Delivery-oriented businesses invest in last-mile automation for the same reason – to achieve a more efficient delivery management system. There are a lot of factors to consider in delivery logistics to ensure a smooth flow of goods including picking up the parcels from inventory, warehouse capacities, depot locations, and location tracking of delivery vehicles. But all the efficiency gains you get from optimising these crucial elements of your delivery process will be all for nothing if your last-mile delivery is left out. NowGo is the future of last-mile delivery – the technology uses data points such as driver efficiencies, vehicle efficiencies, traffic, and volume forecasts to model the system to enable more efficient automated decision-making.

Some companies that still believe in paper-based delivery systems try to improve their last-mile operations without resorting to last-mile automation. The success rates of these strategies however are low, because manual last-mile processes are prone to a gamut of problems such as errors in data entry, inefficient use of resources such as fuel and manpower, inaccuracies in delivery locations, and many more. Last-mile delivery automation should be the goal of any delivery-oriented business that aims to future-proof its organisation.

What is last-mile automation?

Last-mile automation uses technology solutions to facilitate the delivery operations involved in the last leg of a delivery process. Last-mile delivery is when the parcel is finally being delivered to the customer. Because of last-mile problems – like miles of distance between every drop-off point with low drop sizes in rural delivery areas and traffic congestion in urban delivery areas – last-mile operation is usually the most time-consuming and cost-incurring of all the legs in delivery and fleet management. It comprises more than 50% of the total shipping cost, so it makes sense that optimising it will enable businesses to boost productivity.

The NowGo app is designed by Premonition with functions of network modelling to model the real world as precisely as possible. Through machine learning, the routing algorithms in the app are provided with bigger sets of information that are valuable in making more effective data-based decisions. The app also provides company delivery managers with visibility and flexible control over their fleets to make changes up until the package reaches the customer in the last-mile delivery.

How does automation help in last-mile logistics?

Last-mile automation can streamline last-mile logistics tremendously to provide businesses with benefits – such as saving on labour, carrying out processes faster, and improving overall customer service – to enable them to stay competitive in their industry. End-to-end automation helps last-mile logistics in these ways:

Reduce costly errors
Manual practices in data recording and delivery tracking systems make a delivery process susceptible to errors that will not only cause the process to lag but incur expensive costs as well. Automation streamlines such processes to minimise human intervention, paving the way for more error-free outcomes. NowGo is fully featured with fast scanning, electronic proof of delivery, and offline mode to reduce the possibility of incurring costly errors.

Improve driver and customer experience
Without last-mile automation, drivers will have to plan their routes manually, and route tracking for managers is time-consuming too. Automated last-mile deliveries save drivers valuable time as they can easily choose the fastest and most cost-efficient routes to take. It also allows customers to track their orders, resulting in better satisfaction and reduced support costs. NowGo has an intuitive interface that enhances both driver and customer experiences.

Enable easy data access
The top-level management of companies will find the data provided by last-mile automation useful in making strategic decisions. Using such information, they can predict demand and other essential factors needed in decision-making. Not only is NowGo able to store raw data, even during the offline mode, but it converts them into easy-to-read reports that support managers in making statistics-backed decisions for their organisations.

How to automate last-mile logistics?

There are three key areas in last-mile automation that, when prioritised, can positively impact an entire delivery process:

Delivery routing
When routing is automated, efficient routes are automatically calculated to dispatch the most ideal drivers for those routes based on their availability and location. Automated routing optimises costs, reduces human effort, and improves warehousing performance. NowGo has route automation functions.

Customer communications
Sending notifications to customers that their parcels are out for delivery is an automated feature of last-mile delivery that can significantly enhance customer experience. It can also increase the chances that customers will wait for their orders at home to eliminate additional costs incurred in second and third delivery attempts. NowGo allows customers to track their packages, and in the future they may be enabled to provide feedback through the app for better customer satisfaction. Because end users can access parcel delivery information by themselves, customer support demand and costs are reduced. End users will be notified via SMS and email for delivery updates such as whether the parcel has been picked up, is on its way to the delivery destination, or is still lined up for the next delivery.

Electronic proof of delivery
Acquiring signatures on paper from customers upon receipt of their package is one of the most time-consuming processes in last-mile deliveries. When proof of deliveries can be taken and recorded through electronic means, the process can be much faster and more convenient for both parties. Drivers can take photos and e-signatures using the NowGo app to enable electronic proofs of delivery.

NowGo integrates sophisticated real-time optimisation into the daily operations of last-mile fleets – where over 50% of complexities and costs exist – to reduce delivery times and costs and ultimately enable businesses to deliver up to 23% more than their daily average. It can be configured to seamlessly suit your business regardless of its nature and industry too such as our white-labelling solutions for delivery tracking where we customise the colours, logos, and features of the app to match your company’s or customers’ branding. We can also customise notifications for your customer retailers like the volume of notifications sent to their customers on behalf of them.

Invest in efficient last-mile automation with NowGo and experience an optimised delivery management system unlike anything before. It can be integrated easily into your existing system for a seamless transition to more efficient delivery processes.

NowGo Driver App

Route Optimisation - Realtime optimisation of delivery runs at your fingertips

Easy to use - intuitive interface designed for safety and simplicity that anyone, regardless of experience, can use

Offline mode - continue working despite loss of connection and never lose any data

Workflows - highly configurable to suit different types of delivery fleets and industries

Electronic Proof Of Delivery - capture PODs using signature and multiple photos

Last-Mile Automation

What is last-mile automation?

How does automation help in last-mile logistics?

How to automate last-mile logistics?

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