Many companies in the transportation and remote shipping market tend to blame Amazon for the simple mistake that e-commerce logistics operations must be predictable, fluid and efficient if they want to continue being successful in the market. In fact, the e-commerce logistics seen today require not only fast shipping, but also cheap or free shipping from e-commerce sites. It doesn't matter if the company you hire is not an e-commerce giant or a medium-sized company.
It is worth noting that it has never been easier for companies of all shapes and sizes to invest in technological tools that allow them to optimize their logistics operations. In this post, we will cover e-commerce logistics and how a last-mile delivery solution can help enable seamless logistics operations.
Learn a basic concept of e-commerce logistics
In case you don't know, e-commerce logistics refers to the process in which companies that sell products online reliably and efficiently deliver goods to end consumers. The growth of this is exponential in the face of online purchases. However, there are millions of orders of various types being transported across the country every day. That means companies must have a reliable system that ensures every order is delivered to the customer on time.
For some, delivering on time every time may seem impossible. Fortunately, integrated last mile systems can help them manage their delivery planning activities. This allows businesses to consistently deliver on time and meet increasing customer demands. Do not doubt that the key is integration. This is crucial to ensure that all areas, from customer service teams to delivery teams, are in sync.
How can last mile delivery be properly addressed to improve logistics performance?
Improving e-commerce logistics requires optimizing last-mile delivery operations. This is not only the last leg of the supply chain, it is also the slowest and most expensive logistics process, and the one that most directly affects the customer experience. To find last mile delivery solutions, they should help eliminate inefficiencies in this process. This way you can reduce operating costs and increase profit margins, plus this is key to improving the customer's delivery experience.
In turn, it allows the company to gain a competitive advantage and with a suitable last mile logistics application, a business can benefit by optimizing its processes. An example of the processes that can improve thanks to e-commerce logistics are: the number of orders, routing, shipping, tracking and more, so the processes must not only be intelligent and automated, but also highly visible and scalable.
Should delivery time be reduced?
Improving last-mile delivery efficiency starts with reliable data. In effect, this means that fleet managers must have real-time visibility into driver and vehicle availability. Clearly they also need to know the status of the orders, the status of the driver and much more.
A robust solution for last mile delivery is to ensure that data sources are synchronized. This will facilitate real-time information sharing and helps fleet managers and dispatchers make changes on the fly without causing chaos, delays or bottlenecks. This type of data integration allows you to find the most optimal and profitable routes in a matter of clicks.
Thanks to a route planning function that takes into account several factors, such as driver skill, traffic and weather conditions, time window requests, as well as historical data, you can start finding the most efficient routes . This type of evolution allows you to reduce the delivery time necessary for each stop, which increases your capacity and improves your results.
Improve the customer's delivery experience and you will always have their support
Currently customers are more demanding than ever. These days, in addition to expecting fast and affordable deliveries, they also want to know where their orders are. You want more details without having to call the customer service team, and fortunately, a last-mile solution offers more transparency to buyers. In fact, in case you don't know, these can go a long way toward creating a great delivery experience.
A last mile platform should make it possible to capture customer feedback and measure delivery performance against key performance indicators. Also offering fast and free shipping will make your business attract even more buyers' attention. E-commerce logistics is aware that things have changed since the pandemic and guarantees the safety of both drivers and customers.
