How can you improve last mile delivery success for all of your parcels?

Have you ever experienced an online purchase not turning up?

If the answer is yes then you are not alone. Research launched recently found that 3.6 million Internet shoppers in the UK have had a delivery go missing in the past 12 months, while over 18 million have had a parcel lost in the last five years. The research commissioned by Direct Line Home Insurance estimates that these missing or undelivered packages equate to £250 million of retail sales.

With the last mile delivery service itself now such a critical part of what differentiates one retail brand from another, getting it right is vital. Retailers must ensure they are meeting the expectations of the consumer by offering an order fulfilment solution with convenience, choice and certainty. This will not only enhance the overall shopping experience, but also help avoid the damage that occurs to their reputation when deliveries do go wrong.

Here are five ways that you can use a last mile delivery system to make sure your parcels arrive reliably and on-time:

1. Put the customer in control of their own delivery window

First things first, if the customer chooses their own delivery date at the point of purchase, they are more likely to think about the time window that is convenient to them, or another member of the household. The basics of an efficient home delivery operation perhaps but putting the customer in control of their own delivery window increases first time success.

Regular communication from the point of order all the way through the order fulfilment lifecycle also increases the chance of the customer either being in as planned, or updating their preferred delivery slot before the parcel is loaded onto the delivery vehicle.

How does this reduce the risk of parcels getting lost? When a customer changes their time window on the day of delivery, the parcel is already in transit. The driver can try and deliver later in the day – either because the drop has been rescheduled, or using his/her own initiative – but it’s not always possible. Then the parcel will need to return to the depot so that the delivery can be rescheduled, or delivered to a collection point for the customer to pick up themselves. Both options introduce an additional stage to the delivery process which increases the risk of the parcel going missing.

2. Track all items in an order and get better visibility before they even leave the warehouse

Deliveries can go wrong before parcels have even left the warehouse. An effective tracking system provides your organisation with complete visibility of consignment movements prior to dispatch.

For example, Paragon HDX has the ability to manage the consolidation of products from different stock sources and produce a single consignment for final loading and dispatch to help avoid issues. Scanning all items at every stage through a warehouse and delivery network will make it less likely for anything to go astray and make sure orders are delivered in full.

3. Keep control, even when you’re not making the last mile delivery

The ability to track items throughout the entire delivery lifecycle results in up-to-date information about all of your inventory, all of the time. However, if you use third-party delivery partners, visibility can quickly disappear once you hand over your goods to the courier.

A last mile delivery system like Paragon HDX removes blind spots in the delivery process by allowing you to consistently track the delivery at an individual item level all the way to the consumer’s door, and back again if returned. It is simple to use and integrates with a number of different carrier systems.

4. Maximise first time delivery with customer communication to reduce risk

By ensuring deliveries are made first time, every time, retailers can protect against many of the causes of lost packages. The Direct Line research tells us that items are more likely to be misplaced or stolen if delivered to neighbours or left in a “safe” place. Engaging with the customer to agree an appropriate time and date as well, as ensure someone is at home when the delivery arrives, can reduce the risk.

Paragon HDX keeps customers up to date with regular, automated notifications and even lets them self-serve. Allowing the customer to make changes to their delivery schedule or re-book any delivery failures puts them firmly in control of choosing a convenient time. It also reduces inbound call volumes into your customer services teams.

5. Prevent packages being lost after a failed delivery

One of the main reasons for lost or misplaced parcels is that items end up being left around in vehicles or warehouses after a failed delivery having been incorrectly reinstated into the fulfilment process. The package gets lost in that “blindspot” we talked about earlier and is no longer available when the intended recipient tries to rearrange delivery, so the purchase either has to be reordered or refunded.

Paragon HDX provides visibility of packages at every step of the delivery process and enables you to keep track of successful collections, failed deliveries and unplanned parcel returns. Why not get in touch to find out how Paragon HDX can help you track parcels all the way through your order fulfilment process.