The Secret to Successful Delivery Management

ith eCommerce growth, external disruptions, and increased demand, delivery operations are more complex than ever before. They have evolved into a network of pickup and dropoff points as products travel between warehouses, distribution centers, dark stores, brick-and-mortar retailers, and customers. This multi-leg journey has made delivery management more complicated.

As retailers launch or expand their delivery services, manual processes and outdated technology can hurt their progress and make managing deliveries harder than it needs to be. Manually managed deliveries are challenged by poor visibility, siloed decision making, and inconsistent delivery times. 

Post-pandemic, consumers have higher expectations for the retail experience, as 88% of consumers expect companies to accelerate digital initiatives due to COVID-19 while 83% of consumers expect flexible shipping and fulfillment options, according to Deloitte. The secret to running a flexible and successful delivery service, and ensuring a positive customer experience lies in automation. 

Modern, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) based delivery management systems provide all of the tools companies need to take their delivery operations to the next level. Here’s a look at some major benefits to switching from manual processes to a SaaS-based delivery management solution. 

Outdated, manual tools don’t allow for optimizing deliveries effectively according to real-time constraints. Deliveries may end up on the wrong vehicle traveling long distances before they reach their final destination, delaying the dropoff and increasing the delivery costs. Delivery management systems provide constraint-based automation enabling better route and resource optimization.

Routes and resources can be automatically dispatched in real-time based on delivery demands and various constraints including vehicle capacity, urgency, distance, and specific package requirements, creating an efficient delivery schedule. SaaS-based solutions allow businesses to maximize resources while minimizing costs by optimizing resource allocation. This ensures real-time constraints don’t cause delivery delays.

Deliveries involve coordination between a combination of stakeholders, including shippers, carriers, and drivers. Manual tools lack the capabilities to unify these stakeholders into one centralized system. When information is divided across different tools, delivery delays and friction become inevitable. However, a comprehensive delivery management solution can  consolidate all of the different stakeholders into one unified system, improving collaboration and productivity. 

Companies get clearer, end-to-end views of their entire delivery network and operations through a single interface, providing all of the information needed to track, monitor, and manage deliveries effectively. Streamlining delivery management through one centralized system ensures everyone has all of the information they need to successfully complete deliveries on-time.

Unexpected demands and disruptions can be very challenging and frustrating to manage without the right tools. SaaS-based delivery management systems enable companies to remain agile so they can adapt to any challenges they face. Real-time information provides valuable insights companies can use to identify patterns, assess delivery performance, and minimize potential issues. 

Need to scale your delivery operations to keep up with growing demand? It’s easier than you think. SaaS-based solutions can easily be configured and deployed across different locations helping businesses grow and reach more customers. They can seamlessly connect to third-party platforms including logistics providers. Companies can use their own driver fleets as well as independent carriers and crowdsourced options to build a flexible fleet of drivers that can meet all of their daily delivery needs.

Maintaining high efficiency with advanced automated tools is the only way to optimize deliveries and ensure customer expectations are met without significantly increasing operational costs. A heightened focus on SaaS-based delivery management solutions is the secret to unlocking new insights to better manage deliveries, adapt to real-time demands, and provide a superior delivery experience.

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