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In May 2020, there was a huge increase in web searches for online grocery delivery, amid the COVID-19 outbreak. These trends drove rapid acceleration in the US courier delivery market, expanding the size to an estimated $133.8 billion in 2022.

Image Source: IBIS World

This was not a temporary phase that ended with the reopening of the economy. It marked a secular shift in customer behavior and expectations. Additionally, the pandemic led to supply chain disruptions, forcing companies to better manage their deliverables to remain competitive.

Some companies make the mistake of choosing numerous plug-in modules to ease different parts of the delivery process. However, this approach has proved to be inefficient and ineffective and comes with installation issues and poor support. Instead, it’s ideal to choose a comprehensive, cost-effective and customizable courier software to efficiently meet the expectations of the most discerning customers. The courier software should allow a logistics company to optimize their entire business, from order creation to invoicing, bringing efficiency at every stage and helping scale operations with ease.

To make the decision, here are some signs of the best courier software.

• Delivery for Different Timeframes – Your company may offer different delivery schedules, like same-day, next-day, or scheduled for a particular date. The courier software should allow for resource allocation accordingly. This is particularly important as the US same-day delivery market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of over 10%.
• Cross Browser – The software should work seamlessly across browsers so that your team is not bound to one browser. With this, your staff can use the software from anywhere and at any time on their laptops and PCs.
• Dynamic Route Optimization – This feature will help your company significantly increase dispatcher productivity and reduce vehicle operating costs. This will allow for better customer service.
• Contactless Options – Choose a software with an auto-dispatch functionality to allow contactless dispatching. Using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence enables the complete automation of operations.
• Customization – The software should allow customizable SMS and email updates to customers to enhance your brand value. It should also have custom options, like dispatching from multiple hubs and scheduling load and unload times.
• Free Mobile Reporting App – The software should seamlessly integrate with an app for tracking drivers. With such an app downloaded on driver cellphones, you can track them with GPS, streamline communication with them, and get visual proof of delivery.
• KPI Reporting – A user-friendly dashboard with interactive KPIs on different stages in scheduling, dispatch and delivery will greatly increase visibility. This allows faster and more informed decision-making through the company.

Image Source: https://www.keysoftwaresystems.com/uploads/2/7/8/5/27857909/screens-2_orig.png

A robust courier software will not only drive cost efficiencies but also improve customer experience. This is essential in today’s competitive landscape. The good news is that the investment in courier software pays off, with 86% of customers willing to pay a premium for a better experience.

When choosing the best courier software, don’t forget to check their list of clients and partners. This establishes the company’s credibility and the efficacy of its courier software. Also, check their website for association memberships, like the CLDA (Customized Logistics and Delivery Association) and AEMCA (Air and Expedited Motor Carrier Association).

With GPS tracking, you have real-time information about every driver’s whereabouts and can make informed decisions to increase efficiency. For instance, the drivers’ locations can be shared with personnel at loading bays to ensure they have the goods ready for dispatch on time. When you receive customer complaints, you can drill down into the data to identify the issue(s) and find solutions.

CURB SOARING SUPPLY CHAIN COSTS

The pandemic caused massive supply chain disruptions, resulting in a phenomenal rise in associated costs across industries. Supply chain disruptions resulted in average annual costs to companies of an estimated $228 million in 2021. Costs are expected to remain elevated through 2022. Companies can reduce the financial burden by using GPS tracking to make informed and timely decisions.

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

With GPS fleet tracking, companies can save time and money. Logistics companies will know the exact location of each vehicle in their fleet and can implement solutions to make the process smoother and faster. For instance, GPS tracking may show that the average time spent at loading bays is high.

Companies have been able to reduce time spent by:

• Making the layout of loading sites more functional by bringing all interrelated activities in one area location and separating them from unrelated activities.
• Allowing pre-loading, where drivers can visit the loading site at off-peak hours and reduce their wait time.

DIGITIZING THE PROCESS

GPS tracking can be used with other solutions to deliver great value. For instance, proof-of-delivery, digital signature capture, and streamlining payroll can make the process robust and free of human error or manipulation.

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IMPROVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

In today’s competitive landscape, customer experience is everything. This is because it costs a business 5X more to get a new customer onboard than to retain an existing customer. A recent study found that customer experience is on track to become the most important brand differentiator, overtaking price and even product features. With GPS, you can share the drivers’ live tracking with customers, providing an estimate of when the package will arrive.

OTHER BENEFITS

Encourage safe driving – There were about 510,000 police-reported crashes involving large trucks in 2019. GPS tracking promotes safer driving because drivers know that their speed and other dangerous behaviors are being monitored.

Accurate calculation of overtime pay – GPS tracking automates the recording of work hours, eliminating human errors involved in manual reporting.

Route optimization – Drivers will know how much traffic they will encounter and can decide on the fastest route. This will also help reduce fuel costs and vehicle wear and tear.

Apart from all these benefits, GPS tracking can increase transparency and avoid confusion in the entire process. This is essential for meeting the challenges of same-day and scheduled deliveries.

There was a strong trend in growth in last-mile delivery pre-pandemic, which was proving challenging for businesses but also driving innovations. Then came 2020, and the demand for delivery services exploded. If you were a small e-commerce business owner with your own delivery system during last year, you were at an advantage. But think of the neighborhood grocery store, which had to provide increased slots for home deliveries or risk going out of business. At the peak of the pandemic, online grocery spending in the US surged to about 15% from the previous 3 to 4% levels. These businesses had to resort to gig economy services as the last resort, escalating costs and strains on the system never seen before.

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While lockdowns have eased, consumer preferences for online shopping aren’t expected to decline. For instance, in furnishings and appliances, while 46% of consumers using online channels for purchase pre-pandemic, now 60% will do so in the post-Covid-19 world. As a business owner, you now need to have a sound approach to meet the surging demand for home deliveries. Whether you are a retail store or a logistics company, you need a robust courier software to meet customer expectations and drive true differentiation.

PICKING THE RIGHT COURIER SOFTWARE

Dynamic Route Optimization Feature

With soaring petrol and diesel prices globally, it is more important than ever to reduce your vehicle operating costs and increase dispatcher productivity. Not to mention, that customers demand same-day deliveries. In the pre-pandemic era, a quarter of customers would pay a premium for that. A route optimization feature will help you reduce fuel costs, overall maintenance costs, and the risk of exposure for delivery partners. They can complete their jobs in the shortest possible time.

Easy API Integrations

If the software has standardized integration functionalities, it can improve your prospects to capture new business. Suppose a low-volume local shipper would like to collaborate with you and reduce your burden of increased door-to-door delivery demands. They can simply connect to the system through API integration, dynamically create orders, get quotes, and track shipments. This can enable them to grow their business too, creating a win-win partnership.

Dashboard Reporting in Detail

You might want to get detailed dashboard reports on your device, with real-time and historic data on a user-friendly interface. The managers will be able to focus on various KPIs to drive efficiency, by visualizing and analyzing data. They will have increased access to time-sensitive information.

Automation and Contactless Technologies

Contactless technologies not only enhance dispatcher productivity but also are crucial to surviving in the post-pandemic world. Dispatchers should be able to find the best driver for delivery based on pre-defined rules and real-time conditions. Geofence automation can further elevate driver accountability and compliance through arrival and departure timestamps. Further, if a package is left without a signature a visual proof of delivery (VPOD), can help you assure customers.

With customer expectations changing dramatically post-pandemic, the right courier software can help you drive loyalty, accountability, and growth in the bottom lines.

The supply chain proved to be a critical lifeline during the pandemic-induced restrictions. As the holidays are coming around the corner, we know it will reach its peak for the year. However, disrupted supply chains have caused major issues for companies and economies around the world. As many as 94% of the Fortune 1000 companies are suffering due to supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. More than half of these companies have downgraded or are contemplating reducing their growth outlooks.

During these trying times and the holiday season, it has become even more vital for companies to manage their logistics more efficiently. So, here are some common mistakes to avoid when making deliveries to customers during the holiday season.

NOT LEVERAGING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

The covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need for digitalization. Cutting-edge technology saved the day, providing solutions for smooth communication, collaboration, and coordination.

Statista: Adoption of Cutting-Edge Technologies by Supply Chain Companies in 2020

Advanced technology solutions help manage deliveries efficiently, lowering costs, minimizing errors, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Advanced logistics software provides real-time data to improve decision-making.

By increasing transparency through the complete process, from order creation to product delivery, such solutions are helping the logistics sector to:

• Ensure route optimization to prevent wastage of manhours and fuel
• Ensure same-day, scheduled, and on-demand deliveries
• Respond to order status inquiries quickly and effectively
• Identify urgent orders and process them accordingly
• Generate comprehensive reports for informed decision-making

With these in place, logistics companies have been able to:

• Reduce instances of failed deliveries
• Reduce vehicle operation cost
• Increase dispatcher productivity
• Improve customer service
• Enhance branding

IMPROPER PACKAGING

Storms are the only natural cause of the top ten reasons for damage to delivery parcels. Non-natural events account for as much as 87% of the total value of claims and as high as 95% of the number of claims. The probability of damage to parcels during shipping can be prevented by using proper packaging. Improving packaging material and technique may increase the cost of delivery, but this is minuscule compared to the costs associated with customers receiving damaged goods.

INACCURATE DATA ENTERED

The culprit of inaccurate data is human error. While human errors may seem natural and small, inaccuracies in data caused by such lapses are resulting in businesses losing millions of dollars every year.

The most common human errors include:

• Incorrect freight weighted recorded
• Inaccurate shipment class selected
• Incorrect or incomplete addresses entered
• Miss in recording all relevant data (like availability of the recipient at the time of delivery)

On the other hand, simply by automating storage and retrieval at warehouses, companies have increased their order accuracy levels to more than 99%.

NOT TREATING THE CUSTOMER AS KING

Many logistics companies lose business by not offering sufficient shipping options to customers, like same-day and scheduled deliveries. With effective tracking tools in place, logistics companies can offer various shipping options as well as provide customers regular updates of their packages in transit. Tracking of returns and replacements also becomes easier and removes uncertainties for customers.

Customers becoming increasingly discerning and the business landscape growing more competitive has made it even more critical for logistics companies to use the right software solutions and avoid mistakes. This not only improves the bottom line but also protects and increases the company’s brand equity over time.