Smart lockers reshaping last-mile delivery

While passing stations during rides on the Dhaka metro rail, you may have seen clusters of small boxes resembling bank lockers. Naturally, a question comes to mind—what are the uses of these boxes?

These IoT-based lockers are being used by a couple of companies to deliver their products to customers at a time of convenience.

These lockers are, in effect, attempts to squeeze in a little bit of convenience in this hectic metropolis.

Set up by a startup called DigiBox, these lockers, or "digital boxes", are being used by several companies, including Daraz Bangladesh, BRAC Bank, and 1000Fix Services.

Already, around 6 lakh products have been handed over to customers through the lockers in the last two years.

DigiBox is going to launch another service through which people will be able to receive snacks and various types of meals in the "food-safe" lockers.

The startup has already set up the lockers for Daraz in 52 locations across the country, including all metro stations in Dhaka, in five locations for 1000Fix Services Ltd, and in several locations for BRAC Bank.

It is going to set up lockers in 10 more locations for 1000Fix Services Ltd and around 100 for BRAC Bank in front of their different branches.

This is a common logistics service available in several countries. However, it is costly to import the lockers.

Considering the demand, DigiBox came up with its own software so that people can get their products by tapping on a screen next to the lockers.

"Initially, we built wooden boxes. However, they did not work from a security perspective. Then we improved them by building steel boxes," said Morshedul Alam Chaklader, chairman of DigiBox.

Now, the software and all the infrastructure of the "digital boxes" are locally produced, he said.

"It is just a business idea which delivers logistics services. Our plan is to gradually provide the digital boxes in every district of the country," he said.

When making purchases from the Daraz website, a customer can select whether they want to receive their products from a "digital box" and specify the location.

Then DigiBox provides a three-day timeframe within which the package must be taken away from a "digital box" in that specific location.

Afterwards, customers have to go to that specific location, find the touchscreen next to the array of "digital boxes", and provide their order and tracking number.

The screen then sends a one-time password to the customer's mobile, which the customer must type into the touchscreen before being directed to a specific "digital box", which then automatically opens.

In this way, customers can avail themselves of products without having to receive phone calls or allocate time from their daily schedules to meet any delivery person.

The DigiBox service is available round the clock, except for those placed inside the metro rail stations, and the charge is Tk 20.

If customers do not collect products within three days of getting the notification, the product goes back to Daraz.

He claimed that it was "not possible" to hack or gain unauthorised access to their lockers.

"We usually offer home delivery and delivery from collection points, and the DigiBox service is another method for product delivery," said AHM Hasinul Quddus Rusho, chief corporate affairs officer at Daraz Bangladesh Limited.

Daraz is focusing on customer experience, and so this service has been kept for customer convenience, he added.

"With the DigiBox service, Daraz strongly believes we are all set to rise to another level towards the next era of digitalisation in Bangladesh," he said.

"Moreover, we want to provide DigiBox service across the nation. After building the largest and strongest logistics infrastructure in the country, now Daraz Bangladesh is going to build a smarter one with more environment-friendly initiatives," he added.

1000Fix Services Ltd, one of the largest repair service providers in Bangladesh for computers, laptops, printers, and other IT products, is using the locker service in a slightly different manner.

Anyone seeking repairs on any such product can simply fill out a form on the website of 1000Fix Services Ltd and leave the product in a specified locker. The company collects the product, repairs it, and returns it in the same manner.

Very recently, BRAC Bank also enabled a process through which clients can receive their cheque books, credit cards, debit cards, and other services through the "digital boxes".

This does away with the need to stand in queues and allows clients to avail themselves of the aforementioned services at any convenient time.

With the "digital boxes", people's lives have become easier. It reduces hassles, so demand for such logistics services is rising, said DigiBox Chairman Chaklader.

On the plans for "DigiFoods" for the delivery of snacks and full meals, he said they were already in an agreement with Fakruddin Biryani to deliver their biryani at several locations across the megacity.

"It will give people another scope for ease in their city life," he said, adding that nowadays around 1,000 deliveries are being made every day and their plan is to reach 10,000.