How Does Technology Help SMBs Optimize Deliveries

ith online shopping and increasing consumer expectations for fast delivery here to stay, last-mile delivery marks a potential area for growth for small-to-medium businesses (SMB) in the future. As they prepare for this year’s holiday season, nearly half of SMB decision makers believe supply chain issues could dampen holiday sales, according to Verizon Business’ State of Small Business Survey.

SMBs are investing increasingly more time and money in their digital transformation efforts and adopting new tools to manage their supply chains and delivery operations more efficiently. In total, 61% of SMB decision makers say they’ve implemented digital tools and technologies over the past two years to change their processes and improve customer experiences. 

Digital solutions not only modernize business processes but also drive down costs for small businesses and increase their growth potential. Here’s a look at how technology is helping SMBs optimize their delivery services.

Real-time visibility is transforming the way shippers operate, providing them with live updates on the location and status of their drivers. Without real-time visibility, SMBs do not have insights into deliveries, leading to inefficiencies and customer dissatisfaction. Delivery management solutions provide real-time information that is critical to ensuring on-time delivery.

Real-time delivery tracking is a game changer when it comes to enhancing the customer experience. It allows customers to see precisely where their delivery is at any point within the delivery process. Customers no longer have to wait and wonder where their delivery is or when it will arrive. All of the information is readily available at their fingertips.

From supply chain setbacks and rising inflation to changing consumer habits, SMBs, like many other companies, have faced significant challenges over the past few years. Increased eCommerce demand and evolving customer expectations are putting considerable pressure on SMBs to expand their digital capabilities or risk losing customers to their competitors.

SMBs must relook at their delivery management processes to ensure that they are meeting customer expectations and able to adapt to whatever challenges they face. Delivery management solutions provide real-time route optimization that allows companies to easily optimize and re-optimize routes throughout the day. Leveraging real-time data allows SMBs to quickly adapt to changes, create efficient delivery routes, and minimize disruptions.

Missed deliveries can cost SMBs a substantial amount of time and money as they must pay to redeliver the order, or offer a customer a refund or discount. According to Loqate, 63% of consumers have dealt with a missed delivery, and failed deliveries cost U.S. businesses over $193,000 last year. Technology can help increase delivery accuracy and lower operational costs.

Delivery management platforms allow for customizable notifications and real-time updates to tell a customer when a package is en route to their location and exactly when it will arrive. This lets the customer plan accordingly, minimizing missed deliveries. Flexible delivery scheduling enables customers to decide when and where they want to receive their deliveries. If customers are stuck at work, or running a little behind, deliveries can easily be rerouted or rescheduled for another time. This helps SMBs ensure on-time deliveries and operate more efficiently.

Delivery management technology provides SMBs with advantages to streamline their delivery management, from planning to execution, with real-time visibility, flexibility, and insights that enables superior performance. 

For more information about how our delivery management solution can help you manage your delivery operations more efficiently, please contact info@bringoz.com.