The concept of last-mile delivery has become much more famous than the previous years, and hence people are shifting towards the new trends casually. The current logistics system involves multiple forms of delivery involved, and last-mile delivery is the last part of such a delivery where the goods are transported from the hub to the final destinations. But this delivery system has recently been facing some challenges due to the increased online ordering nowadays. To manage the increase in order and also to ensure faster delivery, certain challenges have been constantly faced by the last-mile carrier management. These challenges might seem like they are simple, but achieving them will result in the improvement of the system. Here we have listed some of the challenges that are commonly faced by such companies.
- Poor customer satisfaction
One of the major last-mile problems faced by a carrier company is poor customer satisfaction. Let’s have a quick look into how modern brands can address this critical last-mile delivery problem. Nowadays, current customers expect to have a faster option for delivery. So technically, the last-mile carrier companies should adopt modern technologies like auto dispatch and route Optimisation techniques for improving the speed of the delivery and also make the same-day delivery concept a possibility. The automatic dispatch technique will reduce the manpower involved in the dispatch region by automatically assigning the parcels to the chosen driver or delivery agent. These orders are then properly batched and sent for delivery using the route optimization techniques. Following route optimization will allow the drivers to reach the destined locations at a faster rate and achieve the delivery target with no delay.
These techniques will not just satisfy the requirements of the customers but also will improve the profit since they require less manpower. A recent study has revealed that nearly 60 percent of the people are interested in getting the delivery of a purchased product within hours. Along with that, they also expect to have proper visibility regarding their purchase. This visibility or traceability will allow the customers to trace their orders right from the moment they have placed an order on them until it reaches the destination. This visibility factor is useful for normal people and also for brands. Now tracing the missing packages and determining the date of delivery will be easier with this software. Certain software also allows the users to determine the name of the delivery agent and the location of the warehouse for a much clearer understanding. When you are using logistics to transport valuable items, the GPS tracking system will be the best tracing technique.
- Altering business objectives
Before a decade or so, people were interested in purchasing the products for a low price rather than the quality. But currently, they are more interested in purchasing high-quality products rather than their prices. So if you are running a delivery service, the quality of delivery is more important than the price range. When there are two products with the same quality, but with different delivery dates, the people will automatically choose the products or brand that offers faster delivery. So the brands will automatically choose a last-mile delivery service that has good speed and safety. As time evolves, the objectives of the business should also evolve. So the challenge of flexibility has become an important factor in improving the business with time. Adopting the latest technology software will ensure such a change.
- Changes introduced by the COVID19 pandemic
It’s not just the pandemic, but along with that, multiple external factors will force the business to change ways of functioning. Currently, the existing pandemic situation has forced people to alter the way of delivery, especially about contactless delivery. More people have started using the last-mile carrier services, which have forced them to use the latest technology devices for performing automatic dispatches, data analysis, and route optimizations. Similarly, the altering weather conditions have forced the last-mile delivery services to have their own warehouses in every city to ensure the safety and the quality of the products when required.
- Environmental norms
With the development in technology, more people nowadays are opting for public transportation to reduce carbon emission and to maintain a Green Earth. So, how can a last-mile carrier ensure optimum fuel consumption and reduce carbon footprint? To achieve this, it is essential to improve the optimizing routes and improve batch delivery to protect the environment. People nowadays opt to choose the services that support green earth, and having an optimized route will reduce pollution and improve the speed of delivery. These techniques are not just for developing the environment but also used for gaining profits as they are more evolved and most of the manual work is completed using machines.
- Improving visibility
Visibility is a term that has become famous during the last decade. A good last-mile delivery system is one with good visibility. There is a variety of visibility software available in the market that allows clients to trace their goods and packages through an online tracking or tracing system. Currently, visibility has become more important to avoid losing the packages and also to gain trust among the users. The brands can now outsource their deliveries to the last-mile carriers and keep track of them until they are delivered. The clients can also feel at ease since they can track their orders from the moment they have placed them until delivery.
Every last-mile delivery carrier company should face these challenges before expressing themselves in the market. These challenges can be quite intimidating in certain situations, and hence modern technology software is being introduced to make it easier and efficient. But one thing that they need to understand is despite the challenges they face, and there will always be a solution to beat them.
