The recent rise in eCommerce has compelled brick-and-mortar stores to move online. This has increased the importance of efficient delivery management as customers expect to receive their products within the shortest time. Thus, businesses using traditional delivery modes need to look for better ways to manage order delivery to give customers a premium buying experience.
What is Delivery Management?
Delivery management oversees the transportation of goods from one location to another. For online businesses, delivery management optimizes last-mile delivery for delivering orders to customers on time. The factor that plays a crucial role here is delivering unharmed packages on time. Since buyers now expect their package to arrive the same day or the next day, delivery management is critical in managing the supply chain and running a successful business.
Importance of Delivery Management
The need for fast and reliable delivery management has increased with increasing cutthroat competition. Customers are willing to pay more for same-day delivery. In fact, many buyers see fast order delivery as one of the most important criteria when making a purchase. Customers are willing to choose your competitor above your brand if they provide faster delivery.
Besides, a superior delivery experience helps build customer loyalty and increases repeat purchases.
Advantages of Efficient Delivery Management
Here’s how your business can benefit from efficient delivery management:
Profitability
Managing deliveries efficiently helps optimise existing processes like fleet management, software, and systems. Also, implementing the latest technological innovations can help utilize the fleet at its maximum capacity and reduce shipping costs. Efficient delivery management is also automating repetitive manual tasks with the help of technology. This also reduces labour costs.
Satisfied Customers
Delivery management also keeps the customers in the loop with real-time tracking updates at every step of the process. This helps customers know the whereabouts of their orders and maintains their excitement.
Reduce Redundant Tasks
Efficient delivery management also reduces redundant tasks, potentially avoiding unnecessary delays. Auto-scheduling order batching and delivery route planning can also prevent possible human errors. Thereby helping achieve greater productivity.
How to Improve Delivery Management?
Efficient delivery management automates crucial delivery-related tasks and reduces human errors. It also involves improving customer service and streamlining the warehousing process, which can lead to better managed order delivery. You can consider automating your delivery processes with the help of software to improve your order fulfillment and ensure greater customer satisfaction. This can also help increase operations productivity.
You can also consider partnering with third-party logistics providers like Shiprocket Fulfillment. With their help, you can automate your manual and repetitive tasks and save time as well as cost. You can store your inventory in their 45+ order fulfillment centers spread across major locations in India. On every order you receive, they pick products from the nearest fulfillment center to the delivery location and pack and ship them to the end customer. Thus, the order is delivered faster to the buyer. And not just this, but your shipping cost is also reduced.
Third-party logistics providers also help determine the shortest delivery route and offer real-time order movement, which helps enhance customer satisfaction.
How to Improve Your Order Deliveries?
Here are a few ways to meet customer expectations with fast and accurate delivery:
1. Automate Shipping Process
You can process and deliver your orders faster by automating your shipping process. You can automate tasks to reduce manual work as well as improve accuracy. As a result, you can optimize your supply chain and scale your business. As mentioned above, you can also partner with a 3PL to automate your order fulfillment process.
2. Store Inventory Across Multiple Locations
The best way to deliver orders faster is by storing your inventory in fulfillment centers across the country. This will not only help deliver orders faster but will also help save shipping costs. The quicker the customer gets their order, the happier they are!
3. Offer Live Order Tracking
Offering your customers live order tracking will improve their delivery experience. You can share SMS and email updates as well as WhatsApp notifications. This can help reduce lost and stolen shipments which is ideal for high-value shipments.
You need the right technology, systems, and expertise to improve your delivery process. Many online brands leverage 3PL, and you can also partner with them for your shipping and delivery needs.
