

The innovative originality of DPD's digital services has already been confirmed by a wide range of awards, and the DPD App most recently received recognition in the form of the German Design Award 2018.