Escher Group has unveiled a flood of new products through its “reimagined” Riposte platform to help postal operators improve customer experience, add services and improve operations.
The postal technology supplier upgraded its award-winning Riposte platform with a large number of additional products and tools at Parcel + Post Expo in Amsterdam last week.
“For the last 20 years, we have been made substantial investments in the Riposte platform in order to meet the needs of our clients and the industry,” commented CEO Nick Manolis. “Our latest release is built on our world-class messaging framework, providing a modular architecture and consolidated data centre infrastructure. Enabling out of the box implementation, with a series of Post-specific applications, this solution will deliver business value faster and decrease the cost of implementation for Posts around the world.”
The company explained that Riposte’s open architecture ensures 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, enabling the addition, removal or replacement of components to support evolving needs. In particular, it enables:
- Multiple channels – including counter, kiosk, mobile, PUDO, agency or franchise.
- Variety of services – including parcel, letter, retail, financial, government.
- New modes of engagement – including full service, guided, self-service
- Multiple physical locations – including doorstep, branch, office, PUDO, agency and franchise.
Manolis continued: “In addition to re-platforming Riposte, we are also focused on offering out of the box applications that Posts need to run their business and transform their models. We plan to regularly develop new apps based on consumer needs, Riposte Anti Money Laundering and Riposte eTopUp are already in development. These applications will deliver more value to Posts through compelling customer experiences, ensuring compliant practices and increasing revenue opportunities.”
The new Riposte applications from Escher are:
- Riposte Mails – 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 Customer Satisfaction – Escher’s brand new customer satisfaction solution is made up of three distinct products – Riposte Insight, Riposte AI and Riposte Digital Onboarding.
- Riposte Taxes, Duties & Compliance – powered by specialist provider Hurricane, this enables Posts to correctly identify product classification, screen for restricted products, estimate taxes and duties, and screen for denied parties.
Reaching more customers through PUDO solution
The new Riposte PUDO solution enables Postal Operators to quickly expand their reach, availability and access to customers through third-party outlets, agent networks or franchisees. Riposte PUDO provides Posts with a cost-effective solution to automate and integrate transaction processes as well as minimise hardware investment.
The solution also equips agent networks to conduct transactions on the Posts’ behalf, with low set up costs and minimal maintenance requirements. Riposte PUDO provides a responsive, open, modular and future-proofed solution enabling the seamless deployment of software updates and additional services to the PUDO network. Several Escher postal customers have already implemented this new solution.
“90% of respondents to Escher’s 2019 Future of Posts report believe that their success over the next five years will be tied to parcels. The reality is postal operators need to transform in order to take advantage of the incredible opportunity that parcels offer. Riposte PUDO helps Posts do this, and quickly,” commented CEO Nick Manolis.
“One client has a traditional network of more than 12,000 postal outlets, but needed to expand its reach. Using Riposte PUDO, they set up 15,000 PUDO locations – more than doubling their retail footprint in just three months. This solution has the potential to be a game changer for Posts all over the world where parcels are becoming an increasingly important source of income.”
Removing the friction points in cross-border parcels
Another new solution could be vital as postal operators grow their cross-border parcel businesses. The Riposte Taxes, Duties & Compliance tool, supplied by Hurricane, enables Postal Operators to correctly calculate duties and tax, check product classification and screen for restricted products and denied parties at the point of engagement with their customer. This ensures Posts meet all regulatory requirements, provide better cost transparency to their customers and improve customer loyalty throughout the supply chain.
“Hurricane is the market leader in this extremely complex area and they have a dedicated and experienced team to ensure regulations are up to date. Our solution provides Posts with the assurance that they are complying with global screening requirements as well as correctly calculating any monies due,” commented Manolis. “But this is also about the online shopper – knowing the landed cost of their purchases is important for customer experience and satisfaction, and reducing calling card shock.”
