UK parcel company Evri has announced that it’s investing £1 million in its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy to “further transform” its customer service, as well as parcel security and workforce planning.

Formerly known as Hermes, the company said that its AI strategy will help to position it as a “disruptor” in parcel delivery, as well as a “leader” of AI adoption within the sector.

In terms of how Evri wants its strategy to benefit customer service, the company said it’s looking to automate data collection and the identification of customer issues in particular, as to free up its customer team so they’re able to attend to more complex issues.

As for parcel security, Evri is aiming to use AI to more quickly identify if a parcel is being left in a highly safe place, with the technology analysing data against previous delivery photos.

The parcel delivery firm is also planning to use AI to optimise workforce planning by analysing data and predicting future demands, in a bid to “have the right people in the right place at the right time.”

To realise its plan, Evri has been working with AI consultancy Robiquity, with an “AI Centre of Excellence” team having been established.

The company also said that, in the future, it will explore and test the use of augmented reality headsets as a way of training couriers.

Speaking on the AI strategy and its work with Robiquity, Marcus Hunter, chief technology officer at Evri, said: “Our significant investment in AI underscores Evri’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

“This strategy will empower our people and optimise our operations, ultimately enabling us to deliver a best-in-class experience for everyone we serve.”

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“We put a real focus on intelligent automation in the middle of 2023, and we have been supported by Robiquity for the start of this exciting journey,” Hunter added.

“The team at Robiquity have been crucial in building the foundations – allowing us to move at pace with implementing the early stages of our strategy.

“The significant benefits achieved through Intelligent Process Automation in the first six months have given us the platform to explore other AI, with a view to implementing later technologies to help shape the future of our business.”