At the invitation of Safeshops, a Belgian quality label for webshops, we visited the bpost sorting center ‘Brussels X’ today (October 16, 2018). With a surface area of around 80,000m², it is the largest sorting center in the BeNeLux and the second largest in Europe. During the 2017 holiday season, bpost processed no less than 250,000 packages per day across three sorting centers: Brussels X, Antwerp X, and Ghent X.
For the 2018 holiday season, they estimate that volume will double, and they are ready to process around 500,000 packages per day. That’s more than 20,000 per hour, around 350 per minute, or a staggering 5.75 packages per second! But how does bpost manage such volumes? We saw that during our tour of Brussels X.
Letters Mail
We start our guided tour at the letter sorting mechanism. Some giant sorting machines immediately sort letters by round, so the mail carrier doesn’t need to do manual work and can go out on their route right away. We also see the Masspost department where they sort the flyers from companies like Colruyt and Makro and prepare them for distribution. Interesting fact: in order to sort the Colruyt flyer automatically, bpost made a multimillion-euro investment in a custom sorting machine. This was due to the flyer’s irregular size, and the Colruyt group insisted on keeping the larger format. The so-called ‘Mixed Sorting Machine (MSM)’ can automatically sort different sizes of mail right down to house number level. This machine was a world-first when it was introduced in 2017.
Parcel Mail
After a long line of letter sorting machines, we finally arrive at what we came for: the parcel area. In this building, two identical, giant machines, each about 450 meters long and 5 meters high, handle almost all of bpost’s national parcels. According to our guide, the two other sorting centers in Ghent and Antwerp are currently running at low capacity. During the busy holiday season, all three sorting centers will be running at full speed. The two machines we are about to see can handle around 300,000 parcels per day.
After a short walk, we stand at the bottom of the giant machine. It’s remarkable how little manual input is needed. About 1,500 people work at Brussels X (both administrative staff and warehouse workers, including for letters and parcels). We stop at various input points where parcels are brought into the system.
The sorting machine uses different types of input:
- Manual input
- Bulk input via roll containers or pallets
- Input via mobile conveyor belts directly from the truck
Shortly after a parcel enters the process, it undergoes a 360-degree scan to register the barcode. At the same time, the dimensions and weight of the parcel are recorded for further sorting later in the process.
We quickly realize how important it is to pack your parcels carefully and protect them from shocks, bumps, and falls, regardless of the input method. This is not due to human contact, but because of the entirely mechanical process. The average trajectory of a parcel in Brussels X is about 1 km on the conveyor belt. Considering the machine is about 5 to 6 meters high, you can imagine that occasionally a height difference needs to be overcome. A ‘fragile’ sticker will provide little help. According to bpost’s national sales manager, a special shipping method for really fragile items (such as breakables) is coming next year. We’ll have to wait and see.
The machine uses two weight classes: all parcels up to 5 kg are sorted and immediately placed in the right container. Parcels between 5 kg and 20 kg take a different route and slide into the hands of workers (via a sort of slide system). These workers then perform a final check and place the packages in the correct container. For parcels heavier than 20 kg, a more manual sorting method is provided.
For parcels over 31 kg, bpost works with the Dina group. These packages are delivered to homes using small trucks or vans and fall outside of bpost’s network.
After about a 45-minute tour, which flew by, we return to our starting point. We haven’t seen the entire site, I estimate about half, but it still gives us a good idea of how things work in such a sorting center.
What did we learn?
- Pack your parcels well
We already knew this, but we want to emphasize it again: pack your parcels as well as possible, especially for fragile goods. A 2-meter fall is not uncommon on the automated sorting machine, and if the items aren’t well (enough) protected, you’ll have a problem. A ‘fragile goods’ or ‘fragile’ sticker won’t help much, as one bpost employee whispered to us.
- New features for next year
From the head of sales, we learned that bpost is experimenting with an efficient way to distribute large volumes of goods in 2019, the same way packages are currently sent. Additionally, a ‘fragile’ shipping method for truly fragile items like bottles, glass, etc., will be introduced.
- E-commerce is booming
Given the significant investment bpost is making and the overcapacity at the moment, they expect exponential growth in Belgian e-commerce. The volume of their parcel service will double in the coming year.
- Postmen practice the Sinterklaas route
When we parked our car on top of Brussels X (yes, they have a very convenient rooftop parking), there were also driving lessons taking place for the postmen. Could they be practicing for the upcoming Sinterklaas route? 😉
To conclude, once again, a big thank you to Safeshops for the fascinating visit, and onto the next one!
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