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Amazon has had an overwhelming effect on the buying habits of users, so much so that 2-day shipping is now the norm. As online sales continue to sore and customer expectations become harder to manage, companies have to use various last-mile delivery technology to keep up.
Last-Mile Delivery Tracking Technology You Need to Start Using
If you’re an eCommerce store that frequently ships out products, you’ll need to invest in a wide range of last-mile technology right away.
Here are some of the best products in this category.
1. Smart Technology for GPS Tracking
Transparency and traceability are huge concerns for both customers and retailers alike, but just letting your customers know the current status of a package is child’s play. To let your customers know the exact location of their items with pinpoint accuracy, use last-mile delivery tracking.
When you use smart technology and GPS tracking together, you can use RFID tags to track the movement of your shipments or embed IoT-enabled sensors in packages to check for humidity and temperature. Retails can even use this tech to monitor weather patterns and plot routes.
2. Crowdsourcing and the Gig Economy
Venture capitalist startups like Airbnb, Uber, and TaskRabbit have revolutionized the labor market, and they’re looking to hop on the last-mile delivery train next. Apps like Amazon Flex, Roadie, and Postmates have cropped up in the last decade to provide crowdsourced delivery.
Although courier drivers are still the way to go for most businesses, the crowdsourced delivery model can drastically reduce out-of-pocket shipping expenses for most restaurants. Plus, gig workers can use their companion apps to choose, pick up, and drop off deliveries in the city.
3. Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Drones
Labor is the highest cost associated with last-mile delivery, but some employers fear that cutting back on these costs will negatively affect the labor market. However, we can use robots, drones, and artificial intelligence without laying off our employees. In fact, it’s the preferred option.
Technology like self-driving vehicles and autonomous delivery robots still need humans to operate them, and productivity will greatly increase with the help of robots. Our employees no longer have to struggle to meet oppressive shipment deadlines thanks to smart technology.
4. Lightning Fast Rapid Order Fulfillment
Millions of businesses have had to strengthen their fulfillment department to compete with Amazon. It’s estimated that Amazon spends billions per year on shipping, but they’re able to make up these costs in other ways. Unfortunately, most small businesses can’t do the same.
While startups can’t do what Amazon can, they can hire a third-party logistics company to outsource some of their logistic services or all of their supply chain management functions. This makes it much easier for eCommerce companies, big and small, to keep up with demand.
5. Warehousing and Electronic Inventories
Electronic inventories aren’t anything new in the 21st century, but urban warehousing combined with e-inventories is. Following in the footsteps of Walmart and IKEA, more retail stores are starting to combine their showrooms with warehouses to maximize space and in-store profits.
Depending on where the warehouse is located, shoppers can call for curbside pickup or get their items delivered in a day. Urban warehouses are becoming hot commodities because they give people who live in the city access to more delivery options, like free and same-day delivery.
6. Fleet Management System Software
Fleet management system software helps businesses collaborate on fleet operations, add individual drivers, create flexible permissions, and have features that help build teams. You’ll be able to handle most flee-related tasks while gathering important business data all at once.
What’s more, fleet management system software lets you automate a majority of the process, so you won’t have to spend time on manual data entry. Thanks to fleet management systems, you’ll be able to keep delivery equipment and vehicles running safely on and off the road.