Ask anyone who works in supply chain management, and they’ll tell you that logistics are more complicated than ever, especially in the last mile. In an era of rising consumer expectations, a delayed or damaged shipment can have a significant impact on the bottom line. More third parties involved in the process also means a higher risk of missed deliveries, damaged packages, and incorrect documentation.
When your shipment problems are bigger than ever, you need more than the same old solutions. Technology, such as sensors and automation, compiles better shipment data while minimizing the potential for human error. Solutions from Trackonomy grow with your company and integrate cutting-edge technology into your existing management systems. Better data, happier customers, and more business opportunities are just around the corner.
Why the Last Mile is the Riskiest Part of the Supply Chain
The last mile, or the final journey a shipment takes from a distribution center to a delivery address, is an eternal logistics problem. Often accounting for more than half of a shipment’s cost, last-mile delivery can make or break the customer experience. A delayed package or damaged items can cost you future sales, even if the customer loves your product. Companies with a reputation for late delivery or missed shipments will struggle to grow.
Last-mile delivery introduces variables that your company’s transportation planners just can’t control. More shipments going out means a higher risk of human error in delivery, and more handling means a higher chance of damaged packages. The last mile also presents plenty of opportunities for theft, whether from an errant employee or a porch pirate.
Preventing delays in the last mile is also tricky. Weather events and road construction can cause local delays that snowball into major problems for your whole supply chain.
When last-mile delivery processes involve one or more third-party hand-offs, there are even more opportunities for things to go wrong. Worse still, these problems are hard to fix because you don’t have complete visibility on the package.
Managing Customer Expectations
The last-mile problem has grown in recent years, especially as customer expectations have increased. Consumers want more than a tracking number these days—they want to know exactly where their package is at all times. Instead of a delivery day, they prefer a delivery window.
Many consumers are no longer content to wait a week for their packages to arrive, either. They want them as fast as possible, ideally same-day or next-day shipping, and they don’t want to pay extra for the privilege.
The result is a tricky problem for warehouses and logistics companies: rising costs on one side and increasing customer demands on the other. Thankfully, there are solutions that can help you manage both.
The Role of Last Mile Carrier Tracking in Modern Logistics
Last-mile carrier tracking monitors a shipment during the final part of its journey to a customer’s doorstep. This helps you meet customer demands for information while also giving you actionable data on shipping patterns and cost-cutting opportunities.
With last-mile carrier tracking, customers can check a website for their package’s delivery status and even get alerts sent to their phone. This reduces customer service calls and provides a more accurate ETA, which can boost customer satisfaction. Customers can also communicate delivery instructions to a carrier or check if a package requires their signature.
Data from last-mile carrier tracking isn’t just for customers—it can also help you analyze shipment patterns and see where and why packages are delayed. That information can help you spot bottlenecks and solve underlying problems.
How Better Tracking Reduces Operational Risk
The last mile introduces a lot of variables into the shipping equation that can cause damage, delays, misshipments, and more. Without quality last-mile carrier tracking, you may be unaware of problems happening right under your nose.
Improved tracking gives you the data you need to solve problems before they spiral out of control. It can help you proactively identify delivery delays and misshipments, spot potentially damaged packages, and closely monitor VIP shipments.
Having more real-time data at your fingertips helps you analyze shipment patterns in more detail. With more data, you can move from identifying bottlenecks to being able to optimize delivery routes or shift from spotting delays to tracking carrier performance.
Proactive Customer Service
More data allows for more proactive customer service. Instead of reacting to issues, your team can use real-time tracking data to identify problems and offer solutions. They can inform customers of delays or offer replacements for damaged and misshipped products.
Better tracking also improves communication between customers and carriers, promoting delivery efficiency while decreasing calls to your team.
Tech-Enabled Solutions That Support Safer Last-Mile Delivery Tracking
Trackonomy solutions use technology in a smart way that builds upon your current organizational strengths while opening up further possibilities. Our cost-effective products are easy to set up and integrate with your existing tracking system.
IoT Sensors for Real-Time Tracking
Delivery tracking that relies on physical scans will always be prone to human error. These days, however, packages can track themselves.
Internet of Things (IoT) technology allows sensors throughout the shipping process to communicate autonomously with your tracking software. This location data can improve ETA calculation and make it much easier to track a lost package.
These sensors also do more than just track location. They can protect fragile shipments and ensure safe delivery of perishables by tracking temperature, light, pressure, and humidity.
WMS and TMS Integration
You shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel just to improve your last-mile service. Today’s tech-enabled solutions can integrate seamlessly with your current transportation management and coordinate directly with your warehouse management systems.
WMS and TMS integration improves your scalability so you can provide the same exceptional service to customers as you grow. You can also integrate your new data insights with information you’ve already gathered on your shipping process.
Automation and Smart Alerts
Human error is one of the biggest risks in last-mile shipping. When you rely on people to check packages and perform delivery scans, mistakes are inevitable.
Sensors from Trackonomy don’t wait for you to notice a problem. Instead, they communicate directly with your system to inform you of the issue. You’ll be able to rest a little easier knowing a smart alert will notify you if action is needed.
Scalability
Today’s small business is tomorrow’s most trusted brand. Technology from Trackonomy lets you provide your customers with amazing service, even as you grow in size.
Last-mile tracking technology also equips your company with the data you need to boost growth and ensure customer satisfaction. By identifying shipment bottlenecks and tracking carrier performance, you’ll be able to offer better customer experiences.
Gain Last-Mile Confidence with Trackonomy Solutions
The final mile has always been the toughest problem in logistics. Growing challenges and increasing customer expectations are only going to make it harder. Thankfully, today’s tracking solutions feature cutting-edge technology that’s up to the challenge. Better last-mile delivery tracking is the path to improved service today and opportunities for the future.
Trackonomy is at the forefront of this tracking revolution. Our tools integrate with your current software and scale up as your company grows. No matter what you’re shipping or where it’s going, our sensors and automation can improve your processes. If you’re ready to see how we can solve your last-mile problems, contact us today for more information and a free demo.