HOW TO IMPROVE COURIER MANAGEMENT?

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?

Inefficient Data Collection Rising Overhead Costs Administrative Issues
Poor Inventory Management Low Information Visibility

 

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:

Switch to Paperless Solutions
Keep Customers in the Loop Efficient Courier Management Use Data Analytics
Improve Real Time Reporting

 

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.