7 key benefits of last mile delivery software for today's enterprises

The latter is driven by customers and the former by business expectations. Today's enterprises are more inclined towards taking decisions based on data and customer insights. Traditional enterprises are still operating based on opinions and strategies that worked well back in the day. But being oblivious of the rapidly evolving customer demands can be dangerous.

Here’s an interesting statistic, especially for traditional organizations. Eighty-six percent of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. And, customer experience (Cx) has taken over price and product as a key brand differentiator. And this is a credo that modern supply chain and logistics enterprises should live by.

But where should supply chain and logistics enterprises focus the most, to ensure a great Cx? It’s last-mile delivery. How businesses execute last-mile deliveries can make or break Cx, because same-day deliveries are becoming the new normal. However, due to rapid improvements in last-mile delivery technology, it is now possible to keep up with the ever-changing demands of customers.

Let’s take a quick look at the benefits that last-mile delivery software can generate for enterprises.

1. Enhances shipment visibility

Gartner sites visibility as the most significant challenge regarding last-mile delivery. The advanced last-mile delivery solution can give businesses real-time visibility into where their vehicles are if they are diverting from a planned route, and how much time is spent idling. This not only gives supply chain and logistics executives better control over their fleet but also helps to minimize thefts and spoilage. It is also possible to get predictive visibility wherein the tool tells the shipper where the shipment should be at a given time.

2. Optimizes delivery routes

An enterprise-grade last mile delivery software can enable businesses to optimize delivery routes in real-time and hence avoid unnecessary delays. Drivers can constantly receive updates on the best possible route to take to ensure faster deliveries. This helps them increase the number of deliveries. In addition, there are also savings in terms of fuel etc.

3. Improves transparency

Last-mile delivery software allows supply chain owners to know exactly when an order was placed, who placed it, who will deliver the order, and when exactly will the delivery be completed.

4. Boosts customer engagement

These platforms give customers end-to-end visibility of the status of their orders. Right from placing the order, shipping information to when will she receive the order, everything is at the customer’s fingertips. This significantly increases transparency and positively impacts a customer’s trust. Using such advanced platforms, customers can even chat with delivery agents to better coordinate deliveries.

5. Flexibility in delivery

Modern customers, especially millennials, are mostly on the go. Therefore, they might not be available to receive a delivery at a particular time. Last-mile delivery software allows customers to change delivery location and time if needed. This makes the delivery process flexible and balloons customer satisfaction.

6. Boosts productivity and scalability

A last-mile delivery software eliminates the chances of unplanned diversions and unnecessary idling. It ensures that drivers take the most efficient routes to execute deliveries. All these positively impact fleet productivity.

To ensure enterprises can scale during peak business hours, last-mile delivery software can quickly onboard third-party delivery executives in case in-house capacity gets exhausted. It also helps managers optimize the number of deliveries per day by planning routes depending on the number of orders in a location.

7. Increases profitability

By optimizing routes, scaling per day deliveries, boosting fleet productivity and increasing customer loyalty, last-mile delivery software significantly reduces fuel consumption, shrink fleet management expenses and ensure customer retention.

In a nutshell, to ensure a happy tribe of customers and to stay ahead of competition, it’ll become imperative to leverage advanced last-mile delivery software to power supply chain and logistics.