Using Delivery Management Software Offer Same-Day Delivery

Fast delivery is changing the way we shop.

It combines the convenience of buying online with almost instant access to their purchase. Like you would in a physical store.

And that’s what customers want.

But why does it matter SO MUCH to them?

In this post, we’ll let you in on the answer and explain how you can meet those expectations with a small delivery operation.

Plus, we’ll show you how to manage same-day delivery using delivery management software.

Not to mention, why you need this delivery logistics solution even when you want to provide a slower next-day or two-day service.

Here’s what you need to know.

Customers want convenience.

Speedy delivery is all about convenience. And convenience is the bread and butter of every consumer because it improves customer experience.

According to McKinsey:

Same-day delivery combines the convenience of online shopping with the immediate product access of stationary retail.

That makes it the cornerstone of modern retail.

In fact, a PwC survey found that the biggest factors among customers doing business with any brand are actually convenience and customer experience. Far more than price.

And that’s why customers attach value to fast delivery. Because it gives them immediate access to their purchase.

It’s also psychological. Having their deliveries in the palm of their hand the same day when they order their purchase feels like going into a store and buying it.

But that doesn’t mean fast fulfillment is limited to online shopping. Physical stores also need to offer rapid delivery.

It might be convenient for local customers to walk into the store and buy goods or services, but for others, it isn’t.

Companies that fail to realize this risk of losing customers. Not to mention, they won’t attract new ones.

Technically, potential customers won’t even consider them.

But to create a fast delivery system, you will also have incorporate other solutions into the mix to settle other customer pains and make their experience even more convenient:

• Letting customers choose delivery windows and arrival times;
• Delivery tracking and tracing;
• Creating a system of alerts and notifications about ETA of delivery;
• Allowing drivers and delivery agents to communicate with customers;
• Incorporating electronic proof of delivery to streamline drop-off;
• Focusing more on customer service during drop-off;
• Upselling products upon delivery.

All of this can be achieved by incorporating delivery management software.

(But more on that later)

For now, it’s enough to remember that speed equals convenience. And here is one way to achieve it.

Develop an omnichannel approach to speed up delivery.

Back in 2005, when Amazon rolled out its two-day delivery for Prime users it was revolutionary.

Think of it like when people first stepped onto a steam train after riding on horseback. The speed was captivating.

But, it’s now the standard for any delivery.

The same is happening right now.

When Amazon announced that it will offer same-day delivery to all its Prime members in 2020, many businesses were overwhelmed by the news. Now, many are scrambling to do the same.

And one of the best solutions to come out of it was the omnichannel approach to delivery.

As the COVID-19 outbreak has shown, delivery is no longer an option. Companies that offer it are surviving despite it, while brick-and-mortar businesses are struggling to stay afloat.

An omnichannel delivery can help you with this. Not only does it allow you to introduce delivery and online sales into your existing model, but it also helps you speed it up.

Basically, after you create an ecommerce store, you can leverage your physical store to use it as a warehouse.

In the front, operations would continue as usual. But in the back, you will have created a pick-up spot that can cater to all deliveries ordered across all channels of communication (ecommerce, phone, storefront, email, social media).

And despite what you might think about the cost of same-day or next-day delivery, the opportunities ahead couldn’t be bigger.

Same-day delivery is an opportunity.

The reality is that you have to offer faster delivery to customers.

And even though two-day or one-day delivery seems like safe bets, the real money lies with even faster fulfillment.

That’s because same-day delivery lets you win over customers, both old and new.

Even though it comes at a cost, there are ways you can make it work.

The reason behind it: customers don’t mind paying for faster delivery (if the price is right). They are even willing to pay for next-day delivery.

According the same PwC survey, 88% of consumers are willing to pay if it means they will receive their goods faster.

This leaves you room to reduce delivery time without raising expenditure or risking profit. Not to mention, you can even learn how to compete with Amazon by co-existing.

More importantly, faster fulfillment is a great way to improve your position. In other words, generate more profit.

By offering next-day or same-day delivery, you provide greater convenience. That makes you more attractive in the eyes of your customers, and more competitive both among online and bricks-and-mortar retailers.

But to achieve that, you still need to drive the cost of fulfillment down and optimize your delivery to maximize performance.

Luckily, technology solves that problem for you.

How can delivery management software help you achieve same-day or next-day delivery?

Here’s where technology comes into play.

Without innovations helping with delivery tracking, planning, scheduling, route optimization, or dispatch rapid delivery remains a pipe dream.

If you take a look at Amazon or Walmart, they rely on technology for two reasons.

And while Amazon has the luxury of employing robots in its warehouses or investing in driverless vehicles, it isn’t the end of the line for small and medium businesses.

For companies that fall under this category, delivery management software is the end-to-end solution to speed up fulfillment.

First, it helps speed things up across the supply chain. Second, it reduces human error.

For example, route optimization software components can save valuable time during drop-off. In turn, drivers can complete more deliveries during their daily runs.

Not only that but with communication flowing through one channel (the delivery app), there is less room for error or misunderstanding.

Unlike legacy solutions, modern delivery management tools also operate on the cloud. This means they are available and affordable even for the smallest business.

Next, modern systems solutions like eLogii let you optimize the entire delivery process, from orders through fulfillment to delivery and return.

Many of them also take a platform approach to delivery management software which reduces costs and cuts time to implementation, since it allows you to integrate with existing systems or key apps essential to your infrastructure.

And when it comes to learning how to use delivery management software, it is straightforward thanks to its user-friendly interface that functions like most apps your staff is used to.

Finally, delivery management software is easily scalable.

If you’re small today, it doesn’t mean you won’t grow tomorrow. So, having this kind of system lets you expand your delivery operations without thinking about the future size of your supply chain, fleet, or delivery volume.

With low upkeep at a lower price, fast implementation, and an even faster learning curve, not to mention the ability to adapt and scale, delivery management software is the technology that can get your delivery to next-day and same-day fulfillment.

So, why not try it right now?