Archive for May, 2019

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, the primary path to success lies in being able to not only meet but beat customer expectations. And, this is no mean feat, given the high expectations of today’s consumer. What with ecommerce giants offering same day delivery and last mile delivery is the norm, effective courier management has become the key to growth.

In a 2018 survey of 1,000 consumers, 92% said that they would stop purchasing from a company after three or four instances of poor customer service, says an article on Forbes. You might not have expected this to be one of the areas where courier dispatch management software can prove useful.

Such software solutions can help businesses that provide package delivery services by giving greater control over each step of the delivery process. Here’s a look at some of the other unexpected benefits of courier dispatch management software.

AUTOMATES CUSTOMER SERVICES

Courier dispatch management software comes with an inbuilt web portal or dashboard that can be used for providing better customer services. This way, customers can effortlessly get information regarding their package without the need to interact with your representatives and then wait for them to check on the status of the package. They can also get access to real-time information about the progress of the delivery, right up to their doorstep.

This software’s portal will also assist you to keep all the information of the customers at a single, accessible place.

REDUCES HUMAN EFFORT

By using an efficient courier dispatch management software, you will be able to decrease the effort associated with making manual reports. The software will automatically generate detailed reports according to your preferences, and this can be shared with different departments, office locations, and personnel in your network.

Also, you will no longer need to maintain and store voluminous files and records of various deliveries. The system will have all the details required to track the progress and performance of your business.

ROUTE OPTIMIZATION

Ensuring smooth and timely delivery of packages, while allowing you to track the process via GPS through last mile delivery. This improved delivery speed can help your business, given that 54% millennials are willing to pay more for same day delivery.

HELPS TO GO GREEN

Going paperless will mean that you enhance your business’ reputation as an environmentally conscious and responsible entity. Also, the additional costs related to the use and storage of physical documents can be done away with.

The global market for courier management software is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 11% through 2021, says an article on BusinessWire. This shows the growing popularity of technology in the logistics and delivery arena.

Connected technology is changing delivery on every level. It’s improving the way logistics depots house and retrieve parcels; it’s even allowing drone-powered medical sample delivery. What do these possibilities mean for logistics companies? Better courier delivery software might just be the key to keeping logistics companies moving in the correct direction.

THINKING AHEAD

Many of the futuristic technologies that promise to revolutionize logistics are double-edged swords. For instance, drone delivery may be a great perk to offer your consumers, but it’s also a potential business pressure — If you’re considering it, then your competitors probably are too. Pressures can also come from other market sectors. For instance, next-day commerce demand is prompting more retailers to search for delivery providers that offer fast consumer turnaround.

These forces mean that as promising as advanced courier technologies may be, their success hinges on proper deployment. In other words, forward-thinking enterprises and early adopters need courier service software that makes it easy to track new forms of delivery activity, gather performance data, and build repositories of useful feedback information.

4 VITAL PRINCIPLES OF COURIER SOFTWARE-BASED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

There are many approaches to managing a company with courier software. While it’s up to each firm to implement a system that works, leaders should keep these four key principles in mind:

1. Integrate Everything Into One Solution

Although there’s such a thing as trying to do too much at once, courier systems shouldn’t have this problem. Delivery dispatch software must be able to handle everything from warehousing and same-day distribution to invoicing and accounting. Management tools that offer one-stop solutions drastically lighten workloads. By preventing users from having to switch apps and workflows, they heighten efficiency and keep distributed organizations moving in the same direction.

2. Pick Tools That Support Your Current System Right Out of the Box

You shouldn’t have to move mountains to get your new delivery dispatch tool working with your existing e-commerce platform or payment gateways. Even though some setup is usually par for the course, you’ll reap more rewarding results by seeking out a platform with minimal deployment lead time.

3. Use Every Ounce of Available Data

One of the biggest strengths of courier dispatch dashboards is that they incorporate powerful filtering tools. These functions make it far easier to understand business intelligence that might otherwise become overwhelming. They also enhance your capacity to step back and look at situations from a broader viewpoint.

4. Democratize Information Access

Restructure the way you operate by putting feedback on center stage. Using your software’s reporting tools to automatically distribute detailed status updates to your team leaders can ensure that everyone’s eyes stay on the ball — even if they’re looking at it from different angles.

CHOOSE A BETTER LOGISTICS TOOL

The connected dispatch world of the future is all about accomplishing more with fewer resources. Achieve great things with a software ecosystem that exposes the essential data underlying your industry. Learn more about why Xcelerator is the right option today.

In the current era of rapid business growth, expectations of customers from delivery services have risen exponentially. This has led businesses to adopt various strategies to streamline their courier management operations to achieve customer satisfaction. The best way to achieve such streamlined, efficient operations is through the use of courier management software solutions.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY THE COURIER INDUSTRY TODAY?

The most common challenges faced by courier companies include:

All these challenges lead to an inability to maximize delivery efficiency, which in turn leads to increased costs and loss of customers.

HOW DOES POOR RECORD MANAGEMENT AFFECT COURIER COMPANIES?

Many delivery companies maintain their records in paper-based files or delivery books. This manual system of recording information often leads to various difficulties, such as:

• Poor coordination in collections and deliveries.
• Senders and recipients don’t get notified about the status of the transit and delivery of orders in a timely fashion.
• Creates weak trails for auditing delivery performance. There are uncertainties associated with whether the product is delivered or collected on a timely basis.
• Customer queries cannot be answered promptly and accurately.

WHAT ARE THE OVERHEAD COSTS INVOLVED IN DELIVERING ORDERS?

There are two types of overhead costs associated with collection and delivery, direct and indirect costs. Some examples of overhead costs are:

• Transport costs for motor vehicles, such as fuel, maintenance and repair, and insurance.
• Salaries for drivers and messengers used for deliveries and collection.
• Cost for messengers that perform personal errands for employees.
• Time costs for messengers who wait at government offices or embassies to submit documents.
• Overtime costs for deliveries made after office hours.

WHAT ARE THE ADMINISTRATIVE HURDLES FACED BY DELIVERY OPERATIONS?

Some of the major administrative problems faced in courier delivery operations are:

• Inability to monitor activities of drivers and other delivery personnel. This is due to factors such as vehicle breakdown, traffic congestion, parking issues, etc.
• Finding replacements in case drivers are on leave or are absent due to illness.
• Maintaining personnel records of drivers, such as pay, overtime, leave and other details.

HOW DOES POOR INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AFFECT WORKPLACE EFFICIENCY?

Errors that occur while entering details related to booking and inventory can be devastating. It can lead to wasting of time and general confusion in analyzing data. Apart from this, duplication of records is also an issue in a manual or excel sheet-based approach.

HOW DOES LOW INFORMATION VISIBILITY AFFECT COURIER BUSINESSES?

Most courier companies work in a distributed environment. Data is generated from several systems and departments. There is always a need to make quick, informed decisions. If there is a time lag between the need for a report and its availability, it can lead to missed opportunities and affect growth.

WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO IMPROVE COURIER MANAGEMENT?

A key means of improving courier management is to transition to an effective courier management software solution that is compatible across devices and offers rich features and functionalities. Some ways to improve courier management are:

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GOING PAPERLESS FOR COURIER COMPANIES?

Switching from a manual or a paper-based method to a digital one has its own benefits, such as:

• Say goodbye to large stacks of paperwork.
• Enhance verification through e-signs and electronic proof of delivery.
• Reduce invoicing time through automated accounting.
• Greater control over daily tasks.

HOW DOES REAL TIME REPORTING SOFTWARE HELP COURIER BUSINESSES?

With the help of specialized reporting software, you can reap a number of benefits, such as:

• Improve real time visibility and track status of goods, even in last mile delivery.
• Help customers receive emails and notifications related to the status of their order.
• Improve the process of fixing inefficient methods on the fly.
• Enhance transparency of operations for customers.

HOW TO KEEP CUSTOMERS IN THE LOOP?

Courier management software that offers both mobile and desktop versions can help to increase the reach considerably.

• Software that is available as an Android, iOS or Windows app can cater to most customers.
• Helps with real time tracking of packages for early troubleshooting, before delays occur.
• Helps to give tracking control to customers.
• Improves two-way communication and timely resolution of disputes.
• Gives the opportunity to receive feedback on delivery performance.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON USES OF DATA ANALYTICS IN THE COURIER INDUSTRY?

A common dashboard that allows you to access all the data at one place proves to be very helpful.

• You can generate reports on the basis of specific filters and parameters.
• You can access the real time location of vehicles and drivers through GPS.
• You can ensure that areas of improvement can be detected efficiently.

Smartphones and other portable devices have changed the way we communicate with our friends, family, and business contacts. Most of us send messages or make calls from our smartphones without giving it much thought, taking our technology for granted.

Many of the things we do today were not possible in the past, and it’s now time for us to explore the ways mobile devices have improved our communication. The goal is for you to gain a new appreciation for the things made possible by mobile technology. In fact, many of us depend on our devices so much that we could no longer operate if they were taken away.

ENHANCED SPEED

Increased communication speed is one of the benefits we get from mobile technology. Before the first phones and radios were operational, people could only communicate through the mail. If someone lived hundreds of miles away from you, it would have taken weeks or even longer to send and receive a single message.

Phones have changed the game by letting us speak with anyone in the world in an instant, but we had to be near our phones to do it. With mobile devices, we can make calls, send messages, and write emails from almost any location on the planet. In the business world, this enhanced speed improves profit and boosts productivity.

ENHANCED COLLABORATION

Increasing the speed of our communications enhances the quality of our collaborations. For example, you can upload documents and let your team work on them from remote locations. Using the internet, you can connect and manage many parts of your business from the comfort of home.

For example, you could use our courier management service to track your drivers and detect problems before they progress. You and the members of your team can work together to solve any issue that you face, which keeps your business moving in the right direction. The advances in mobile devices let us achieve things we once thought were impossible.

ENHANCED LOCATION SHARING AND NAVIGATION

Navigation systems were once only available to the military and corporate clients, but that has changed thanks to mobile devices. We can use applications on our smartphones to find any location on the planet and we can even share our locations with our friends and family. For example, family members who go to a theme park could use this technology to keep track of each other. You can implement last mile delivery and logistics solutions to see where your drivers are at all times. These advantages change the way we operate in a positive way!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Whether you are staying in touch with your friends and family or working to grow your business, never underestimate the power of mobile technology. Other companies are taking advantage of the latest trends and the benefits that come with them, so you have to do the same if you don’t want to fall behind. Reach out to our team to learn about our courier software management and what it can do for your business.

It’s projected that the local courier delivery market will reach nearly $107 billion in 2019. Much of this will be for “last mile” deliveries. Major delivery trends for 2019 will include making all deliveries, but particularly last-mile deliveries, greener, faster, and more mechanical for any type of product (prepared food, groceries, clothing, etc.).

INCREASED USE OF COURIER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Courier Management Software is a way for businesses to operate and manage their delivery services more efficiently. This type of software helps with day to day operations including customer and company details, hub rates, and pickup centers.

• This software is highly customizable to fit any business model.
• 54% of millennials will pay more for same day delivery.
• Expected growth rate of the global courier management software market is 11%.

DELIVERIES WILL BE GREENER

Many companies are beginning to go green and consumers want to be more associated with eco friendly options. Businesses are introducing more ways to reduce their carbon footprint by recycling and reducing their waste. It is no surprise that one of the best ways to go green is deliveries, where much energy is spent.

• One courier driving a standard gasoline vehicle releases 33 tons of carbon emissions per year.
• 77% of consumers are concerned with having eco-conscious options for their deliveries.
• Trials of electric freight vehicles to combat pollution in urban areas are in testing.

THE FUTURE OF “LAST MILE” DELIVERIES IS ROBOTIC

The future for deliveries is changing as technology is becoming more advanced. Self-driving vehicles and other robots are already becoming more prominent in today’s society. As time goes by, more robots will be developed and introduced.

• Around 60% of people have food delivered at least once a week.
• Bots get up to 30 miles per charge, making them cheaper and more eco-friendly.
• It’s estimated by 2025, over 80% of deliveries will be made by self-driving vehicles, including food delivery robots.

Today, customers have never had so many options for delivery. Courier Management Software is becoming increasingly popular for businesses to operate and manage their delivery services effortlessly. There is a need for businesses and consumers to introduce improved green ways to transport goods that help sustain the environment. The future of “last mile” deliveries potentially brings the introduction of robots and self-driving vehicles to get deliveries done more efficiently and with less human efforts. These major delivery trends for 2019 will shape the future of deliveries for years to come.