SmartRoutes in 2023
2023 was another big year for SmartRoutes. As the landscape of delivery management continues to evolve, we've remained steadfast in our commitment to innovation and enhancement.
Among the highlights were, being heralded by GoodFirms as the best delivery management software to our participation in pivotal industry events and the announcement of new features.
As we eagerly set our sights on 2024, let's take a look through the milestones, insights, and developments that shaped SmartRoutes in 2023.
Highlights of 2023
In February we published an article on Linkline: How Can Logistics Teams Streamline Delivery Operations?
Article Summary:
With the surge in online shopping, the spotlight is on the final leg of delivery—consumers expect a seamless last-mile experience. Optimal operations bring visibility, accuracy, and scalability to the delivery process.
The repercussions of inefficient operations without technology are substantial:
- Manual route planning leads to errors and wasted fuel.
- Labor-intensive processes incur higher costs.
- Lack of real-time visibility results in delivery issues and customer dissatisfaction.
But there's a remedy: embracing technology. Delivery management apps offer intelligent routing systems that automate planning, customer contact, and tracking, enhancing the entire delivery experience.
Key features to look for in these apps include:
- Automated Route Planning: Cuts costs, optimizes deliveries, and ensures loaded vehicles for profitability.
- Proof of Delivery (POD) Capturing: Offers security, compliance, and easy package tracking for customers.
- Automated Notifications: Keeps customers updated, reduces costs, and minimizes churn.
- Delivery Driver App: Equips drivers with tools for efficient communication and delivery tracking.
In March GoodFirms Endorsed SmartRoutes as the Best Delivery Management Software!
"GoodFirms has ranked SmartRoutes as the best delivery management software company on its platform for offering an extensive and powerful suite of delivery management, route planning, and optimization tools in addition to order management, fleet tracking, and driver app, all under one roof with a user-friendly interface, ingenious functionality, reliable customer support, and flexible yet reasonable pricing." - GoodFirms, 2023
In May, we were thrilled to participate in the Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition held at RDS Dublin. It was an incredible opportunity for networking and delving into a wealth of information.
The event proved to be a goldmine of insights, featuring engaging talks by industry experts that truly inspired and invigorated us. These speakers shared their expertise on pioneering technology, inventive supply chain tactics, and the most recent industry advancements.
In September we attended the FT Future of Retail Summit.
We attended the FT Future of Retail summit in London. The summit provided an immersive experience that offered an unparalleled dive into the core essence of retail transformation.
Set against the backdrop of an industry in constant evolution, this summit was a gateway to understanding the dynamic shifts reshaping the retail landscape. Throughout the summit, industry leaders, innovators, and forward-thinkers congregated, fostering an environment ripe for knowledge exchange and visionary insights.
In November We Hosted our First Webinar!
“Navigating the Retail Revolution” was led by our very own Ryan Toohey and he was joined by our COO, Blake Walsh. Throughout this engaging session, Ryan delved into strategies aimed at elevating workforce and customer satisfaction. He also explored the untapped potential within the reverse logistics market, shedding light on the pivotal role of innovation in today's dynamic business landscape.
Adding to this, Blake unveiled an exclusive sneak peek into SmartRoutes' upcoming product roadmap for the forthcoming quarter and year ahead. This preview hinted at an array of thrilling new features and announcements coming your way very soon!
Some Features Added in 2023
Custom Fields
The "Custom Fields" feature empowers users to generate tailor-made fields, catering precisely to individual business requirements. This allows for the addition of supplementary information related to deliveries, drivers, or customers.
For example, if you need to determine whether assembly assistance is required for a particular delivery, you can set a custom field as follows:
Custom Field Name: Assembly
Field Values: Yes, No
This feature streamlines data entry processes for customized fields, fostering uniformity among team members and ensuring alignment across the board.
Compare Planned vs. Actual Route
The "Compare Planned vs. Actual Route" functionality offers a visual depiction highlighting any deviations from the originally planned route. This feature facilitates the identification of potential areas for enhancement within your delivery process.
To utilize this tool, start by viewing the planned route on the map, represented in its original color. Next, activate the "actual route" layer, which showcases the driven route in orange. This enables a straightforward comparison between the two routes, allowing for easy identification of disparities between them.
Delivery on Time Report
This report provides you with a complete breakdown of all orders that were completed enabling you to see which ones were delivered on time and which faced delays. This can help you identify any trends or recurring patterns in your delivery process that might affect meeting customer expectations.
In addition to providing you with on-time delivery metrics, this report also allows you to view the duration of each stop for every order. This information can help you identify any inefficiencies in your delivery process, such as long wait times or inefficient routes.
Failed Reasons
Understanding the reasons behind failed deliveries is crucial for effective troubleshooting and continuous improvement in logistics operations, which is why we have added the option to customize "Failed Reasons," that appear in your Drivers’ apps. With this functionality, you now have the ability to create customized reasons that drivers can select when a delivery cannot be successfully completed. Reasons such as "No one home," "Recipient refused delivery," or "Incomplete address."
When a driver encounters a situation that results in a failed delivery attempt, they can easily select the appropriate reason from a predefined list on their app. The selected "failed reasons" are captured and recorded in comprehensive reports, providing you with actionable data and valuable insights into the common obstacles your drivers encounter.
Top 3 Blog Posts in 2023
1. How to Measure Delivery Performance: 9 KPIs and Metrics You Should be Measuring
In this blog post, we explore the concept of delivery performance and the factors that can significantly impact it, and provide invaluable insights into nine essential key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that should be diligently measured and tracked:
1. Number of Completed Deliveries
2. Order Accuracy
3. First Attempt Delivery Rate
4. On-Time Delivery
5. Average Time Per Delivery
6. Average Cost Per Delivery
7. Out-Of-Route Miles
8. Vehicle Capacity Utilization
9. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
2. 4 of the Best Phones for Delivery Drivers & How to Choose One
Whether you're a courier or delivery business researching what phones to buy for your drivers, or you're a DPD, Amazon Flex or DoorDash driver that requires a smartphone as part of a ‘bring-your-own-device’ policy, this guide will walk you through what you should be looking for in terms of specifications.
We also take a look at some of the options available to you and give our recommendation for the best Apple and Android phone for delivery drivers at the best price point.
3. How to Streamline your Last Mile Delivery Operations in 2023
Delivery operations involve all of the activities required in delivering orders to a customer. From inventory and warehousing to packing and finally delivering the order to the end customer. Consumers’ expectations are growing when it comes to deliveries making it imperative to get delivery operations running smoothly. In this blog, we take a look at what exactly last mile delivery operations entail and how to improve on what you’re doing by leveraging software to make your delivery operations much more efficient.
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