Business trends and shopping behaviour have changed a loin t the last couple of years. And while it’s true that these changes were mostly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the trends were already starting to gain traction before everything went upside down.
So the pandemic didn’t bring anything new to the table; it just accelerated already existing trends and forced businesses into taking action before they were ready to do so. We can see this in the delivery industry, where there was a ‘do it or lose it’ type of situation for a while.
Delivery businesses had to either adapt (i.e. find more drivers, increase the fleet, improve route management or make room for others. There was no middle ground since the demand was raising fast and customers were a lot more anxious than normal.
That’s why the businesses that stand tall today in the delivery sector have a solid foundation. Most of them learned to change on the go and this experience makes you find strengths you didn’t know you had. However, one of the reasons why many businesses managed to survive was the fast implementation of advanced technologies.
The Business Benefits of Technology
The world of delivery is an amalgamation of optimized routes, professionalism, and extreme efficiency. Customers expect fast delivery (same-day, if possible), accurate ETAs, low costs, and high-quality customer service in order to receive a positive rating in their book.
In order to deliver all that and create an enjoyable customer experience, delivery companies had to learn how to implement automation, route optimization, and delivery management software into their internal business flow.
These tools are important for companies of any size because they provide an advantage over the competition and help identify new business opportunities. Plus, it’s a good way to cut down costs with personnel, road accidents, and reduce the time wasted in traffic.
But what about the customers? How can these technologies help a business in its relationship with the buyers and leads?
A Better Customer Experience
If you check out this Shopify vs. Circuit comparison, you’ll notice the customer is included in the process. In fact, the entire delivery chain starts and ends with the customer.
When you buy something online, you start the delivery process the moment you click on that ‘Buy Now’ button. Your order gets prepared by the sender and then it reaches the courier company that will transport your parcel to your front door, where (hopefully) it will enter in your possession.
This entire journey is logged into the delivery company’s system and you, the customer, will receive various updates with regard to the status of your parcel. Once the parcel reaches the final leg of its journey, you will be notified of the success (delivered) or failure (failed to deliver) of the operation.
All this is realized with the help of delivery management software that’s designed for maximum transparency and efficiency. Due to such a software tool, you will know when the parcel is expected to arrive, where it is in transit, and whether there are any delays. It’s also helpful in keeping drivers well-organized so the journey won’t take longer than necessary.
Wrap Up
In summary, delivery management software takes the worry of planning the journey and updating the customer out of the delivery company’s hands. This way, they can focus on ensuring the highest standard of delivery while following the instructions of a fine-tuned intelligent system that can predict a wide range of scenarios.
As a result, customers get to receive their orders on time and in proper shape. Therefore, the overall experience is likely to be pleasant and civil.