The world is still feeling the effects of the massive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses having to change their logistics practices is an understatement. The supply chain disruptions that defined 2020 has caused many to fear for the future of supply chain stability. At the same time, global crises like the one in Ukraine and China have caused massive delays and supply chain mishaps (especially in the technology sector).
For truckers, last mile operators, and retailers, the past few years have been particularly challenging. The threat of contracting COVID-19 completely changed the way consumers shopped and spent money. Retailers who once made more profits through their stores all of a sudden had to deliver more online orders than they were used to, and those deliveries had to be carried out with new rules and restrictions. In some worst cases, mom and pop stores had to close entirely due to being unable to pivot their logistics.
The supply chain and logistics industry certainly have had to – and continue to – adapt significantly to deal with changing conditions this last year. Labor shortages and supply chain disturbances forced many businesses to pivot by investing in new technology standards such as last mile software. Driver and labor shortages, increasing order volumes and lingering challenges from 2020 and 2021 have caused carriers and shippers alike to look closely at their processes and evaluate.
The one thing we can place our bets on in 2023 — logistics companies will continue to need and invest in visibility. This visibility, especially around that last mile, is paramount to survival.
What is Last Mile Visibility?
Companies – both big and small – need full visibility across the supply chain, end-to-end, but especially in the last mile. Visibility allows fleet managers and dispatchers to make well-informed decisions when the unplanned or unexpected happens. Visibility also provides fleet operators and managers deeper insights regarding their fleet, average time of arrival, customer experience, and much more.
The ability to track drivers in real time enables staff to make quick adjustments given the driver location and customer need. Even more, having a solution that sends the customer continually updates can save on operational costs in your call center.
Better control for managers
While we can’t do much today about the unexpected events that drivers encounter on the day of delivery or day of service, fleet managers can have more control over these situations and proactively manage them better with visibility. With 2-way communication, proactive customer notification before, during, and after the scheduled job, accurate ETAs with live map updates, and instant customer feedback can mean the difference between satisfied and unsatisfied customers.
Less stress for drivers
Last mile visibility requires automating processes. By automating drivers’ daily processes, they don’t have to worry about manual procedures and interventions such as getting paper dispatches, making frequent check-ins with dispatchers, and keeping the customer updated of their arrival time. With a solution like Glympse, drivers are now able to fully concentrate on their job, something that ensures safe driving and less stressful work days. This all leads to better employee morale!
A single source of truth
Adopting visibility and transparency creates a single source of truth among all stakeholders. A single source of truth allows fleet managers, dispatchers, drivers, and even customers to be well aware of the delivery status, truck and order location, and details of delivery. Essentially, there is little confusion on what occurred that day, which customers got their orders fulfilled, what time each truck arrived at their destination (or each destination). Last mile visibility also lowers operational cost by lowering customer call volume by providing real-time ETA updates directly to the customers phone without having to call your support centers.
To wrap things up, last mile visibility is paramount to improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Due to our ever unpredictable economy, now is the time to invest in last mile visibility software that will help your business make informed, timely decisions. Additionally, features such as 2-way communication, real-time ETAs with continually customer notifications, and instant feedback can mean the difference between satisfying or dissatisfying your loyal customers.
We created Glympse to prepare companies for the future of logistics with easy to use location intelligent software that improves day-to-day operations. Our line of software allows us to meet your operational needs regardless of the size and budget of your company. If you want to learn more, you can reach us today by filling out our sign up form. There is no better time than today to start improving your growing business.
