This year the Postal and Parcel Technology International Award in the "Delivery Innovation of the Year" category goes to DPD Germany. 

During the POST EXPO trade show for the postal and logistics industry in Geneva DPD was honoured for its innovative Return button, which makes sending back goods more convenient and resource-saving than ever before. The DPD App enables consignees who wish to return goods delivered by DPD to create a mobile return label simply by tapping the screen. When the parcel is then handed in for return shipping at a parcel shop, all that is needed is the digital code on the smartphone. The customer no longer needs a physical parcel label.

"This international recognition for our Return button is further confirmation that we are decisively exploiting the possibilities of digitalisation", states a delighted Michael Knaupe, Director Customer Experience and Communications at DPD Germany. "Throughout the industry we are setting new benchmarks which enable consignees to integrate the receipt, shipping and return of parcels seamlessly into their everyday routines. With the Return button we have closed a further gap in the process of offering online shoppers an outstanding customer experience across the entire purchase and delivery chain."

The Return button can be used on all devices and is available for both the Android and iOS operating systems. In the case of parcels sent by retailers who are activated for the Return button, as soon as the parcel has been shipped this option for returning the goods is displayed in the DPD App. If necessary the consignee can then return the shipment with a single click of the mouse or by tapping the screen. For this purpose a mobile return parcel label is created as a 2-D code which, if required, can also be stored in the Apple Wallet (iOS) or WalletPasses (Android). If the parcel is dropped off for return shipping at one of DPD's 6,000 Pickup parcelshops throughout Germany, all consignees then need to do is to display the mobile return parcel label on their smartphone.

With conventional returns solutions, consignors have so far sent a physical return label with the parcel, which the consignee could then attach to the return shipment. As an alternative consignees could create their own return label on online portals or on request, which they then generally had to print out and stick on the parcel. Compared to this the Return button is a highly resource-saving solution, which reduces the processing of return shipments to a minimum both for the retailer and for customers.

The Postal and Parcel Technology International Award is only one of a long series of accolades which DPD has received for its innovative B2C services and the DPD App. For example, the company has already won the UX Design Award, the German Prize for Online Communication and the eco Award of Germany's Internet industry. In addition, DPD won the 2015 Digital Transformation Award for the comprehensive digitalisation of all its business operations.