How Last-Mile Delivery Software Transforms Your Delivery Operations

Many things once considered impossible are now a regular part of our daily lives. Same-day delivery is one of them. 

Consumers no longer hope for lightning-fast delivery — they expect it. In a 2022 Deloitte survey about holiday shopping, 52% of respondents planned to use same-day or next-day delivery (up 5% from 2021). Delivery expectations put companies in the hot seat: Those that can’t deliver could lose their competitive edge.

Creating a viable last-mile delivery process takes a combination of human effort and technology. In addition to proper fleet management, companies need an accurate way to monitor and track their deliverables. That’s where last-mile delivery software packs a valuable punch.

Below we’ll dive into last-mile delivery software, its benefits, and some of its most relevant use cases.

What is last-mile delivery software?

Last-mile delivery is the final step in the delivery process, and it’s crucial to get it right, with the order arriving on time and in good condition. But it’s also beneficial if this step is transparent to both the brand and the customer — and that’s where last-mile delivery software comes in.

At its core, last-mile delivery software like Nash gives organizations a way to ensure fast delivery to their customers. It’s designed to address the biggest challenges of last-mile delivery: inefficient route optimization, poor tracking, and opaque customer communications.

Efficiency and speed rule the day with last-mile delivery. Companies searching for a way to give customers a better delivery experience may choose a last-mile delivery software tool to achieve their goal. 

Benefits of last-mile delivery software

Creating a more streamlined, efficient process for last-mile delivery should be a priority for every company that offers shipping or delivery. 

Last-mile delivery software offers several helpful features and benefits that help you meet — and exceed — ever-growing customer expectations. Here are five of the most significant benefits of leveraging this software within your business.

Provides better route optimization

The straightest, clearest path from your business (or distribution center) to your customer’s door is the best choice. Makes sense, right? 

Not always. Sometimes, unforeseen elements like heavy traffic and car accidents can contribute to the mix, which is where software can help. Using delivery scheduling tools like using zones for planning drop-offs and adding multiple-stop routing can save time and streamline operations. With last-mile delivery software, you can even use route planning based on real-time delivery obstacles like traffic jams, wrecks, and weather.

Enhances delivery monitoring and visibility

A recent survey of consumers’ delivery tracking habits finds that a whopping 96% of buyers track their online orders, with 43% of them tracking it daily and 17% tracking it several times a day. 

Last-mile delivery platforms let customers see and watch the delivery’s progress, instead of wondering where it is and if it’s on time. Knowing the delivery status at any time gives companies the transparency they need to manage shipments proactively, from beginning to end. 

Sharing this information with your customers via last-mile delivery tracking keeps them in the loop about their deliveries, which can help keep frustrations at bay.

Offers greater delivery productivity and scalability

Last-mile delivery software finds available drivers that can deliver your product faster, which is especially helpful during holiday rushes or high-traffic times of the day (such as rush hour). It can also choose the most efficient route for drivers. By tapping into outside or third-party delivery services, you can serve a wider geographic area of clients and move your inventory faster.

Improves customer experience

When it comes to order tracking, no news is definitely not good news. With last-mile delivery software, the customer knows as much about the delivery status as your company. 

The tool has the functionality to give the customer a transparent, live view of where the order is in transit and its estimated time of arrival (ETA). When it's delivered, the customer can receive an electronic proof of delivery through the company’s mobile app, email, or short message service (SMS).

Meeting expectations and providing transparency keeps customers happy and increases their chances of buying from you again.

Increases profitability

Successful last-mile delivery operations add to a company’s bottom line in multiple ways. Better optimized delivery routes help increase the number of deliveries completed daily, which decreases delivery costs. Real-time delivery notifications improve the customer experience, making them more likely to do business with you again.

Use cases for last-mile delivery solutions software

Using a software platform to create a more efficient delivery process helps organizations across many verticals. Here are some relevant use cases that highlight specific results of implementing last-mile delivery software.

Restaurants

Using last-mile delivery software for real-time order management gives all types of restaurants and catering companies an edge over their competition. Using the system to find outside delivery drivers is like doubling or tripling your driver fleet without additional labor costs. 

More driver availability helps businesses deliver more orders on time and keeps hungry customers happy. In addition, having a place to keep every order — whether placed by phone, through an app, or on the website — streamlines the process and ensures none fall through the cracks.

Retail and ecommerce

Shipping time matters to retail shoppers. A recent survey finds that 56% of all abandoned carts are due to shipping-related concerns during checkout. A last-mile delivery platform keeps retail and ecommerce businesses ringing up sales by increasing the number of orders they can deliver while decreasing delivery time, and can even unlock same-day local delivery from store to customer. 

Using optimized routes, giving buyers real-time visibility, and tracking proof of deliveries keep customer satisfaction high and return rates low.

Grocery

Adding last-mile delivery software can dramatically impact a grocery store’s bottom line. Customers appreciate it because they can order and receive what they need fast and with little effort. In addition to the increased business, grocers benefit from easier inventory management, simple driver tracking, and providing on-demand customer service.

Marketplaces

Centralizing marketplace delivery operations add productivity throughout the process and creates a more transparent user experience. By expanding a marketplace’s reach, last-mile logistics keeps the process moving forward and saves time by automating repeated tasks.

Meal kits

Product freshness can make or break a meal delivery service. Last-mile delivery management software finds available drivers faster and gets products picked up and delivered more quickly. This approach guarantees the customer gets the freshest product possible, increasing customer satisfaction and prompting repeat sales.

Pharmacy

While timely delivery of any product is important, deliveries containing medicine are especially critical because they pertain directly to the customer's health. It’s also important to note that some medication is sensitive to light and temperature, making it necessary to deliver them quickly. Pharmacies that provide delivery services benefit greatly from last-mile delivery software’s ability to facilitate a faster, more direct process.

Delivery suppliers

A management system is key for shippers and delivery companies to expand their business. Use delivery tracking to maximize company performance and ensure orders arrive on time, every time. Complete more deliveries, satisfy more customers, and handle resource allocation more effectively with a last-mile delivery software solution.

Choosing the best last-mile delivery software

There are many last-mile delivery software providers on the market, such as OneRail, Bringg, and Onfleet. But adding new software to your company’s tech stack is a big deal, and your decision should hinge on the specific goals you want to accomplish and issues you want to mitigate. 

Nash is a leading last-mile delivery software choice because of its suite of helpful features, ease of use, and insightful reporting. With Nash, it's easy to manage locations and providers from a single-screen dashboard and monitor deliveries from start to finish. Nash offers a number of other powerful benefits for businesses:

• Real-time delivery tracking and notifications (including batch orders and drop-offs) to help you proactively address issues or obstacles before they cause delivery delays
• White-labeled tracking link that provides customers with the same updates and location tracking as your company’s operator sees
• Centralized scheduling and active deliveries on a single dashboard (regardless of order source)
• API integration with many other apps and SaaS systems, creating a cohesive tech stack
• Automations to assign deliveries to providers with the best pricing, reliability score, or personal preference to run your delivery routes
• A global network of 500+ delivery providers, giving you the best option for any delivery type

Revolutionize your last-mile delivery with Nash

Implementing a last-mile delivery software solution for your business can help improve delivery time, streamline operations, and increase customer satisfaction. Choosing a reliable provider like Nash can also allow you to automate repetitive tasks — saving your business time and money along the way.

Nash is the clear choice for companies seeking a helpful final-mile delivery solution. It’s easy to integrate into your current workflow, simple to use, and chock-full of features that improve your delivery process. 

Deliver more goods faster than ever: Get started with Nash today.

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