logo
logo
Sign in

Last-mile Delivery Services Streamlining Delivery Process

avatar
Ritesh Patil

With the onset of the pandemic, people have got accustomed to ordering things online and getting them home-delivered. This trend has put intense pressure on the logistics industry; especially the last-mile delivery services.This last-mile delivery, the final stage of transportation, is considered the most critical phase. It is that stage in the supply chain, in which the package is taken from the warehouse to the customer.

Tech advancements like routing optimization algorithms and real-time tracking have been a lifesaver for this phase. Further testing of technologies is in process, to ease the challenges of last-mile delivery for e-commerce businesses.

Here in this article, we will explore the last-mile delivery challenges and how developments in technology are helpful.

Let’s dive in.

Last-mile Delivery Workflows: Challenges Faced by Businesses & How They Cope 

The last-mile delivery involves multiple drop-offs, that too sometimes with only one or two packages. So, as a logistic business, you must take care of different affairs. However, all deliveries might not be flawless.

Some major challenges faced during last-mile delivery are:

Real-time tracking

Tracking codes allow transparency in the process until the hub. But real-time tracking after that isn’t available in many places. So, once the package is out for delivery, businesses, as well as customers, are anxious. The lack of real-time tracking leads to ambiguity regarding the estimated time of delivery (ETD).

Businesses, though, are leveraging GPS to ensure transparency in last-mile delivery. Using GPS, the software on the smartphone of the delivery agent tracks the location and predicts the ETD.

Efficient routing

In urban areas, the maze of narrow lanes and heavy traffic causes significant delays in individual deliveries. Thus, in the absence of proper route planning, the process becomes time-consuming. Also, proper collating of orders is required for deliveries to the far-flung rural areas.

Businesses have started using route optimization algorithm software to solve the problem. These identify the fast and most cost-effective routes for the deliveries. Some software also supports dynamic rerouting.

Read more on last mile delivery services


collect
0
avatar
Ritesh Patil
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more