Delivering festive cheer

The cost-of-living crisis and the pending winter World Cup has made planning and commercial resourcing a more difficult task for e-commerce, merchandising and courier companies in the run up to Christmas.

Spending patterns are less predictable this year with the collision of events almost certainly set to trigger changes in consumer behaviour, including an anticipated increase in spontaneous shopping.

Preparations to meet shifting demand consequently calls for agility and adaptability, with late deliveries of Christmas gifts and World Cup-related products – from TVs to football shirts – risking serious damage to business reputations.

Fleet management technologies, which offer mobile workforce visibility, dynamic scheduling and job dispatch tools, have long held the key to high customer service standards.

By optimising vehicle utilisation and the workflow of delivery logistics, the strain can be taken off time-pressured drivers and resource-stretched fleet departments. Using Webfleet, for example, jobs and orders can be sent with automatic routing information to driver devices, helping them avoid costly congestion.

The most appropriate delivery vehicles can be dispatched, based on who will arrive the quickest, and itineraries can be planned more accurately, with the sequence of deliveries optimised at the touch of a button. Using dedicated connected devices, drivers can also digitally capture customers’ signatures for proof of delivery.

All the while, customers can be kept up to date with automatic email or text notifications, making them aware of ETAs and changes to schedules as they happen.

A NEED FOR INNOVATION

Traditional telematics systems that require vehicle hardware installations, however, can pose a challenge when it comes to managing self-employed contract drivers, recruited ad-hoc.

A simple, flexible solution to tracking activity, managing tasks and communicating with drivers is needed to ensure time-sensitive deliveries are reliably fulfilled.

ON-DEMAND TECHNOLOGY

Dedicated driver terminals, connected to the back office via a pre-installed in-vehicle telematics ‘black box’, have long been the go-to devices for mobile workers.

To help meet the needs of the gig economy, workflow management, tracking and navigation, however, can now be accessed via a standalone mobile application, with swift onboarding and no hardware installation.

The Webfleet Work app enables drivers to use their existing mobile devices and fleets can be set up on short-term contracts. According to James Shivas of Simplicity Group, who was involved in the app’s beta trials, it has “changed the telematics game”.

Drivers can use the app to assign themselves to available vehicles or fleets can assign a vehicle to a specific driver on a fixed basis. When personnel change, existing subscrip­tions can be reused for new vehicles or drivers.

The driver’s work status – work, break or work finished – can be set with a tap of the screen, and the type of trip can be changed from business to private to protect driver privacy when journeys aren’t work-re­lated.

What’s more, by giving drivers the tools they need to better manage deliveries, they are less likely to face unrealistic timetables or to be frustrated by traffic delays. And by improving their working life behind the wheel, businesses will be better placed to call upon their services in the future.

With bad news always spreading faster than good, and a festive season like never before beckoning, a tech solution for delivery efficiency could be your fleet’s most valuable gift.

*Find out more about Webfleet

Published On: 13/10/2022 15:50:00

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