Technology Forum: 21st Century Post 2016. Modern Delivery Forum

Conference report Technology Forum: 21st Century Post 2016. Modern Delivery Forum

On March 8, 2016, in Warsaw, the 4th edition of the conference “Technology Forum: Post of the 21st Century 2016. Modern Delivery Forum” took place.

The conference was attended by 50 participants representing key companies from the postal, courier, technology, and consulting sectors.

The aim of the Forum was to present and discuss the main technological trends in the development of the postal and courier sectors: digitalization of services, mobility, automation, the development of self-service zones, technological solutions for last-mile challenges, and e-commerce logistics.

The opening speech was delivered by Mr. Kazimierz Smoliński, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction, who presented the government’s strategy toward the postal market and Poczta Polska S.A. The Minister also emphasized the importance of the universal service and the designated operator providing it for the effective functioning of public administration.

Mr. Karol Krzywicki, Director of the Postal Market Department at the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), discussed the regulatory and legal challenges of digitalizing postal services, the legal issues related to cross-border services, and the European Union’s initiatives for building the Digital Single Market.

Mr. Łukasz Kulesza, Director of the Financial Services Development Office at Poczta Polska S.A., presented the implementation plan and new sales and service opportunities offered by the “Mobile Postman” project — equipping postmen, couriers, and delivery office employees with mobile devices (tablets, smartphones, signature pads).

The analytical and consulting part of the conference was opened by Mr. Michał Mazur, Partner at PwC, who presented the latest research on declining trends in the letter mail services market.

Mr. Michał Płotnicki from EY presented innovative services and solutions implemented by European operators in the era of cross-border e-commerce. He also analyzed the potential of the cross-border e-commerce market in Poland and Europe.

In the operators’ section of the conference, Mr. Dariusz Stolarczyk, Vice President of the Management Board of Ruch S.A., presented innovative and comprehensive e-commerce services in the areas of deliveries, returns, and logistics outsourcing that are being implemented (or designed) by his company.

Mr. Mateusz Wróbel, Global Marketing Director at InPost S.A., presented new trends in the e-commerce market and business strategies to respond to them.

The technological part of the conference included four presentations showcasing innovative solutions.

Mr. Aleksander Skałka, representing SalesManago — a leading global Polish platform in the field of marketing automation — presented the opportunities offered by marketing automation tools in multichannel communication with parcel and logistics service customers.

During the conference, the first refrigerated parcel locker (“Coolomat”) on the Polish market was presented. Implemented in cooperation with Alma delicatessen, it was introduced by Coolomat. The company’s President, Mr. Marcin Warzocha, outlined its features, benefits for both retailers and customers, and its technical operating conditions.

Mr. Piotr Miszczak from Zebra Technologies presented new solutions and opportunities for logistics operators arising from the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), including applications of IoT in supply chain monitoring.

At the conclusion of the conference, Mr. Grzegorz Urban from PwC discussed global trends in innovative delivery services based on the sharing economy and modern technologies, including Uber’s services (Uber Rush, Uber Merchant Delivery), Amazon’s (Amazon Prime Air), and others.

The Platinum Partner of the conference was Poczta Polska S.A.

List of companies and institutions participating in the conference