Archive for June, 2018

Have you ever noticed how scout bees fly long distances in random directions to find food and notify everyone else with their so-called “waggle dance” when they do find food?

The urge to optimize delivery routes is such that to find the best routes that can save huge amounts of time, a startup designed an algorithm based on the “bees algorithm,” which describes how bees find the best route to flowers, according to an article published by Fast Company. However, this is not the best way, since calculating the perfect route this way could take days for humans.

Experts at Key Software Systems say that with customers now exposed to an endless choice of products and services, only a courier company that is able to optimize their delivery route efficiently and consistently will be able to achieve cost and quality distinction over their competition.

WAYS TO OPTIMIZE DELIVERY ROUTES

No doubt, a rise in fuel cost raises the budget and brings the profit margins down, as indicated by an article by The Financial Times. Courier companies have two options to better manage their logistics:

1. Restructurethe current delivery routes:The aim of restructuring the existing delivery routes is to reducethem to the bare essentials, such that the delivery requires leastnumber of delivery personnel, vehicles in transit and warehousespace.
2. Identifythe best possible delivery routes:Every delivery network has some flaws, which increase delivery costsfor businesses, impacting their profits. It is really important forcourier companies to identify the best delivery routes, in terms oftime and distance, so that they can meet all their deadlines, whilesaving on logistics costs.

Instead of choosing one option, companies can make both these solutions run parallel. Delivery route optimization will also streamline inventory. However, certain businesses do need to take into account the need for maintaining the quality of goods in transit, customer demand for quick home delivery, real time reporting as well as tracking uncertainties associated with travel, such as traffic, construction and weather.

When businesses try to optimize routes manually, errors are bound to occur, which can cause further delays.

To achieve seamless and cost-effective delivery route optimization, courier companies are taking advantage of dispatch software that has features like dynamic route optimization, route scheduling and planning, taking into consideration complex variables like vehicle capacity, cargo weight, cost of the order and vehicle location tracking to keep their customers informed about when to expect delivery of their order.

When logistics management is efficient, customers tend to be more satisfied, which only leads to increased sales.

There’s no one way to run a fulfillment company. Unlike many industries, this field is wide open to experimentation. You must choose how to operate, and in most cases, building your own custom business model is the best way to stand out.

While it’s nice to enjoy such freedoms, this can also pose unique challenges. For instance, it’s not always easy to institute effective courier management service practices. Even if you’ve equipped your enterprise with powerful courier dispatch software, you might not know how to put it to good use or which data points you ought to track.

Fortunately, you don’t have to settle for feeling lost. These pointers on effective courier software management can help you get started off on the right foot.

DEFINING BEST PRACTICES

According to industry observers, the courier management software market is set to expand steadily for some time. Thanks to factors like expanding e-commerce and increased awareness of business data, more supply chain companies are putting dashboards and other intelligent analysis tools to use.

Given sufficient time, the heightened role of courier software management tools may lead to industry-wide standards and practices. In the interim, however, you can set the tone for your business by devising your own guidelines and frameworks. As you define what constitutes best practices, you should consider factors like:

• What level of individual accountability you’d like to establish
• How much time and money you’d ideally prefer to devote to managing couriers
• Which types of warehousing data sources you want to track, and
• Which stakeholders should be responsible for maintaining the courier management service

ZEROING IN ON INDIVIDUAL STANDARDS

The previous considerations should help you get a better feel for what goes into managing couriers using software tools. Now you just have to buckle down and create concrete rules.

Imagine you’ve decided that your couriers, warehouse parcel handlers, and warehouse managers should all participate in collecting system data. You’ll probably want to codify the different roles that each employee plays. What better place for this than in the job descriptions and training materials you use to teach people how to complete their duties?

This kind of onboarding can take various forms. For instance, it may be wise to introduce warehouse intake staff to basic procedures, such as ensuring that barcodes are scanned into the system properly. A high-level manager, on the other hand, might receive a crash course about using their smartphone dashboard to track departmental performance.

Proper training is essential to instituting best practices that people follow faithfully. By comparing your business goals to the data and capabilities your courier dispatch software makes available, you can gradually hone your ability to use digital management systems to the fullest potential.

Courier delivery software takes many forms, and so do best practices. Before setting any rules in stone, get to know your tools and how their use impacts mission-critical business processes. Give your company the power to derive smart standards from tracking the data that counts most.