In a logistics environment, whether delivering Business to Business (B2B) or Business to Consumer (B2C), there is nothing more critical to success than the point of delivery. It is here where a well-equipped and enabled delivery driver, arriving on schedule with the correct consignment, embodies unequalled service, efficiency and value.
Managing the 'final mile'
Most companies invest considerably in tracking and controlling delivery of goods along the entire length of their supply chain. In delivery to the customer’s site or front-door, an investment in Blackbay’s Delivery Connect delivers the same level of quality, real-time control and operational visibility to the ‘final mile’.
When a customer places an order they may have just two points of contact with their supplier – when they place the order (perhaps an automated or telephone interaction) and again when the delivery driver arrives on-site or at their front door. The delivery driver is a significant point of interaction – indeed the only point of human interaction in many cases. A driver fully supported by Delivery Connect will be able to execute the delivery transaction with professionalism and efficiency.
Right first time every time
The cost savings inherent in being able to correct errors as they occur ‘at source’ can be significant. When an error does occur, costs can increase exponentially. The longer an error persists, the more expensive it becomes to correct it and problems can escalate even more aggressively where goods are perishable or have a short shelf-life. Recent UK statistics show that just over 12% of home deliveries cost the e-retail industry’s stakeholders (consumers, retailers and carriers) as much as ￡1 billion per annum.
To correct a mistake before a delivery truck leaves the depot costs virtually nothing. However, at the point of delivery, the penalty can be more significant - the loss of wrongly delivered goods, a subsequent re-delivery, the handling of a customer complaint, a compensatory credit, loss of trust, penalties for not meeting service levels and ultimately, the loss of dissatisfied customers.
Using Delivery Connect to get deliveries right first time, every time, offers a cascade of benefits. Drivers scan, check or validate goods as they are loaded and can fix any mistakes on-the-spot. Faster, more efficient delivery processes result and improve stock cycles, driving supply chain responsiveness. The ability to issue a correct invoice, perhaps within moments of ePOD signature minimises delays and invoice queries, driving improvements in the order-to-cash cycle. Satisfied customers meet payment deadlines and generate repeat business at a lower average cost-per-sale.
Blackbay’s customer Hermes has a 94% first time delivery rate using Delivery Connect, some 6% above the industry average.
