Successful firms in the current uncertain market will identify solutions that enable delivery operations to run more efficiently, regardless of the fleet size or the number of drivers, while decreasing costs and offering the best customer experience possible.
FREMONT, CA: Data from software-as-a-service (SaaS) redefining last-mile delivery in 2023 indicates that more companies recognize the significance of last-mile delivery to their overall business, giving logistics a seat in the C-suite and boardroom. Post-pandemic economic realities and serious challenges, including climate change, are driving forces in industry today and forcing accountability to the highest levels of leadership. The C-suite is examining all facets of its operations with a new emphasis on how delivery influences customer satisfaction, earnings, and corporate social responsibility. These changes include a laser focus on last-mile accuracy, increased IT expenditures, and hastened environmental activities.
The executive suite and boardroom are keenly interested in last-mile delivery: As fulfillment joins sales and marketing as the essential components of running a successful organization, logistics directors will increasingly report to the CEO. Logistics experts will say at the top and have a seat at the table and more engagement in the business strategy from the outset. Today's consumers need next-day or even same-day delivery with complete visibility, which makes guaranteeing a quality customer experience a top priority and crucial for fostering customer loyalty, gaining a competitive edge, and expanding market share.
Businesses will optimize and sustain delivery technology stacks: As economic headwinds intensify, supply chain businesses are under increasing pressure to accomplish more with fewer resources, particularly those coping with personnel losses. Companies will reevaluate their present delivery stacks and seek technologies that can optimize all parts of last-mile operations to maximize cost-efficiency and dynamically scale as demand increases. A delivery experience depends on optimization, which is becoming increasingly crucial to customer loyalty and market expansion.
Customers of B2B services will expect a more B2C-like experience: Similar to consumers, businesses seek greater certainty and transparency in delivery. Businesses are moving toward just-in-time ordering to control inventory and contain expenses in the face of inflation, rising costs, and labor shortages. Just-in-time ordering applies to ordinary stock and perishables that restaurants and supermarkets require. Businesses that serve the B2B sector must be able to fulfill precise delivery time requirements and guarantee that their products will arrive precisely.
Sustainability actions are more powerful: Sustainability has received much attention, and businesses are taking it seriously. However, many companies have gotten away with greenwashing rather than making genuine, practical environmental pledges. Important is making year-over-year gains possible through strategic business objectives, such as reducing kilometers driven, reducing the number of trucks on the road, or introducing electric or hybrid vehicles to the fleet. It is impractical for enterprises to be completely self-sufficient from day one.
