The courier, shipping and delivery industry has been experiencing a surge in growth brought about by increased e-commerce activities, and this has generated significant revenues. However, there are factors that affect the efficiency of the industry, hindering a sustainable growth that could improve its revenues. From dependable route plans to real-time updates, shipping and delivery companies can adopt effective strategies to attain efficiency and improve their bottom lines.
Leveraging Technology
LSO note the importance of fast shipping across marketplaces. According to a Dotcom Distribution report, 87% of web shoppers identified shipping and delivery speed as a vital reason in their decision to buy from an online brand again. It is clear that fast shipping is critical in earning your customer’s loyalty. One way to boost delivery times is to improve route planning using technology.
Computer software allows you to plan your routes better, saving time and maximizing resources. It will determine, manage and optimize delivery routes, as well as identify geographical regions and types of transportation. Real time updates using GPS tracking lets you know where packages and parcels are, and this is information that you can easily give out to customers. In addition to automated software, you can also get the input of your drivers to see where the bottlenecks are. They know traffic problems and peak times. Some drivers might be familiar with certain areas and can get around swiftly, so you might want to assign them to the neighborhoods they know best.
Improve Last-Mile Delivery
Last-mile delivery is a crucial element of logistics, and represents nearly half of the costs in the supply chain. The goal is to deliver the package to the intended recipient as quickly as possible. It would be beneficial to your company to integrate the last-mile delivery as part of the service you provide. A way to boost last-mile delivery service is to offer clients different delivery windows. For example, increasing pick-up points can help ensure that customers will get their package, even if nobody is at home to receive it. Offering clients the chance to modify delivery times and dates also increases the success of last-mile delivery.
Another way to boost efficiency is to use smart lockers in strategic locations for the convenience of customers. If you can afford it, having your own trucking network gives you better control and overview of the last-mile delivery process. For example, giant retailer Amazon controls every link of the business, from supply to delivery of products. They have even started using drones to fulfill the last-mile delivery role.
Fast delivery of orders is very important in the shipping industry. By leveraging technology and improving last-mile delivery, the chances are high that the industry will achieve efficiency.