How Fleetroot Delivery Software Turns Deliveries Into Your Competitive Advantage

 

1) Order fulfillment gives today's businesses a competitive edge.

Companies have recognized that the order processing they offer their customers must become a key competitive advantage. Otherwise, they lose customers and market share to competitors who are successful in providing customers with a delightful delivery experience.

We live in the technological age, characterized by technological innovation but also by technological diffusion. It is no longer possible to create and maintain a competitive advantage based solely on functionality or cost advantages. All of this can easily be duplicated by technology. Therefore, what becomes a powerful tool is an emotional aspect in building brand equity. Competitive advantage now comes from “outside” your core product offering. as with the delivery of orders.

The "Amazon model" is now taken for granted as it forever changed customers' delivery expectations. Everyone from delivery companies to offline retailers to e-commerce businesses are under pressure to constantly improve their order delivery, delivery costs and customer communication.

Over the past decade, with all the changes in the supply chain model and in the logistics and delivery business, some best practices have emerged to turn order delivery into a competitive advantage. Importantly, the common common measure between these is the use of modern, automated delivery software to achieve this.

2) Best practices to make deliveries your competitive advantage by using modern, automated delivery software like Fleetroot

i) Route optimization: Today's world of logistics and distribution is complex! Global markets and competitors, supply chains and 24/7 operations - well, the list of fluctuating variables is endless! And at the end of this distribution chain is the always complex, always challenging and most expensive part, namely last mile delivery!
Last Mile Delivery is a litmus color change meaning it shows your prowess as a delivery company (or not!). Therefore, delivery software like Fleetroot is invaluable. With its advanced routing optimization features, you can constantly plan to achieve the best possible delivery routes.This optimization allows you to minimize costs, maximize efficiency and achieve customer satisfaction. This in turn creates happy customers that bring you profit and drive you to become a profitable business with a loyal customer base.

ii) Real-time communication: As already mentioned, today's customer wants to be “always up to date”! That means you get accurate ETAs, timely updates, and easy access to delivery information.

Fleetroot's delivery software enables customer companies to do just that - communicate directly with end customers and even let them know ahead of

time if there are delays.Such messages are automated and delivered through multiple channels such as application pop-ups, SMS, email (etc.). Studies show that customers are much more willing to accept such delays/changes if they are informed in advance.

 

A key benefit of last mile delivery software is that it allows businesses to provide customers with accurate ETAs and properly update them on any delays. This goes a long way in managing (potentially) annoyed customers and showing them their delivery is paramount

While B2C companies have already adequately upped their delivery game, the challenge for B2B companies remains. For example, many still only give approximate ETAs, but that's no longer enough. B2B customers typically rate their delivery experience at 50%. That's a lot lower than the average rating from B2C customers, which ranges from 70% to 85%.

iii) Improving service through a better understanding of customer behavior:
With the current home delivery business model, modern brands and delivery companies only interact personally with the customer at the time of parcel delivery.

Fleetroot's delivery software has tools like ePOD (Electronic Proof of Delivery) that make it easy and quick for drivers to capture signatures and collect more data that provides managers with actionable insights.

This includes customer feedback forms, performance ratings, improvement suggestions, new service requests, and notices of other important topics. This customer feedback identifies gaps, current strengths and future trends. Because it's already a digital data point, the data can be conveniently sliced ​​and sliced ​​in myriad ways to reveal a deep understanding of customer behavior.

From a holistic perspective, the visibility and transparency that advanced delivery software provides gives organizations a much better insight into overall last mile operations. This helps managers make better decisions consistently. 

iv) Offer multiple delivery options:

The "homogeneity" of customer requirements regarding delivery is a thing of the past! Today's customers have very different needs –

from self-scheduled deliveries, multiple delivery windows, local pickup points or curbside pickup, to longer wait times when discounted prices are offered.
As you can imagine, managing so many options would be impossible without the use of modern software systems.

Fleetroot's last mile delivery software features a fully automated and streamlined end-to-end delivery process. Not only does it manage all customer preferences, but it also integrates seamlessly with all other stakeholders and vendor MIS/systems to provide a comprehensive and holistic view of the entire delivery process.

The improved control and visibility this provides allows companies to study consumption patterns and innovate to offer better options, be it cheaper prices, premium services, faster delivery times or more payment options...

v) Advanced Data Analysis – As mentioned above, today's shipping software is based on complex algorithms, AI and ML covering the full scope of logistics, distribution and supply chain ecosystems.

Now that all ecosystems are going digital, every transaction, task, action (etc.) is recorded as a data point. As is commonly said today, “data is the new oil” and these data-driven insights are critical to continue improving delivery operations and creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

Fleetroot's robust data analysis capabilities can analyze the vast amounts of comprehensive data to consistently generate meaningful and actionable insights.

vi) Reduced Costs and Maximized Efficiency: Ultimately, companies are in business to make profit and keep their customers happy.It's not an easy task, and it's not just about managing one aspect of the operation (like reducing operational costs) but managing all the variables as a whole.

Today's delivery software, like Fleetroot, enables companies to do just that, manage myriad (and ever-changing!) customer demands and keep up with evolving global delivery operations running 24 hours a day, 7 days a year Week, manage your resources and delivery teams and ultimately ensure the smooth running of a profitable and ethical business venture.

Conclusion: As you can see, the current delivery operation is a complex labyrinth. Customer expectations are becoming more demanding and constantly changing. In such cases, modern technology tools like Fleetroot delivery software can help turn opportunities into benefits.

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.