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April 21, 2022

3 Ways Technology is Continually Making Delivery Services Better and Faster



While we are not yet at the future Amazon envisioned for the delivery industry (packages delivered by drones), the use of technology has definitely helped improve various aspects of the market.

Both long-haul and last-mile deliveries got to benefit from technological advancements, which came in handy when the pandemic hit. As people turned to online orders for almost everything (from food and groceries to wine and flowers), the delivery sector registered a historic boom.



We saw the food-delivery industry almost double in size, but the electronic goods and office supply sector were also on the rise. However, none of these would’ve been possible without the helping hand of technology.

Therefore, today we are going to talk about the technologies that pushed the delivery niche forward.

1. Advanced Route Planning Software Creates Optimized Delivery Routes               

Managers nowadays can use specialized software tools to create optimized routes designed specifically for the area the driver has to cover. Plus, these routes can be adjusted in real-time using the inputs sent in by the drivers.

A route planning software system can take into account a wide range of factors, including the number of stops a driver needs to make, weather conditions, traffic situations, and more. It’s also easy to use, a lot more accurate, and reduces the time spent with planning.

This way, both managers and drivers save time, reduce fuel consumption, and speed up the delivery. This not only brings down the overall costs but also leads to increased customer satisfaction.

2. Accurate Tracking

Due to real-time GPS technology, business managers and customers can now track packages and stay up to date with the delivery status.

Plus, business owners can use the data recorded by these trackers to identify strengths and weaknesses in their delivery and routing systems. Based on these data, you can improve overall productivity and cut down costs and unnecessary lags.

As a customer, it helps to know the location of your package and an estimate of the arrival date and time. This way, you don’t have to block an entire day, waiting for your delivery to arrive.

3. Hardware and Software Automation

As more businesses start to understand the power of automation, the delivery industry gets more efficient and focused on reducing time lost on mistakes.

First of all, we have the software automation trend where businesses use tools to reduce time spent with redundant tasks with a high risk of error such as route optimization, data processing, and parcel tracking. All these tasks can be performed by intelligent algorithms that can process huge amounts of data per minute and can work 24/7, 365 days a year.

Plus, the same algorithms can cover customer communication by sending progress updates as the delivery goes through the standard stages. It can also take customers’ preferences into consideration and schedule the delivery at a convenient time in the day.

Besides this, delivery businesses work on introducing automated vehicles that can be programmed to follow a specific route, following a specific time frame. As driverless vehicles become mainstream, these vehicles will most likely take over the delivery industry. However, it may take a bit before we can see this become reality as there are several hurdles the technology needs to pass first.

It’s Not All About Technology

Yes, technological developments have brought a lot of improvements in the world of deliveries, but brands can’t forget about the human factor. Studies show that a positive customer experience is just as valuable as using the right route planning software because people are more accepting of the failures of companies and brands they like.

And yes, shipping delays and mistakes will continue to happen even with the increased involvement of technology. But if you have a good relationship with your customers you can make up for shipping delays and other problems (within reason, of course).

Unfortunately, many delivery companies tend to forget that at each stopping point on their map there is a human being who will judge their performance based on personal experience and interactions. So if you want to achieve real success in the delivery business, you have to learn how to use technology to create the best customer experience.



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