Best Practices for Last Mile Delivery
Strategies, tactics & technological approaches to create an end-to-end delivery experience that makes a difference
Delivery strategies, tactics and technologies have evolved rapidly for B2C and B2B companies.
Industry leaders have proven that they can compete on the strength of their delivery capabilities. The myth that higher service levels result in increased costs has been dispelled and, in fact, when combined with value-added services, delivery becomes a significant revenue generator. What were considered leading edge delivery capabilities five years ago are now considered “table stakes” and companies that do not take a deep look at their delivery capabilities will quickly find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Every best-in-class delivery company has a few capabilities in common.
Strategic Route
Modeling
Dynamic Appointment Scheduling
Dynamic Route
Planning
Real-time Dispatch
& Tracking
Order
Notification
Mobile
Apps
Performance
Management
ELDs &
Telematics
With a comprehensive portfolio of integrated route planning, execution, mobile & performance monitoring solutions, your operations will:
• Increase sales & become more agile
• Differentiate your distribution services
• Improve driver safety and productivity
• Reduce vehicle costs
• Shorten the order to cash cycle
"With Descartes' solution, we now have real-time visibility into deliveries as they are made—and proof of delivery when customers receive their orders. We're in a much stronger position to drive realistic and reliable delivery schedules, increase the number of deliveries we can make each day, and ensure tight windows."
Nicholas Chesna
Fleet Assistant Manager
Richards Building Supply
" We wanted to offer customers the ability to self-select appointments based on specific business parameters that enable us to operate as efficiently as possible. We deployed Descartes’ solution because of its proven ability to provide optimized, real-time appointment booking during the buying process."
Ray Fernandez
CEO
Tyres On The Drive
"Descartes provided a routing solution that supported the flexibility we required and would allow for ad-hoc, unplanned stops to handle urgent calls for same-day deliveries. The key was to ensure the smooth flow of information back and forth between the two systems, and out to drivers on the road."
Steve Ferro
IT Director, Application Development
Ferrellgas
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