How UC Davis Handles Campus Mail & Package Surges More Efficiently

Peak Season Is a Known Challenge

You don’t need to be told when your campus mail center is about to get busy. Move-in week, holidays, finals, and graduation bring an unavoidable package surge. It’s not a surprise, but that doesn’t make it easier to manage. The flow of deliveries grows fast, often with little margin for error.

When resources are limited and time is short, small problems escalate quickly. A mislabeled package, a missed pickup window, or an unrecorded delivery can all lead to delays, complaints, and confusion.

Mail services professionals know the pain points well: long lines during peak hours, repeated inquiries about package statuses, and the challenge of managing space when incoming shipments exceed expectations. Everyone is working hard, but even the most experienced teams can struggle to keep up without the right systems.

What UC Davis Did to Stay Ahead

UC Davis faced the same pressure. Their mail services team handled everything from high volumes of student packages to special deliveries for faculty, internal transfers between departments, and even sensitive materials such as lab samples.

Managing this wide scope with clarity and accountability was difficult. To address these challenges, they implemented FacilityOS’s asset and logistics management solution, LogisticsOS, to centralize and streamline campus mail center operations.

The results were substantial. UC Davis saw a 70% drop in inquiry tickets quickly. This wasn’t due to increased staffing or budget expansion but through better tools and better coordination. With mobile devices, staff could scan and track packages instantly, reducing the need to return to a central workstation for updates. It improved the accuracy of package tracking and kept chain-of-custody records intact.

LogisticOS dashboards help monitor workflows across departments. These provided real-time insights into what was being delivered, who approved it, and what actions were pending. In addition, UC Davis was able to identify the need to expand their system to include a special messenger courier service for same-day delivery of high-value or time-sensitive materials.

With LogisticsOS, the entire process became more transparent, more accountable, and more efficient.

Smarter Systems That Ease the Pressure 

Many of the processes UC Davis put in place with LogisticsOS are worth considering if your team is feeling the weight of high-volume periods. These are some of the approaches that helped them create stability without increasing the burden on staff.

Automate Task Management

Manual checklists and whiteboards can only scale so far. When volumes spike, it becomes harder to remember what has been received, what has been sorted, and what needs to move next. With real-time status tracking and notifications, your mail services can run more predictably. Barcode-enabled tracking, seamless system integrations, and routing ensure efficiency even in high-volume mail centers.

As a result, fewer items slip through the cracks, and mail center staff can focus on execution rather than coordination.

Use Mobile Tools for Flexibility

Mail services teams are constantly on the move. They are checking bins, organizing shelves, coordinating handoffs, and responding to ad hoc needs. Giving your team the ability to use their mobile for your processes means they don’t have to stop what they’re doing to log information manually.

LogisticsOS enables you to scan barcodes with the mobile app, as well as update records, confirm deliveries, and send notifications via email or SMS in real-time. This creates fewer delays and keeps data current without added work.

Organize Routing More Effectively

Routing becomes especially complex on campuses where students change housing assignments or staff offices rotate. Packages can easily end up in the wrong location or are held too long in storage. With configurable routing tools, you can automate preferences for different delivery points, time, and temperature control. This cuts down on repeat handling and makes last-yard delivery more reliable.

Self-Service Where It Counts

Many campuses are exploring the use of smart lockers and kiosks to manage pickup traffic. These systems allow recipients to retrieve packages at their convenience using automated codes. Instead of standing in line or waiting for assistance, students and staff get notified directly when their items are ready for collection. This reduces congestion during busy periods and frees up staff for other tasks.

At UC Davis, these kinds of integrations contributed to a smoother experience and fewer customer service interactions.

Measuring What Matters

It is one thing to improve operations, and another to measure progress meaningfully. With tools like LogisticsOS, UC Davis was able to track important metrics that informed decisions across their logistics team. These included:

• Average time from package receipt to delivery
• Volume of packages processed per employee
• Frequency of missed pickups or lost packages
• Efficiency of internal transfers and approvals

By reviewing this data regularly, they were able to identify slowdowns, adjust staffing schedules, and communicate better with campus departments. This kind of visibility is essential for any team looking to move from reactive to proactive planning.

Moving Forward with Fewer Roadblocks

The busiest times of year aren’t going away. But the systems to handle them better already exist. UC Davis demonstrated that with the right logistics system in place, your existing team can move more efficiently, reduce errors, and provide a better service to the campus community.

Mail center professionals know their workflows better than anyone. When those workflows are supported with automation, mobile flexibility, and smart routing, the difference is visible quickly. If you’re preparing for the next wave of packages, now is the time to review what systems you have in place and where improvements can be made.

Smarter logistics don’t replace your team. They support them. They help you get through the surge without stretching your resources too thin, and without compromising the service your campus relies on.

Related Content: 5 Logistics Management Trends for University & College Campuses

See What LogisticsOS Can Do for You

UC Davis is an example of how FacilityOS’s LogisticsOS can transform mail operations. With automated tracking, task management, streamlined workflows, and real-time dashboards, the module gave their team the visibility and flexibility needed to handle complex demands without losing control.

If your mail center is dealing with growing volumes, rising expectations, or increasing complexity, LogisticsOS is a system designed for higher education logistics. It brings clarity, consistency, and data-driven support to your daily operations.

Ready to see how it could work for your campus?