Is getting the final mile right the key to business success?
Yes it is.
Now this could end up being the shortest blog we’ve ever written but let’s elaborate a little.
The idea of a supply chain is complex. How items get from their source to their destination has many stages, but in your day to day life which part of that supply chain process leaves a lasting impact if you are the end customers?
I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this…It’s the final mile; the process of getting an item, whether it be large or small, to an end customer. It’s often the first, last or only interaction that your customer has with your business so you really do need to get it right.
Have a good final mile process and customers are happy, have a great one and you are onto a winner.
Let’s define the final mile
I appreciate that if you work in distribution we’re probably telling you how to suck an egg here but let’s be clear. In a product’s journey, the final mile is where your product moves from the warehouse shelf or distribution centre to the back of a vehicle, to your customers address. That final destination could be a building or motorway construction site, a retail outlet, restaurant or customer home.
How do we define a good final mile experience
When monitoring your company KPIs you may define a good final mile experience as first time on time delivery success. You might measure it by the cost of your routes, your empty mileage or your fuel consumption. But do you measure customer satisfaction? After all, if customers aren’t happy and don’t order again, your KPI success becomes a little obsolete.
How do we create a great final mile experience
Great customer experience is what can make or break the final mile process. We all demand good delivery service these days, irrespective of whether we have our B2B or B2C hats on. Accurate ETA predictions and notifications, live driver tracking links and real time delivery confirmation, with photos, is becoming the norm. It’s what turns a good service into a great one.
How can we help?
Podfather has been developing and delivering logistics solutions for over 20 years. Our business has grown, we are now a team of almost 50 employees, based in Edinburgh. Our core product offering allows logistics fleet operators to tackle the challenge of planning and managing the final mile delivery experience.
Our solution does many things as standard. It plans and optimizes routes, collects vehicle checks, issues customer ETA notifications, tracks drivers, captures electronic proof of delivery and allows users to report on business performance. Our system has been proven to enhance customer service, improve efficiency and cut costs.
But, aren’t final mile delivery solutions really expensive?
The question we’d ask is not if it’s expensive but whether it’s of value. If you speak to our sales team members they can show you quickly what you are looking at in terms of ROI and we are confident that your Podfather system will pay for itself in a matter of months, if not weeks.
Get in touch with us today
We’d love to have a chance to talk to you about your current final mile challenges. So, give us a call today on tel: +44 (0) 131 553 0400; we look forward to hearing from you.
