1) Order-Fulfillment provides today’s companies with a competitive advantage.
We all love receiving packages that we ordered online, don’t we? But enthusiasm is also combined with anxiety, isn’t it?
Today’s businesses have realized the order fulfillment they provide their customers must be turned into a core competitive advantage. If not, they will lose customers and market share to competitors that are successfully providing customers with a delightful delivery experience.
We live in the technological era, one marked by technological innovation, but also technological diffusion. No longer is it possible to create, and sustain, a competitive advantage purely on the basis of functionality or cost advantages. All that can easily be duplicated by technology. What, therefore, becomes a powerful tool is an emotional aspect of creating brand equity. The competitive advantage now comes from “outside” your core product offering. as in order-delivery.
~~ The “Amazon model” is now par for the course, having forever changed the customer’s delivery expectations. Everyone from delivery companies to offline retailers to e-commerce firms is under pressure to constantly improve their order delivery, cost-of-delivery, and customer communication. ~~
As the past decade has gone by, through all the changes in the Supply-Chain model and in the Logistics and Delivery business, some best practices for turning order delivery into a competitive advantage have become clear. Importantly, the common thread across these is the use of modern, automated delivery software to achieve this.
2) Best practices to turn deliveries into your competitive advantage by using modern, automated delivery software like Fleetroot
i) Route optimization: Today’s world of logistics and distribution is a complex one! Global markets and competitors, 24*7 supply chains and operations – well, the list of fluctuating variables is unending! And, at the very end of this distribution chain is the ever-complex, ever-challenging, and costliest part – i.e. last mile delivery!
Last-mile delivery is where the litmus changes color, i.e, where your efficacy as a delivery company is displayed (or, not!). Therefore, delivery software like Fleetroot is invaluable. With its advanced routing optimization capabilities, you can consistently plan on achieving the best possible delivery routes. This optimization allows you to minimize cost, maximize efficiency, and achieve customer satisfaction. That, in turn, creates happy customers who give you return business and propel you into becoming a profitable company with a loyal customer base.
ii) Real-time communication: As mentioned earlier, today’s customer wants to be “kept in the loop at all times”! This means receiving accurate ETAs, timely updates, and easily accessing information about deliveries.
Fleetroot’s delivery software enables client companies to do exactly that: communicate with end-customers directly, even informing them well in advance if there is a delay. Such messages are automated and sent using multiple channels like App pop-ups, SMS, email (etc.). Studies show that customers are far more accepting of such delays/changes if they are informed in advance.
~~ A key benefit of last-mile delivery software is that it enables companies to give customers accurate ETAs, as well as keep them duly informed of any delays. This goes a long way toward managing (possibly) irate customers and showing them that their delivery is of utmost importance ~~
While B2C companies have upped their delivery game suitably already, the challenge for B2B companies remains. For example, many still only provide approximate ETAs – but that doesn’t cut it anymore. Typically, B2B customers rate their delivery experience at 50%. That is much lower than the average score given by B2C customers, which is between 70% and 85%.
iii) Improving service by gaining a better understanding of customer behavior:
In today’s home-delivery business model, modern brands and delivery companies only really interact face-to-face with the customer at the time of parcel delivery.
Fleetroot’s delivery software has tools such as ePOD (electronic proof-of-delivery) through which drivers can easily, and quickly, capture signatures as well as collect more data that provides actionable insight for managers.
This includes customer feedback forms, ratings of performance, suggestions for improvements, new services required, and notes on other key topics. Such customer feedback identifies deficiencies, current strengths, and future trends. Since it is already a digital data point, the data can be conveniently sliced and diced in myriad ways to reveal a deep understanding of customer behavior.
~~ From a holistic perspective, the visibility, and transparency provided by advanced delivery software give businesses much greater insight into the overall last-mile operation. This helps managers constantly make better decisions. ~~
iv) Offering multiple delivery options: The ‘homogeneity’ of customer demands with regard to delivery is a thing of the past! Today’s customer needs vary greatly – from self-scheduling deliveries to various delivery windows to local pickup points or curb-side pickups, to longer wait times if offered discounted rates.
As you can imagine, it would be impossible to manage so many options without the use of modern software systems. Fleetroot’s last mile delivery software has a fully-automated and optimized end-to-end delivery process. Not only does it manage all the various customer preferences, but it also seamlessly integrates with all other stakeholders and vendor MIS/systems to provide a comprehensive, holistic view of the entire delivery process.
The improved control and visibility that this provides actually enables companies to study consumer patterns and innovate to offer better options – whether cheaper pricing, premium services, faster delivery times, or more payment options…
v) Advanced data-analytics: As mentioned above, today’s dispatch software is based on complex algorithms, AI, and ML that cover the entire scope of the logistics, distribution, and supply-chain ecosystems.
With all eco-systems now becoming digital, every transaction, task, action (etc.) is recorded as a data point. As is commonly opined today, “Data is the new oil,” and this data-led insight is crucial to keep improving delivery operations and creating a sustainable competitive advantage. The vast amounts of comprehensive data can be analyzed by Fleetroot’s robust data analytics capabilities to constantly come up with meaningful, actionable insight.
vi) Reduced costs and maximized efficiency: Ultimately, companies are in business to make profits and keep their customers happy. It isn’t an easy task, and it isn’t just about managing one aspect of the operation (like decreasing operating costs) but about managing all variables across its entirety.
Today’s delivery software like Fleetroot enables firms to do exactly that, i.e., manage myriad (and ever-changing!) customer demands, stay on top of evolving global delivery operations that run 24*7, manage their delivery resources and teams, and ultimately, ensure the smooth operation of a profitable, ethical business concern.
Conclusion: As is evident, today’s delivery operation is a complex maze. Customer expectations are increasingly demanding and forever changing. In such cases, modern technology tools like Fleetroot delivery software can assist in turning opportunity into an advantage.
