Automation has truly led to the evolution of the logistics and shipping industry. The advancement of transportation, warehouse monitoring, and tracking technologies facilitates the delivery of goods to customers’ doors. With the increase in e-commerce, business owners must seek innovative ways to distribute increasing product volumes.
Since its creation, the eCommerce business has developed at an incredible rate to reach its current position, which is characterized by a solid market footprint. In the process, certain new problems have evolved in the worldwide landscape of e-commerce shipping. Merchants feel the need to adapt to the current changes to acquire a competitive advantage over their competitors. Most eCommerce merchants today face the challenge of seamlessly streamlining their business operations.
Let us understand the role of automation in the logistics industry and how will it help in transforming the industry altogether.
Challenges faced by the eCommerce Logistics industry
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Slow delivery
According to data from research on the European Union on e-commerce courier markets, 38% of e-commerce buyers are currently unsatisfied with online delivery. Customers are dissatisfied with shipping for a variety of reasons, including unreasonable delivery fees and delays. Statistically, the number of parcels shipped globally has increased by over three million units in the previous three years, and last-mile delivery remains the most difficult aspect of order fulfilment in eCommerce shipping.
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Lack of Synchronicity
It might be difficult for many e-commerce store operators to reconcile the pace of online and offline business expansion. Most business owners struggle to form relationships with local delivery providers or to set up a network of local warehouses to match the speed of offline order fulfilment with a surging online presence.
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There is little to no way to monitor logistics activities
Monitoring statistics is another issue that many local e-commerce enterprises face. At the same time, implementing intelligent tracking systems takes time. That is why, rather than implementing large-scale modifications, e-commerce enterprises persist with outdated but functional technologies.
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No interface between clients & courier partners
To reform the old-fashioned process on a worldwide scale, a fair number of e-commerce enterprises engage in incremental modifications rather than sophisticated interfaces.
As a result,
Most warehouse and supply chain management teams struggle with a lack of communication frameworks.
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Struggles in courier delivery planning
Shipping delays and higher last-mile delivery expenses occur from failing to connect with local delivery providers and organize courier services. Controlling courier staffing resources and timetables, as well as overseeing and planning delivery routes will provide e-commerce shop owners more confidence and assist in setting uniform delivery standards that will benefit every single business operation of a firm.
How Automation Dives in as a Saviour in eCommerce Shipping?
1. Enabling online shoppers to pick up goods at physical stores
The software can connect users to the nearest brick-and-mortar stores thanks to logistical automation. Innovative technology can convey the position of the nearest brand store to save the effort of delivery managers and encourage shoppers to pick up their goods on their own.
2. On-demand delivery
Rather than recruiting and maintaining a fixed delivery workforce regardless of demand changes, an automated system allows firms to collaborate with dozens of part-time delivery managers and reach out to them as the workload increases.
3. Integrating e-commerce businesses with local delivery services
One of the major priorities for e-commerce enterprises should be the ability to compare multiple delivery services and select a company with the most reliable last-mile delivery methods, inexpensive pricing, and trained courier teams.
4. Planning routes for delivery managers and monitoring their performance
A logistics manager can delegate tasks to delivery managers and track their progress using a dedicated portal. By increasing the quantity of data available to the business owner, the supply chain team may more efficiently manage workloads, enhancing employee happiness and retention.
5. Gathering big data and planning deliveries in real-time
Understanding how to collect and analyze big data aids in the optimization of supply chain and warehouse management. Logistics automation can provide managers with a variety of characteristics such as traffic density, weather conditions, cargo kinds transported, fleet size, and so on.
Conclusion
To wrap up, you might have understood how a logistics firm works and how it carries out any eCommerce shipping. Automation has become the need of the hour in today’s world for every business or company no matter how big or small. To tackle the struggles mentioned above in the blog, we have eCommerce Logistics aggregator companies such as NimbusPost that help businesses with the fulfilment process, shipping, and logistics. From handling the procurement of raw materials to shipment, delivery, and even warehousing they are a one-stop destination for all of it. NimbusPost is known for providing multiple courier options to help you choose the right courier partner for your business, thus eliminating all the hassle and struggles that are inevitable in the shipping and logistics industry.
