Delivery services haven’t changed much over the past few decades. Except for upgrades in the ability to place an order, payment options, and vehicles, not much has changed with delivery services. Often, this wouldn’t be a problem, seeing how various services have yet to change after operating for decades. However, delivery services have to change because of the need to adjust to current times and growing demand. Luckily, companies have now identified innovation and emerging needs for delivery services.
The emerging delivery model is smart because it focuses on the most critical components such as software apps, customer experience, revenue generation, etc. and interestingly, the idea has spread beyond the realms of delivering goods.
A clear proof of tech-based innovation in delivery is the emerging instructional delivery technologies in response to the new generation wanting changes in everything. They want changes in everything e.g., from how they receive their online orders to how you teach them in the classroom. Even the emerging models of healthcare delivery show the ever-changing demands of the people.
Now, you may be wondering what these emerging needs may be. We are about to tell you about why delivery services need to improve today and the innovations that can help satisfy customers.
An Emerging Need for Delivery Services
Delivery services are a lot more than your average pizza delivery, which contrary to popular belief. In simple words, delivery services are the courier services that transfer your goods from one city to the other. Alternatively, they can be new and intuitive ways that someone receives their goods either through air, road, or sea.
So, other than the undeniable need for innovation, hospitals and other businesses could use new and improved delivery services. Further, they can satisfy more customers and keep up with emerging markets online. In other words, here are a few of the essential needs that new delivery services will have to satisfy. Also, take a look at the technologies they must have to do so.
The Needs That Delivery Services Have to Meet
Delivery Services In a Time Of Crises
The US (United States) has been subject to some of the strongest storms and natural disasters of the decade for the past few years. Unfortunately, flooding, cyclones, forest fires, and earthquakes have been frequent in the US, and as a result, firefighters and first responders are at much higher risk. However, it doesn’t have to be this way because the distressed people have to receive help on time. Also, rescuers can use some innovative delivery systems to know what exactly these people need.
They can probably use drones to deliver vital food supplies to people because these people cannot reach them otherwise. However, the technology will need important because even drones cannot fly in extreme weather conditions, but using them will save some human lives. Moreover, crisis management teams can also make use of various automated vehicles to minimize the sizeable risk to rescuers.
A Safer and Greener Earth
Climate change has become a major focal point of many people, even though these people wouldn’t be worried about something as such. Even corporate entities are now making earth-friendly efforts because of the rising temperatures and sea levels. And since most deliveries will require a car or a bike to deliver goods, companies are eager to shift to a greener form of transport. But, with battery cars yet to hit the mainstream, drones and other automated machines will have to do for now whereas the available means will continue to improve.
As of 2018, there is a raising need for green forms of shipping, and nothing quite fills that bill like a drone. Of course, a drone cannot carry items heavy items, but it is a good start. Customers who order small items are making a good effort because they are helping keep the earth clean.
Helping Small Businesses
Small businesses often have a very rough schedule as it is. Not only do they have to meet the needs of their customers, but they have to stay stocked as well. Also, keeping track of all of your raw materials can be a very tiresome task. Nonetheless, it is something that can be made a lot easier with the help of more advanced shipping methods.
First of all, small restaurants will have a significant advantage because they will use improved delivery services. Secondly, large companies like Amazon will be able to change suppliers because they will have alternatives available. As a result, they can refill their stocks as soon as they run out of it.
Massive Pool of Customers
Millions of people use Amazon alone, and even Amazon’s staff referred to the issues in keeping up with the orders. Also, Amazon operates in many different countries, serving millions of people all around the world. Therefore, it makes sense for them to try to find new ways to get products to customers.
However, the people’s craze of ordering and buying things isn’t only limited to Amazon. Of course, almost every company, retailer, florist, restaurant owner, and even the service provider has moved to the online market. Emerging markets online are making a very compelling case for people to shift to using online markets completely. For that reason, online shipping is rising in popularity at fast rates side by side with improving shipping methods.
Innovations for Delivery Services
Let’s take a look at the most notable emerging developments in the delivery services industry.
Just-In-Time (JIT) Delivery
One of the popular concepts when you talk about innovations and emerging needs for delivery services is JIT.
Just-In-Time (JIT) originally refers to a production process. It is a process in which the company does not store its raw materials in a warehouse because it aligns its orders with its production cycle. As a result, it allows for less waste and improved outcomes.
On the other hand, Just-In-Time delivery is the same as its production counterparts with a few small differences.
What is JIT Delivery?
The rise in on-demand courier services is visible today, and companies have now come to the realization that the delivery of goods can be more than a substantial substitute for personal trips thanks to the improved technology. A trend has risen as a result wherein companies like Walmart and Amazon can transport objects to a customer’s house without having to store it.
JIT (Just-in-Time) saves costs for companies because they produce only what customers need. Likewise, no production takes place if the customer does not place the order. However, production companies have to predict everything aptly for the success of this model. Unfortunately, such prediction requires a modern setup with big data at the core of things. Consequently, small producers can’t do much to beat the giants in the game because they don’t have the budget to do so.
Examples of JIT (Just-in_Time)
Many suppliers store their goods and send them to customers right away. Subscriptions like dollar shave club, Blue apron, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Prime, Stitch Fix are good examples of JIT (just-in-time). These are all subscription services that more or less make use of the JIT model. Therefore, they save millions of dollars every year.
However, they are still using a traditional form of delivery i.e., cars or bikes when new methods are there. Adopting new tech in these processes can help boost shipment times.
Larger Emphasis On Automation And Drones
If you haven’t been living for the past few years under a rock, you cannot miss how courier companies use drones for shipping. Very famously, UPS released its very first drone that could carry a weight of three to five kilos and could over two times the distance of normal drones. Moreover, Amazon made its first successful drone delivery in March of 2017. With its help, they shipped a sunscreen jar to a conference in palm screen California, which proved to be successful.
How Will Drones and Automation Affect Transportation?
Many companies are now working on properly using drones and other forms of shipping vehicles like self-driving cars. Therefore, it is easy to see that these drones and other vehicles are not going away anytime soon. Moreover, these drones and automated vehicles will factor into the JIT (just-in-time) delivery system because they are fast and cost-effective.
JIT (just-in-time) delivery depends on fast and efficient transportation that can bring goods to customers. Quick delivery, same-day delivery, and one-hour delivery are all factors of the JIT (just-in-time) delivery framework, and automated vehicles and drones will play a significant role in providing these services. But while these companies can deliver the goods as fast as possible, it still doesn’t change how these packages are still at risk of getting stolen. To which Amazon has quite an attractive solution.
In-Home Delivery Systems
While companies are surely making strides on getting goods to you as fast as possible, not all goods can make it to your house on the same day, much less the same hour. Hence, why courier companies are coming up with intuitive ways to send the package and keep it safe from porch thieves. Amazon, however, has come up with a way to deal with porch thieves properly, and that is by introducing the Amazon Key In-Home Kit.
What Is the Key In-Home Kit?
The key in the home kit is an entire package that Amazon offers to its prime customers; which is a smart lock that can keep your house locked but still allows Amazon to make a delivery when you are not at home. Upon choosing the free in-home delivery option when checking out, customers will receive a notification before Amazon delivers their order.
The kit comes with a camera and a scanner, so when the delivery man scans the product on a smart lock, the lock will verify the code and open the camera. After that, it opens the door for the delivery person to place the object in the house and then leave, locking the door behind them. Finally, if Amazon has figured out how to solve the porch thieves’ problem, other companies will soon follow them.
That’s not to say that other companies do not have alternatives to regular deliveries. Various companies offer lockers where they will keep your product, and you can pick them up later.
More Advanced Algorithms
Another great way that companies are going to improve their delivery service is on the software side of things. While most companies are certainly making good use of technology such as automated robots and drones, they will also have to make changes to their algorithms to account for the massive rise of customers migrating to online platforms for all of their goods and services.
Algorithms will help with everything, such as finding the quickest and easiest route to the customer’s location to order fulfilment. These algorithms are vital for the efficient service that these companies try to provide and for a futuristic world. Now, these algorithms will also translate to a very robust system of robots, which can help make the process of getting items from one place or the other all the more seamless. Additionally, these logistics departments and warehouses tend to work at a breakneck pace; that’s why the inclusion of robots might not be such an unusual thing.
More Use of Robots in Warehouses
The modern-day of robotics and automation in the workplace has made workplace jobs and various complicated and demanding tasks much easier. And although many warehouses tend to use robots or small automated machines to help about; robots can be doing so much more. These websites and services require immense speed and efficiency to satisfy a massive well of consumers; which is why robots will become a more common sight in warehouses.
Robots can be programmed to package goods, move about the aisles and to pick items; and can even come in handy in managing the inventory and keeping track items on shelves. Of course, Amazon still makes use of small robots that allows them to move shelves to a different part of the warehouse, or to help to organize all of the shelves. The use of these robots has unsurprisingly brought a great bump in the productivity of the workforce in these warehouses.
Emerging Needs for Delivery Services Will Meet Challenges
Now, these innovations are awe-inspiring. The simple thought of drones flying through the air, making deliveries looks like something straight from a science fiction movie. But these delivery systems are not just for customers who are having a lazy day. These innovations in delivery systems can come in handy in a wide range of situations and occupations. The fact of the matter is, these innovations are incredibly helpful to various institutions and businesses.
It is essential to mention here that switching to the new tech will require a lot of money, which is a challenge in itself. While a change is imminent, it is not needed at the cost of strangling the cash flow. Instead, the change has to be smooth and timely. Similarly, it is must not dent a company budget because small businesses cannot afford that. As a result, customers will have to probably wait because they are usually interacting with small business more than the large ones. However, the realization of innovations and emerging needs for delivery services in the corporate world is visible.
In addition to tech needs, laws and regulations will also affect the change in delivery services because new methods are disruptive. This will probably take some time because of how changes in law work.
Conclusion
In the end, it is important to realize that delivery services are improving right now. Also, they are not in bad shape in any way, but a few things have to improve. While the current methods are fast, they are not efficient. Additionally, they cost companies a lot because of human errors and human involvement. Delivery services have not changed very much over the past few decades in terms of how they operate. Except for a few technical tweaks and some more payment options, nothing has changed about how we receive goods today. But with the help of innovations in delivery services, companies will be able to keep up with the increase in demand.