What is Delivery Management: A Last Mile Delivery Guide for Businesses
Delivery management in plain language is the process of managing the delivery of goods and services to customers. Delivery management can be a complex process that requires a lot of coordination, workforce, time, and investment. It is important to have a plan in place for when things go wrong.
It is crucial to note that delivery management is not just about getting the product from point A to point B, but also about customer service and satisfaction.
That’s why it’s a critical part of any business. It can be the difference between success and failure. The last mile delivery options for businesses may not always be very varied, but there are some great options out there that can significantly ease your workload.
Delivery management is mostly for operational optimization, regardless of whether your business is a recently launched startup or a large corporation. Delivery management authorities frequently use a variety of technologies and practices to improve and develop their services. This is exactly where the difficulties of last mile delivery and the innovative approaches that reduce expenses at the final mile come into play.
What Really is the Issue with Last Mile Deliveries?
The last mile is the final leg of the delivery process. It is the final stretch that a package or parcel has to travel from a distribution center to its destination.
And it is also often overlooked by businesses, which can be costly for them. There are many reasons why small businesses should focus on their last mile delivery. Here are three:
– Last mile operations are the most expensive part of the fulfillment chain, accounting for 53% of the total costs.
– The last mile can take up a lot of time and resources that could be used elsewhere in the business.
– The quality of service offered by third-party couriers may not be as satisfying as you would want them to be.
Getting more into the specifics; the couriers transport a vast number of items from various businesses, each having its own destination. This is really the heart of the final mile dilemma, because an extra stop implies a more complicated itinerary, more downtime, and more time spent on the road, and less attention paid to your products. But if you try to handle the deliveries yourself, it can quickly become far too complicated.
What are Your Options?
The first -and the most complex- option is to set up a last mile delivery operation by yourself, which means hiring and onboarding drivers, leasing vehicles, and having to use third-party software like route optimization tools. Even for big companies, it’s a complicated and resource-consuming process. For small and medium-sized businesses, it may become their biggest internal operation that can quickly become far too challenging to maintain.
The second option is to use an on-demand gig service. This may seem like an expensive option, but it may as well give your business more control over your deliveries while also providing you with the fastest delivery times.
The third option is to use a local delivery service for small businesses, but business models of these services can vary a lot. Here at Metrobi, we enable you to get your deliveries done quickly without having to worry about hiring drivers or buying vehicles. It will also give you the most control over the entire process. Since only your business’ products will be delivered at a time, more attention will be paid to your products. Most importantly, the driver will be able to act as an extension of your business and deliver everything according to your instructions, providing your customers with a better experience overall.
The Bright Side: Technology is Here to Improve Your Last Mile Experience
The key challenge in last mile logistics is that it is typically more expensive and time-consuming than transporting goods over long distances. Let’s explore some of the latest tech solutions that dramatically improve last mile logistics and delivery management.
Route optimization software is used to create the most efficient delivery route in last mile deliveries. Without route optimization, last mile delivery can easily become a time and resource consuming operation instead of bringing in more profit.
Real-time tracking allows service receivers to track their deliveries in real-time and give them accurate ETAs. It also brings peace of mind to the senders, and creates a transparency around deliveries that benefits everyone.
E-commerce integrations are by far one of the most helpful additions to last mile operations. They allow businesses to streamline their order management and have everything in one place. With e-commerce integrations, the entire order and delivery chain become one, eliminating any manual intervention that would be required otherwise.
Did you know that some software integrations can quickly plan a few hundred orders while accounting for driver service zones, client delivery time windows, vehicle capacity, and other factors? With Metrobi, you don’t have to worry about using third-party software like route optimizers and real-time tracking tools, since we offer an all-in-one solution.
Final Thoughts
As a business owner or operations manager, arranging your deliveries perfectly isn’t always sufficient. You must also stay on top of last-minute revisions, track all of your orders, and provide an excellent experience to your customers.
This is where Metrobi steps in to provide a reliable local last mile delivery service guaranteed to become an extension of your business. We provide tools to make your operations more efficient, help you streamline your orders, and create a fully transparent process that will keep your customers happy.
Ready to join hundreds of other businesses who grew their operations with Metrobi? It all starts with a short phone call.
