How To Solve The Challenges Of Last-mile Delivery

‍

Last-mile delivery is the final leg of the journey a product makes from factory to consumer. It's often associated with an eCommerce business' fulfillment center, but it can be as close as your local Post Office or Amazon Locker.  The challenges that come along with last-mile delivery are many: how do you provide fast, reliable service? How do you route packages efficiently? How do you keep costs down and customers happy? And perhaps most importantly, how do you improve upon these things without sacrificing operational efficiency or customer experience? In this post we'll look at all these challenges and more as we cover what it takes to solve for effective last mile delivery.

Why Discuss The Last-mile Delivery? 

All steps of the shipping process matter a lot. However, the last mile delivery and the last mile carrier entertain more focus because it is the final step of the delivery. The delivery efficiency and quality depend primarily on the last mile of delivery. The last-mile delivery is about transferring a shipment from a warehouse or transportation hub to the final delivery destination. The quality of delivery depends on how fast and safe the shipment reaches the customer in this last leg. This, in turn, also depends on the delivery man who does the last mile delivery. Another factor to consider is the last mile carrier used to transport the shipment. 

The delivery executive who delivers is a critical player because the delivery quality also depends on how the executive behaves with the customer and his service. People like delivery executives who make fast delivery and deliver before the expected time of arrival. The last mile delivery executive should also be well versed with the delivery location. You, of course, need to be a well-versed person with directions for good, timely delivery. The delivery executive should be polite and customer-friendly. Moreover, this matters because the eCommerce venture and the shipping partner’s reputation are at stake here. 

What Is The Biggest Challenge In Last-mile Delivery? 

The biggest challenge in the last mile delivery process is last-mile delivery inefficiency. This condition arises when the customer runs into various problems while receiving the shipment. For example, the customer may not be able to contact the delivery boy and run into many communication glitches. This will again lead to delivery inefficiency in the last leg. On the other hand, delivery inefficiency can also arise when the previous mile carrier breaks down in the middle of nothing. Thus, there are a plethora of factors that go into making an excellent last-mile delivery possible. The problem of delivery inefficiency is more significant in incidence than missed deliveries because a missed delivery can recur. What matters is efficiency and transparency in the last mile delivery. 

The Solution To Last-Mile Delivery Inefficiency

Since there are different ways in which you can resolve the problems that make last-mile delivery inefficient, let us discuss the standard solutions to delivery efficiency that finally optimize the process- 

Engage In Route Planning

Now, a delivery executive using the last mile carrier has to go through many routes to deliver parcels. There is always much traffic and congestion on any route you choose. An executive should always engage in route planning to ensure that there is maximum productivity from a route. A delivery executive has to count how many packages he can deliver on one route and how he can do it. He also has to estimate time spent on one route so that the delivery is time-efficient. The delivery executive can also take the help of an app that shows all the routes and plans the delivery for him. Choose an app through which you can see traffic levels in real-time. This will help in excellent last-mile delivery. 

Keep The Last-Mile Carrier In Great Shape

Another factor that affects last-mile deliveries the most is the last-mile carrier. The last mile carriers are the vehicles on which the shipments are delivered to the final destination. The carrier is what ensures that the package is delivered correctly without damage in transit. The last mile carrier and its condition also affect the time and speed of delivery. For example, if the previous mile carrier is not maintained and in its top form, it can lead to unnecessary breakdowns that will cause a lag in the delivery time. Thus, a poorly maintained last-mile carrier can lead to delays in delivery. Therefore, the use of a last-mile carrier that works efficiently is essential. 

Optimization of last-mile delivery is an important point to cover if you look into shipping services and e-commerce product delivery. Without proper last-mile delivery, the whole shipping and delivery process crumbles. Thus, last-mile delivery needs good optimization for any shipping and eCommerce service.