Missing packages are a real pain for both customers, who face a loss of time and money, and delivery companies, who will lose the trust and loyalty of their customers if a parcel is lost. That’s why couriers take advantage of every tool available to prevent this, and thanks to the ceaseless march of progress there are a fair few tools at their disposal.
We’ve looked into the technology and techniques delivery companies are using now, as well as future trends predicted by those working in the industry. The new developments include everything from tracking, monitoring, smart grid data, sensors and more.
Package Tracking
Customers have been able to track their packages in a number of ways for a fair few years now. This is often in quite limited ways, though; many retailers offer a fairly rudimentary system that will track if a package is in the hands of carriers yet, and the carriers themselves as well as centralized booking services like My Parcel Delivery can usually provide tracking services at only three or four points in the process, but modern technology allows for more than this.
Smartphones and handheld computers (the kind you may have seen couriers using yourself, or even used to sign for a package) can detect barcodes or QR codes, and many also feature GPS just like many Hyundai cars. So, it is at least possible, if not always practical, to know where a given package is at a given time.
At the moment, while this technology does help deliver on the speed and accuracy that the public demands, it is not yet perfect and industry experts say that some more steps will be necessary to make regularly checking the geolocation software of packages feasible.
One suggestion is the implementation of systems to track all of a shipping company’s depots, and the packages that go through them, so that when a package does drop off the map it can be determined where in the process something went wrong. This is certainly something GoogleX should experiment with.
Sensors
This is a burgeoning technology, not yet as widely used as tracking options or structured cabling, but the capacity exists to allow a device that constantly monitors both a parcel’s location and the conditions around it in order to prevent loss or damage.
This is particularly exciting because it would mean that it may even be possible to retrieve a package that has simply been misplaced with a minimum of fuss, making things easier for delivery companies and customers alike. At the moment the technology in question is proprietary, but still available to any delivery company, so we expect to see its use grow over the next few years.
New Delivery Locations
Customers have expressed a desire for more flexible delivery options in recent years. This has lead to an ever-growing trend towards package lockers and other pickup locations. These new delivery locations allows customers access to their packages 24/7, unlike other freight solutions. They also free customers from worries about package security and privacy. This is a trend you will see more and more delivery companies picking up on in the coming months and years.
Food Delivery Services
Food delivery companies are some of the most popular businesses around according to business data, especially in metropolitan areas. These services make it possible to order food direct to your house without even picking up a phone or speaking to a real person. These food delivery services are most often accessible via mobile app, which is one of the most popular forms of technology right now. If you want to bring new technology to a delivery business, consider creating a mobile app.
Image from http://www.iamwire.com/2016/09/necessity-of-deploying-automation-technology-in-logistics-management/141255