There is no doubt that the e-commerce industry is advancing at an unprecedented pace. Consumers are necessitating more services and deliveries. From the normal 2-day and 4-day delivery, it has now gone to same-day and next-day delivery in the logistics and supply chain industry. And to achieve these expectations, e-commerce and other industries are turning towards automation of their last-mile delivery operations.

Automation and streamlining logistics and last-mile delivery operations make it easy to manage a large quantity of shipments. Also, it provides many other perks, for instance decreasing the operational cost, inducing transparency and clarity in the operations, and entertaining customers through better services. By now, you might be knowing the importance of automation in logistics and last-mile delivery. But, how to advance in the logistics industry by upgrading your last-mile delivery operations? Any Idea? Let's see.

It can be done by integrating a last-mile or final mile delivery software easily. Another way is to improve the entire logistics and transportation processes by utilizing transportation management software. The first one takes care of the processes linked with delivering the goods from your warehouse to the customer’s place. On the other hand, the second one mentioned is liable for the entire flow of goods (obtaining raw material, shipping of manufactured goods from the plant to the warehouse, transit of goods from one warehouse to another or one center to another, and final delivery of the orders to the customers’ spot.)

The software can be easily integrated into the organization's logistics system. Considering the latest industry trends, it is good to adopt SaaS (Software as a Service) for your business.

Steps to Improve Last-Mile Delivery Operations

Let’s look a little deeper to understand how using any of the above-mentioned ways can help the logistics industry improve the last-mile delivery operations.

Enhanced order management system

The advanced logistics software these days automatically executes orders by segregating them based on delivery location, kind of goods, quantity, volume, and other determinants. It also produces Bill of Lading (BOL) and airway bills (AWB) and prints labels to be glued on the order. Doing this reduces the need for hiring a separate team for order dissociation and allocation.

Effective route optimization

For every delivery, the software gives the most suitable routes, i.e., roads with less traffic blockage, no government constraints, and covers all the delivery places in the right order. This sort of route optimization also checks the idling of engines, driving duration, and driver’s troubles. All in together creates a better opportunity for last-mile deliveries.

More reliable fleet management

The last-mile delivery solution ensures that the capacity of every vehicle is utilized to the fullest. With this, one transportation can deliver more orders. This reduces the fuel cost and ensures fewer vehicles are on the roads, which is good for the environmental perspective and profitability as well.

Real-time tracking

Tracking consignment in real-time holds both the merchant and the customer updated with the latest status and movement of the order. Furthermore, it reduces the number of times a customer makes calls to the customer support center.

Special features for the customers

With a last-mile delivery solution, one can give their customers the option to examine the estimated time for delivery, reschedule delivery time and address, present delivery-related feedback, and put a complaint in case of an undelivered or late order.

Check out Logipulse logistics software. The solution is a part of the company’s transport management software, which when integrated into your existing ERP system can optimize other logistics-related operations.