How Last-Mile Delivery Tracking Enables Efficient and Reliable Deliveries

A recent survey asked, "What is your top business priority over the next five years?" 

45% of the respondents said "customer experience."

Gone are the days when customers patiently waited a week or more for items they ordered. These days, they want to receive them yesterday. These taxing expectations are challenging for companies to meet. If customers aren't happy with the delivery experience, you may lose their business.

A last-mile delivery tracking system addresses this potentially revenue-busting issue.

Does your company want to find ways to shorten delivery times and improve your customer experience? Then read on to learn more about last-mile delivery tracking and how it can help.

What is last-mile delivery tracking?

Last-mile delivery tracking allows customers to follow their package in real time for the last "mile" of its journey. Customers can follow along on a mobile app or a unique, personalized link to stay informed of the package’s progress. 

This process gives the customer valuable visibility about their delivery status, including the estimated delivery date and time. It also proactively informs them of snags that may cause delays, which can help diffuse potential customer frustration and give them a more positive experience.

Why is last-mile delivery tracking important?

Did you know that 96% of people track deliveries after ordering online — and 43% check daily until their order arrives? 

Last-mile delivery tracking is no longer a luxury offered by only the most exclusive brands. It's a basic ecommerce expectation of the modern world. The data cited above sends a clear message: Customers want and expect last-mile delivery tracking. 

But beyond being a make-it-or-break-it factor for the customer experience, last-mile delivery tracking offers several other advantages for businesses which we'll explore in the sections below.

Providing delivery visibility and transparency

For customers, not knowing where your order is or when it may arrive can be frustrating. Maybe they ordered something valuable and must sign for it in person. Or perhaps they ordered perishable goods and need to intercept them quickly so they don't spoil. 

Last-mile delivery tracking mitigates this issue. It allows customers to see their order’s movements in real time until it reaches its final destination. No one likes to feel left in the dark, and an informed customer is more likely to be a happy customer.

Meeting customer expectations

A big part of the customer experience is the product delivery. When a customer places an order to be delivered, they want to be able to believe it will get there when promised. However, it's difficult to manage deliveries, especially during seasonal increases and holiday rushes. 

A last-mile delivery tracking system reassures them that’s going to happen. With notifications and other readily available tracking information, the customer can feel secure that their package will arrive as expected.

Creating security and reliability

Without last-mile delivery tracking, customers don’t feel like they have any control over the process. They can’t see where their order is, when it will arrive, or if there are holdups. Seeing a tracking status and following their order helps them feel more in control and offers some peace of mind. They also know who to contact if the delivery is delayed or never arrives. 

How last-mile delivery tracking works

It’s especially important for any company that makes deliveries to understand what last-mile delivery tracking is and how it works.

The basis is a technology platform that manages, tracks, and delivers products. These deliveries can be made between store-to-customer, store-to-store, or store-to-warehouse.

Let’s look at some relevant use cases to understand the process better.

Restaurants

Single mom-and-pop eateries, huge chain restaurants, and catering companies can use last-mile delivery tracking to serve their customers and make money. By using automation to find delivery drivers, they can widen their delivery reach, cut down on delivery times, and decrease the cost per delivery.

Grocery stores

Being able to manage every order from a single location is one of the best reasons grocers turn to last-mile delivery tracking. Deliver on-demand or scheduled grocery orders, or even catering, with same-day delivery using the lowest cost or most  reliable delivery provider.

Marketplaces

Online marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon, and eBay must offer customers delivery options that fit their needs. Last-mile delivery tracking makes creating a customer-centric supply chain a simple task. Shipment tracking, accessing driver routes, and providing proof of delivery photos make ordering headache-free.

Meal kits are another service where tracking is critical. Nobody wants their meals for the week left sitting outside for hours at a time, and even though meal deliveries typically come with ice packs, perishable items can spoil quickly once the ice melts. With last-mile delivery tracking on meal kits, customers can keep an eye on their order and make arrangements to intercept their meal kits soon after they’re delivered.

Pharmacies

Getting prescriptions to customers and collecting test samples are two of the many ways pharmacies use a delivery service to their advantage. Finding trustworthy, pharmacy-compliant drivers cuts delivery time and improves customer satisfaction. Plus, last-mile delivery tracking sets up pharmacies to add products to their offerings and serve a larger area than they could by handling it in-house. 

Depending on what type of prescription a customer needs, they may need to be home to sign for it and show an ID to the delivery provider, making pharmacy order tracking especially important.

Retail and ecommerce

Retail and ecommerce is another powerful use case for last-mile delivery tracking. And, while 75% of consumers want same-day shipping, only about half of retailers offer it. Employing last-mile tracking keeps inventory moving and strengthens buyer relationships (which increases your company’s customer lifetime value).

Delivery suppliers

Delivery suppliers, it’s critical to take advantage of tracking technology to manage your deliverables more concisely. Solve complex delivery routes, share a more accurate estimated time of arrival (ETA), and eliminate tracking delays.

Benefits of last-mile delivery tracking for businesses

Whether your customer is two streets away or across the country, last-mile delivery tracking can greatly benefit your company’s operations, customer experience, and revenue. We'll dive into some of the greatest benefits below.

Provides real-time updates throughout the delivery process

Tracking technology that has the functionality to send both your company and your recipient updates takes the unknown factor out of the experience. By sending email, text, or SMS messages to your customer, the process always keeps them in the loop. Even messages communicating snafus ("we’re stuck in traffic") ultimately become a customer support success story.

Improves customer satisfaction and loyalty

The pandemic raised almost every shopper’s expectations, whether they’re buying clothes, tools, groceries, or cheeseburgers. Companies that employ last-mile delivery tracking are better able to meet these demands. Streamlining the delivery process and offering customers real-time information helps increase customer satisfaction. When it’s time to make another purchase, they’ll remember the positive experience and be more likely to work with you again.

Enhances delivery operations and route optimization

On the business side, constant improvement is one of the best ways to stay in business. Finding ways to deliver more efficiently and stamp out waste is a lucrative side benefit of last-mile delivery tracking.

Enables data-driven decision-making

There's power in making data-driven decisions. By keeping the information about every delivery in a single location, companies can analyze it and spot trends and waste. This data provides valuable insight into processes and practices that may need to be slightly tweaked or completely overhauled to perform better.

Reduces costs

Last-mile delivery tracking helps companies grow their bottom line in several ways:

• Customers are more likely to be pleased with the delivery and less likely to return the product. 
• Tracking routes helps find ways to cut out waste. 
• Having a large network of delivery drivers decreases the potential for lost sales due to lengthy ETAs.

Centralizes multiple order sources and activities

Last mile tracking software, if used correctly, can pull in order and delivery information from every source. This functionality ensures operators aren’t forced to track packages across multiple platforms or apps, nor will they have to contact different delivery providers for updates.

How last-mile delivery software like Nash streamlines the delivery process

Deliveries can improve dramatically with last-mile tracking software like Nash:

• Real-time tracking: Track every order regardless of provider-selected route optimization.
• White-labeling: Keep your brand experience consistent by making your tracking links include  your brand assets and promotional copy.
• Customer satisfaction: The customer gets a white-labeled tracking link with the same real-time updates and location tracking that the operator sees.
• Reduced costs: The software saves on dispatching other drivers and provides customer retention with optimized delivery and transparency.
• Centralization: Tracking software can keep all scheduled and active deliveries on a single dashboard and provide tracking updates, regardless of order source (from the website, app, email, or another source).

Transform your last-mile delivery tracking with Nash

Today’s customers expect their packages, dinners, and groceries faster than ever. They want delivery options. They want control over the process. 

The answer? Last mile delivery tracking software. 

It increases visibility at every stage of the delivery and adds proactive communication. Companies instantly elevate their buying experience and create stronger, longer-lasting customer relationships.

Nash is the end-to-end answer for any company prioritizing a seamless delivery experience. With 500+ fleets nationwide across 25,000 cities, we have you covered for timely, smooth customer deliveries. Our software fits seamlessly into your current tech stack to create a cohesive way to manage, track, and integrate same-day delivery into your business model.

Start delivering a better experience to your customers today with Nash.