Keeping the Last Mile In Sight

When customers order an item, they want it delivered now. Retailers realize this, but they also have to keep costs in mind.

A study FarEye conducted with Researchscape International finds that retailers with more than $100 million in sales seek to improve the top key performance indicators of on-time delivery (74%) and cost per delivery (62%). But as supply chain complexities increase, on-time deliveries become more challenging.

To help solve this issue, many retailers outsource their delivery networks, but this comes with its own set of problems. For example, the initial report findings show that 84% of retailers that have outsourced their delivery networks now want more control over those networks. Visibility is the biggest reason why; 33% of retailers say accessing reliable information is a challenge.

To address these shortcomings, 77% of logistics providers say they expect to expand their budgets for last-mile delivery technology, and 82% say they will likely change or buy a new last-mile delivery solution in the next one to two years.

To enable more efficient, cutting-edge deliveries and lower costs, logistics providers are also evaluating electric vehicles (80%), autonomous vehicles (44%), and drones (38%).