3PL, Route Optimization
How to address real-time courier dispatch challenges?
The consumer’s demand for faster, trackable, and efficient dispatch delivery is increasing. This rising demand has posed many challenges for the courier dispatching industry, especially in courier dispatch.
What is a courier dispatch software?
A courier dispatch software is a tool that a fleet manager uses to assign jobs to drivers. It is designed to automate scheduling and routing processes, offering a simple way to efficiently coordinate routes and deliveries. It enables courier businesses to meet end-to-end real-time needs.
Challenges in courier dispatching
Logistics management includes a wide range of tasks like controlling fuel costs, maximizing fleet properties, or seeking shorter routes. The increasing challenges and diverse customer needs make it more difficult for managers to develop effective and efficient logistics processes. Here are the common issues faced by companies involved in courier dispatch.
Driver shortage
The shortage of drivers or courier agents is a massive problem as it reduces efficiency, increases delivery times, and causes a delay in responding to customer queries or complaints.
Most courier companies do not have processes in place to manage peak delivery periods. The fleet managers are more concerned about this issue as driver shortage leads to the additional workload. Also, due to extra workload, overworked or tired drivers may not be able to perform at 100%. It negatively affects customer retention and generation of new business. During these times, it is essential to enable drivers to work efficiently. There is an increased need to automate staff and distribution routes.
Controlling transportation costs
Transport cost control is a crucial component for efficient fleet operations in the logistics business. Courier companies find it challenging to manage and reduce the last-mile delivery costs. They are in a constant battle to save costs while ensuring customer satisfaction.
During these peak delivery times, companies have to incur increased surcharges on freight rates in addition to idling costs, fuel costs, maintenance costs, loading and unloading costs, and so on. Soaring costs in the last-mile delivery also impacts drivers’ earnings.
Customer service
As customer expectations become more and more complicated, logistics businesses find new opportunities to improve customer service. Beyond delivering the right product at the right place, consumers expect to have full transparency, and improved communication. Today, with increased delivery preferences, there is necessary to deliver to people rather than places.
Tonnes of information
Logistics managers counter an overwhelming amount of data apart from the planning and optimization of routes. The data can be vehicle loads, driver safety, fuel bills, waiting time, unanticipated breaks, breakdowns, accidents, etc.
Manual logistics management makes fleet operations time-consuming and error-prone. With so much information, the attention to detail suffers, reducing the quality of work.
How a route planning software keeps courier dispatch efficient?
Fuel costs, driver downtime, and wrongly delivered packages lead to loss of business for courier companies. Using the right dispatching solution helps them manage business processes and workflows. Here’s how it makes courier dispatching operations easier and effective.
Enables end-to-end visibility
Dispatch software provides complete insights into the entire journey of the driver. These insights help logistics managers identify and rectify common problems on routes.
A dispatching software updates and optimizes delivery routes leading to a decrease in arrival and delivery time.
Effective and efficient assignment of deliveries
A dispatching software enables logistics managers to assign deliveries to drivers based on vehicle capacity, driver skill set, unloading time, traffic, etc. It ensures that drivers can maximize their efficiency without any workload burdens.
With more staff shortage, dispatching software helps fleet managers to reassign deliveries and increase orders per rider, without making it burdensome. It enables easy reassignment of deliveries to drivers based on dynamic on-ground conditions without disturbing the delivery schedule.
Dynamic route planning
Dynamic route planning becomes crucial when there are last-minute delivery changes. Fleet drivers deal with varied time-windows and time-sensitive deliveries daily. Mismanagement of route optimization leads to delayed deliveries and increased transportation costs.
A multi-stop route planning software prioritizes deliveries and provides cost-efficient routes. During their rides, deliveries may be canceled or postponed. In such circumstances, it quickly updates routes based on real-time developments. This helps in keeping delivery schedules on track so that customers do not experience any delays.
Enhances customer service standards
38% of retailers are concerned about customer expectations of delivery times, while 36% are concerned about expectations in regards to free and/or low-cost shipping. – The Perfect Order: Overcoming Roadblocks in Last Mile Delivery Experience-Convey.
Dispatching software helps logistics managers to avoid loss of revenue from poor delivery metrics. It provides the right access to delivery information so that dispatchers and drivers can set time-saving routes. It helps to set improved customer notifications and alerts, enabling them to stay on top of customer delivery requests, reducing failed deliveries.
Enables easy communication with staff
Miscommunication between logistics managers and on-ground staff negatively affects delivery performance. A dispatching solution provides up-to-minute information on customers, deliveries, route progress, and so on. It helps logistics managers and drivers to view accurate and relevant information whenever necessary.
Notifications and messaging options make internal communication successful. It keeps drivers and dispatchers in contact with one another. It enables them to address issues immediately and effectively.
Reduces human errors and clerical duties
Courier dispatch software enables logistics managers to generate reports automatically. It allows them to analyze the information and send them as an email, reducing paper use. The most significant benefits of courier dispatch software are electronic storage filing, automated actions, and paperless options.
Flexibility with the growth of the fleet
Dispatch management processes become complicated as companies grow bigger.
Dispatching software makes scheduling and dispatching tasks simple. Its real-time data and automation capabilities help manage same-day, on-demand, three-day deliveries, and next-day deliveries effectively.
Safe deliveries
Earlier, logistics companies believed that without a physical presence, there are chances for failed deliveries. But after COVID-19, the situation has turned upside down, where contactless deliveries have become the new norm. Once drivers deliver an item, they report on the following.
- Delivered to a third-party
- Delivered to the recipient
- Left in the mailbox
- Left in a safe place
An Electronic Proof of Delivery software enables drivers or field agents to snapshot a package and upload it in the app. This photographic record is a helpful proof of delivery if a customer claims that the parcel has not been delivered. More than safe deliveries, the transparency on completed deliveries improves customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
Fleet management has become increasingly complex today. Finding the right courier dispatching software is necessary to take delivery operations to the next level. It is also crucial to get a courier dispatch software that suits unique business needs and goals.
Locus’ Courier Dispatching Software enables logistics businesses to manage fleet operations efficiently. Beyond optimizing dispatching operations, it provides real-time visibility in the movement of orders and packages. Overall, it ensures timely delivery, real-time visibility, and high operational efficiency.
References
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How to address real-time courier dispatch challenges?