SingPost shells out S$45m for mail sorting upgrade

16 new machines up its sleeves.

According to a release, SingPost is investing about S$45 million to upgrade its mail sorting infrastructure. All existing 26 sorting machines, which have been in operation for more than 14 years, will be replaced with an integrated sorting system comprising 16 various machines that can sort letters, packets and publications.

Dr Wolfgang Baier, Group CEO of SingPost, said: “We recognise that customer needs are changing and we are constantly pushing the envelope to ensure we maintain the highest service standards, including the current over 98% next day delivery rate that we have achieved.

Upgrading our postal infrastructure with the latest technology will give SingPost capacity to process mail items faster, thereby enhancing service quality and productivity in the process. This investment will also prepare us for a new economy with fewer letters and more packets.”

Investing into Service
Through the years, SingPost has been investing considerably to improve its mail handling processes to enhance service quality and efficiency. In 1998, SingPost achieved at least 95% of mail delivered by the next business day, bringing Singapore’s postal service standards from 3rd world standard to 1st world standard.

Today, SingPost stands as one of only several postal operators in the world that consistently achieves a Quality of Service standard of over 98% for next day delivery.

The investment in new machines will help SingPost to deliver an even more efficient and better service. The new sorting machines will increase mechanisation rate in the sorting process, thereby reducing human reliance and enhancing accuracy.

The mechanisation rate for sorting letters will increase from 85% to 95% and that of publications, from 58% to more than 90%. The mechanisation rate for packets will also increase from 85% to 90%.