How Can Businesses Keep Track Of Delivery Operations?

 

Why has delivery optimization become such a buzzword lately?

Logistics and distribution have become complex tasks. Consumer preferences have evolved rapidly, driven lately by the "Amazon isolation" of home delivery models,

i.e. 24-hour delivery and same-day delivery!

The standard "Your package is ready for dispatch" on the promised date is not good enough either! As a result, delivery companies and retail brands must constantly work on the best order fulfillment methods, from cutting costs to reducing delivery times.

Research shows that 90% of customers pay more for an improved customer experience. And since 80% of business comes from 20% of the current customer list, delivering a satisfying customer list is imperative

The one constant in all these strategies, however, is the use of technology. Without them, tackling the hectic world of 24/7 global logistics would be impossible! It is therefore safe to say that your greatest ally is modern cloud-based, automated, GPS-enabled last-mile delivery software...

But what does Delivery Optimization really mean?

it's using greatly improved delivery routes, ideally the “best ones”, both strategically and operationally, to deliver customer parcels.

This is of course not an easy task as several (fluctuating) variables have a constant impact on the 'ideal routes'. From traffic and weather, package size, driver and fleet vehicle availability… well, the list goes on!

Best Delivery Management Software offers top-notch features:

Route optimization: So that the most effective routes are always specified
Automation: Repetitive tasks are automated, allowing complex activities to be performed efficiently at scale

Geo-Fencing: Delivery agent areas are mapped to ensure they remain within prescribed boundaries. This shortens delivery times, prevents bad practices, and improves the safety API

Integration - Integrate stakeholder MIS for 100% transparency and improved efficiency
Driver and Resource Management - Assign workloads based on available resources and driver working hours to avoid exploitation, burnout, etc.

real-time alerts: Receive vehicle maintenance alerts for service and repair. Reduce running costs, fuel consumption, and sudden failures
Enhanced Safety: Track real-time driver behavior to check for reckless driving, idling, sharp turns, etc. Improve safety protocol, help drivers continuously raise awareness, and improve.

Improved Productivity - Ultimately, all features and tools work specifically towards the most desired metric, i.e. improved business productivity and profitability ~~

And whether you're a small independent retailer, a large global e-commerce company, a logistics company, a grocery delivery aggregator (etc.), you're going to face these challenges. For example, customers who order groceries online expect their order to arrive within the hour! And that is the absolute upper limit! Any more and they'll quickly tap into the other competitor's app and you'd lose a customer!

Clearly, the ultimate goal of tracking and optimizing delivery operations is to achieve customer satisfaction by providing them with a satisfying customer experience.

3) How does shipping software optimize delivery operations?

To optimize your daily routes and schedules, keep tabs on your delivery operations, and closely monitor your fleet, you need to implement efficient shipping software. 

Route Optimization – Delivery software focuses on the most efficient route for daily deliveries. It balances several variables including fleet vehicle and driver availability, destinations, package details, weather and traffic conditions, and delivery windows for customers to reach it. Remember that the most efficient route is not the shortest, quickest, or cheapest, but the one that falls within the golden mean of all the many factors that affect it. This feature is crucial: it allows companies to carry out their deliveries in the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost while optimizing the resources deployed.

Real-time Tracking: It used to be a big challenge to track your delivery crews once they were in their daily work. Office teams relied on drivers calling from gas stations, convenience stores,, or customer locations as soon as packages were delivered. This was cumbersome, expensive, and time-consuming,, and could lead to poor practice.

Today's customers are a demanding bunch! They demand a robust delivery system with instant updates, feedback polls, and real-time communication

With delivery software equipped with GPS, however, this happens automatically, in real-time,, and with pinpoint accuracy. Central logistics teams can track the movements of their fleet vehicles on the map while going about their daily schedules. Central teams can also help to divert your drivers from their originally planned routes in the event of an emergency (eg. accidents, weather changes, road closures, etc.)

Automation: Certainly the ability to digitize or bring online the entire logistics and delivery process while bringing online the many stakeholders operating in this highly connected ecosystem and supply chain is a winning feature! This avoids old practices of manual processes and common mistakes and successfully streamlines the entire operation.

Data Analytics – As all activities are tracked online, they are also recorded as a “data point”. This allows logistics managers to slice data in a variety of ways to generate meaningful and actionable insights that improve their decision-making.

Improved communication: Today's customers are more and more demanding! They expect to be "in the know" about the progress of their deliveries at all times. The last-mile delivery software allows you to communicate with them in real-time via calls, app notifications, SMS, email (etc.) to keep them constantly updated about your package.

Driver Management: Too little attention is often paid to drivers. Don't forget that they are the most important cog in the machine: they carry out all your plans! You work long and hard, often in challenging conditions, and from the corporate interface to the end customer.

The advent of deployment software has been a major benefit for them too: core teams can now assign better work schedules, help them address roadblocks/emergencies in real-time during their daily schedule, give them the rest they need, and regularly train them as needed.

Conclusion: As can be seen, using modern and automated delivery software to optimize and track your delivery processes is crucial for success.