Last Mile Delivery Full Guide of 2022
                     
Last Mile Delivery — The 
Meaning.
The final step of the supply chain is referred to as last-mile delivery, 
which is synonymous with the travel of a commodity from a 
warehouse to the end customer’s doorstep. This is the most important 
phase in the delivery process and should be handled carefully to 
ensure prompt delivery.  All on-demand delivery applications and other 
delivery-based businesses put in their best efforts to achieve 
maximum efficiency at this level. 
Businesses are preparing this essential stage for a rapid and effective 
shipment in response to rising customer demand. Whether it’s a 
private house or a retail business, the supply chain’s end destination 
must be reached with breakneck speed in order to keep churning out 
more and more satisfied consumers.
The final mile of delivery is also the most expensive part of the route 
from the transportation hub to the final destination, thus resource 
efficiency should be a top priority.
Last Mile Delivery — The 
Process.
When a consumer puts an order on the retailer’s or eCommerce 
company’s website, their web browser or mobile application connects 
directly with the retailer’s or eCommerce provider’s server.
The order is forwarded to a centralized order management system, 
which validates stock availability and gives the consumer the option of 
paying online. It then requests that the items be dispatched to the final 
consumer from the warehouse that houses the stock.
It is mostly here that the last mile of delivery begins. The shipper sends 
an agent to the warehouse to pick up the customer’s merchandise.
After that, the agent places the package into his car and drives it to a 
preset hub. The parcel is then picked up by an agent from the hub and 
delivered to the customer’s doorstep. All of this may appear to be 
straightforward, but it is not.
In layman’s terms, there are six major 
processes required.
•The sender’s orders are digitally stored in the carrier’s system, and 
the order is delivered to the transportation hub.
•The order is sent to the delivery people, together with any pertinent 
information (such as a recommended route and the locations of the 
recipients).
•Orders are scanned for record-keeping purposes before being loaded 
onto vehicles.
•Following that, the item is delivered to the specified recipient.
•The delivery status is then recorded and updated by the employees.
Last-Mile Delivery Solutions — The 
Benefits.
•Streamlined Shipping & Delivery Process
A last-mile delivery solution automates time-consuming and repetitive 
operations in the delivery process, saving your company a significant 
amount of time, resources, and money. Waybills, handwritten receipts, 
and notes without barcodes are examples of manual tracking systems 
that are not only time demanding but also prone to human error.
Such methods become completely automated with a contemporary 
final-mile delivery solution, eliminating verification difficulties and 
assuring precise and efficient load planning. This type of solution also 
provides predictive information to your company, automatically 
allocating resources such as transportation, drivers, and even 
merchandise.
•Quality Route Optimization
No entrance windows, bad weather, high traffic hours, and 
unexpected route obstructions can all significantly slow down your 
delivery. As a result, it’s critical to use dynamic delivery route 
optimization software that calculates and assigns the most effective 
delivery routes.
Such software may also analyze real-time data to notify your last-
mile carrier agents of impending traffic jams or severe weather.
•Flexible Deliveries
Flexible delivery choices are frequently sought by buyers, adding to 
the ease of online buying. For example, if you’ve ordered urgently 
needed medicine for your mother but are concerned that the 
package will not arrive at your home address on time.
•Improved Order Management
Even with the greatest procedures in place, delays sometimes occur, 
and it isn’t much you can do about it other than telling clients about 
potential delays so they may better manage their expectations. 
Consider this: isn’t it preferable to notify consumers of delays ahead of 
time rather than waiting for them to become frustrated and call?
•Easier Payment Options For Customers
Many people throughout the world are hesitant to use their credit 
cards or financial information online. For such customers, pay-on-
delivery is the most practical alternative, and the epidemic has 
heightened the demand for contactless payments at the door.
By incorporating numerous payment alternatives within the delivery 
app, last-mile delivery solution makes it easier for customers to pay 
for their products.
Last Mile Delivery Solutions — The 
Problems.
There is a slew of issues that bog down the whole supply chain and last-
mile delivery operations, making them the most costly. The increased 
demand for same-day delivery, outdated IT infrastructure, limited 
logistical visibility, COVID-19 restrictions, and other factors all offer 
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According to reports by Invesp, more than 80% of customers nowadays 
are prepared to pay extra for faster delivery, and meeting this 
expectation is the most difficult hurdle for last-mile deliveries.
Inefficient routing techniques, human reliance on distributing jobs, and 
poor handling of third-party logistics services make it exceedingly 
difficult to reduce delivery turnaround times, posing a risk to the entire 
shipment process.
•Old School Routing Methods
It is difficult, if not impossible, to assure timely and cost-effective 
implementation of last-mile deliveries without highly efficient routing 
technologies and procedures.
Traditional routing models rely heavily on manual procedures, making 
it difficult to take into account all of the aspects that impact the 
creation of highly productive routes. 
Poor Visibility Of Logistics
The inadequate visibility of logistics operations is a primary cause of 
time-consuming procedures due to legacy supply chain architecture 
and conventional delivery processes alongside poor system 
compatibility.
For example. It will be very tough for a logistics manager to track and 
trace the precise position of a vehicle at any given moment in time if a 
management solution is not in sync with a last mile 3PL company’s 
system. This results in a slew of inefficiencies.
•Minimizing The Impact Of Covid 19
The ongoing COVID-19 epidemic has thrown established logistics 
strategies into disarray and impacted last-mile delivery. The way 
parcels are picked up, delivered, and received has altered as a result of 
social distancing restrictions. Contactless delivery has now become a 
standard expectation, and why not?
It guarantees that social distance compliance is maintained. 
•Scaling Of Business Operations
Businesses are rethinking how they execute last mile delivery 
operations in light of rising online sales and an increase in the quantity 
of shipments, as well as the push to reduce delivery times.
During busy business days, when their own resources are depleted, 
many companies struggle to complete deliveries. This makes it harder 
to commit to same-day deliveries and makes customers pleased.
•Rigid Logistics Practices
In a world of quick satisfaction and continuously changing market 
dynamics, inflexible delivery systems, which are regarded as one of the 
primary supply chain inefficiencies, have little place.
Traditional procedures that rely on manual intervention fall short of 
consumer expectations and result in a high level of customer 
discontent. Modern clients, for example, appreciate businesses that 
allow them to adjust the delivery time and location on the fly based on 
preferences.
•Environmental Concerns
Unfortunately, transportation is responsible for more than 20% of 
global carbon emissions. As environmental awareness grows, more 
people are ready to pay a premium for items that are naturally 
organic and packed with recyclable materials. Customers will not be 
surprised if they expect carbon-neutral deliveries.
Options Available For Last Mile 
Delivery
When considering all the options available for Last Mile Deliveries — 
companies generally have 3 key solutions to go forward with. They 
are:
•Local Couriers Service Providers
Local courier services are often smaller businesses with a limited 
number of cars and vehicle sizes, therefore the size of the item to be 
delivered may be a determining factor.
And when demand grows, few businesses have the ability to scale. 
As a result, you’ll frequently need to collaborate with various delivery 
service providers, which adds to the administrative burden and makes 
it difficult to maintain a uniform delivery experience.
•Dropshipping Possibilities
Dropshipping is a business strategy in which a merchant collects 
customer orders and distributes them to a manufacturer, wholesaler, 
or organization that handles the shipping.
Merchants may add items from prominent marketplaces to their online 
shop, route orders, and track deliveries to end consumers made by 
product sellers using platforms that support drop shipping operations.
•Using Crowdsourced Deliveries
Crowd-sourced delivery markets, a relatively new product in recent 
years, are transforming the delivery scene. These services are highly 
creative, allowing for on-demand, variable-cost delivery.
These organizations can simply expand and bend to suit your clients’ 
demands because they don’t own vehicles. 
Wrapping Up
As you can see, a reliable last-mile delivery system may significantly 
improve your productivity and delivery experience.
We’ve been assisting shops all around the world in increasing delivery 
efficiency by optimizing their last-mile operations. Get in touch with 
us to learn how we can improve your last mile.