No one likes to wait. We stand in front of the microwave, tapping our foot while the 30 seconds to warm up a plate goes by. We don’t wait well in traffic. We don’t wait well standing in line at the grocery store. We don’t want to wait for products we buy online – we want them right now.
E-commerce and same-day delivery options are upending standard retail and last-mile delivery segments. Amazon’s Prime product line is spurring a lot of change and innovation across the globe. Delivery to residential customers is one of the fastest growing segments of the last-mile delivery industry, and it can be a very profitable opportunity if your business knows how to take advantage of it.
Supply Chain Dive’s feature article “9 Trends in Last-Mile Delivery” discusses how e-commerce is forcing retailers and carriers to change how they do business. Because the consumer is expecting not just same-day delivery but 1 or 2-hour delivery, companies have to react with speed. As crowdsourcing apps continue to rise in popularity, delivery time window expectations are shrinking. And even though services for short-turnaround deliveries are only available in major metropolitan areas, the concept is spreading and customers are becoming interested all across the country.
Visibility is a key concept these days. Once a consumer orders a product, they want to see where it is throughout the process. Clients who order products online want to see on their mobile device exactly where the product is as it arrives at their door. And at this point consumers don’t seem to be picky about whether their package is delivered by a human, a drone or a robot – they just want it delivered quickly.
As the transportation industry attempts to adapt quickly and effectively to the new expectations, a partner like Datatrac becomes an invaluable resource. Datatrac’s most recent release of the Datatrac Web application allows users to easily use the product on screens of various sizes, including tablets and smartphones. Datatrac’s EDI Redefined initiative features a focus on integration between logistics business systems. Efficiencies are gained and visibility is increased through system-to-system communication and near-real-time updates. With over 250 shippers and over 700 carriers connected to the eTrac platform, your company joins a proven network, becoming a reliable partner for e-commerce. You become the best choice to meet those customer expectations and capitalize on those business opportunities.