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Earlier this month, Latch announced its new package management solution, the Latch Delivery Assistant. Designed to help multifamily buildings streamline package management, the Latch Delivery Assistant is part of the LatchOS ecosystem that is making it easier for multifamily buildings to manage incoming packages and for residents to receive them.

Instead of package lockers or package rooms that burden both delivery providers and property managers with extra responsibilities, the Latch Delivery Assistant streamlines package management for delivery providers, property managers, and residents alike. 

During high volume package delivery periods, property managers can use the new scanner tool in the Latch Manager App as part of the Latch Delivery Assistant to make inventorying packages quick and efficient. While most package management solutions require separate barcode scanners or another piece of hardware, the Latch scanner works with the property manager’s smartphone to streamline the experience. Without the need for additional hardware, they simply open the app, they snap a photo of the label, and it’s then instantly uploaded to the cloud.

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Once the image of the label is uploaded to the cloud, it is passed through optical character recognition (OCR) technology, which intelligently extracts all text detected in the image. This image processing is done in the cloud asynchronously, so that property managers can continue scanning labels—and even close the app—without interrupting the image recognition. 

Once the images have all been uploaded and processed, the text is intelligently filtered to extract the recipient name, which is then compared with a list of building residents. When there’s a match, a notification is sent automatically to the resident alerting them that their package has arrived—all without any additional action needed from the property manager.

Because the Latch scanner uses OCR, it provides more flexibility than traditional AFAIK scanners that require each package to have a barcode. While most boxes delivered by national delivery providers will have barcodes, AFAIK scanners are often unable to inventory anything that is dropped off by a local delivery carrier.

Alternatively, the Latch scanner extracts text directly, which means it can track boxes without a barcode or even with a handwritten label. This comprehensive solution works for every package instead of those delivered just by the major delivery providers—even personal packages or those from local businesses like flower or food deliveries that don’t have traditional labels. 

After extensive testing of different OCR models and evaluating text mining techniques against hundreds of sample package labels, the Latch Delivery Assistant helps eliminate inefficiencies, save building staff time and headaches, and ensure that residents are always notified when their delivery has arrived.

With this new and powerful tool, the Latch Delivery Assistant delivers added flexibility and convenience for property managers. By allowing them to deal with the ever-increasing delivery volume in a systematic way, they can now avoid overflowing lobbies or disorganized package rooms without adding extra work or stress. 

Interested in streamlining package management at your property? Contact our Sales team today.

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