Discover and Define 
Design 
Develop 
Test 
Last mile delivery software development is emerging as an ultimate solution for businesses. The drive to boost customer satisfaction, optimize costs, and mitigate manual maneuvers has encouraged the rise of this software. While customers find comfort in the last-mile delivery services, companies are focusing on implementing last-mile delivery models to prevent disappointment.
Businesses across different industries are now more aware of the significance of last-mile delivery software solutions over conventional delivery services. The latter is not enough to perform same-day deliveries and provides various other advantages such as contactless deliveries, hyperlocal deliveries, modification in delivery slots, etc.
Therefore, entrepreneurs are willing to invest in advanced last mile software development services. This software makes it easier to balance customer experience and operational costs. The best part about the software is that it doesn’t make you compromise on efficiency.
Is the plan to develop last-mile delivery management software in your mind? Read on to know everything about the software and its functions.
Table of Contents
What is Last Mile Delivery Software, and How It Works?
Last mile delivery is the finishing line in a delivery process wherein orders are delivered from a pickup station to the destination, aka the customer’s address. Last mile delivery software refers to a tool that helps dispatchers follow their last-mile delivery process.
Last mile delivery management software uses various components such as advanced dispatching, route optimization, customer updates, and proof of delivery. With a host of delivery-related functions in a single tool, you can level up your delivery services and keep in touch with your customers regarding the status of their order deliveries.
Dispatchers and drivers commonly use last mile delivery software for fuss-free communication and efficient delivery to their customers. This software sounds a lot like typical courier software in many ways. However, it is quite different from that. While last-mile delivery software is dedicated solely to the delivery process, the courier software focuses on back-office operations concerning receipt and delivery.
Last mile delivery software is often implemented in supply chain and logistics departments at businesses that manage delivery orders daily. Final mile delivery software is implemented alongside other supply chain and logistics software, such as supply chain planning software.
Key Features of Last Mile Delivery Management Software
Features play a pivotal role in directing your software toward success. The functions and options you’re offering your customers using LMD management software signify the ease you bring to them.
It is imperative to consult the best last-mile software development company to dig more into the software’s features and other functional aspects.
Some features are essential for your software, and some don’t go with your plan or add value. We have listed the core features of last-mile delivery software solutions that can help you understand what to include in your project.
Smart Order Allocation
Last mile delivery software uses a variety of factors, including size, weight, and product type, to carry out smart order allocation. The tool considers the delivery location of customers. These factors help the software segregate the order and identify the right vehicle.
Auto-Dispatch
The auto-dispatch function is one of the essential features of last-mile delivery software. This feature ensures that a vehicle’s capacity is being utilized to its best. Moreover, it automatically assigns the task to the suitable driver by considering factors like his driving history, experience, etc.
Automated Route Planning and Optimization
Automated route planning and optimization is a core feature during the last-mile delivery software development process. This feature eases the method of planning and optimizing the routes, which helps minimize driving hours and deliver more daily orders.
Real-Time Tracking
The real-time tracking feature is another core function that backs both the consignors and consignees. It enables them to keep tabs on orders in real-time. Both get immediate updates about the latest status of the consignment. It thus contributes to minimizing the need for making calls to the customer support center. On top of that, it boosts customer satisfaction.
Driver Management
When you have last mile software, you can make sure that your drivers can manage their trips and obtain information about customers’ delivery requirements. They can also check the consignments that are on priority and use the preferred time and slot of the delivery. Moreover, drivers can use the software to get instant updates if a customer reschedules the delivery.
Increased Customer Visibility
It is one of the incredible features of LMD software solutions. The end-customer visibility feature lets customers stay informed about their orders’ status. In addition, it also helps them pinpoint the location of their address, reschedule the delivery, and make whatever changes they need. This feature makes things easier on the end and rewards you with customer satisfaction.
Customer Feedback
Customer feedback can change the way you create business strategies. Obtaining customer feedback helps you make necessary changes to improve the processes and operations of your organization. Using the last-mile delivery software, you can achieve more agility and work on your delivery operations to meet your customers’ expectations.
Route Planning
Route planning is one of the essential features of last mile software to consider as you start with LMD software development. This feature lets you determine the fuel-efficient routes to the destination. You can count on an automated route planner for analyzing different aspects, including traffic congestion, road conditions, and vehicle status.
Read More: Top 5 Route Optimization Software For 2022
Proof of Delivery
Proof of delivery is a feature that prevents misunderstandings or any hassle regarding the order in the future. Electronic proof of delivery could be images of the product, timestamps, in-app signatures, or geo-coordinates, which are helpful in managing client complaints of missed deliveries or any other delivery-related issues.
Delivery Rescheduling
The delivery rescheduling feature plays an important role in managing customer expectations. Customers expect the option and ease to cancel their order or reschedule it whenever they have to. This feature simplifies things for your customers and helps strengthen your relationship with them. However, it might not be favorable for your drivers and delivery services because they must make delivery schedule changes.
Data and Insights
Data is easily the most critical aspect you can use to up the game. It helps you make smarter decisions by providing you with valuable insights. The last mile software can help you generate critical metrics such as service time, success rates, feedback scores, and more, which boosts the overall previous mile delivery management.
Read More: Custom Software Development – A Comprehensive Guide
Benefits of a Last Mile Delivery Management System
Get Real-time Updates About Drivers
One of the most significant benefits of using a delivery management system is that it allows you to keep tabs on the information about your drivers in real-time. With last mile software, you can easily access the location of your drivers and customers by integrating an advanced GPS. You can then locate any potential challenges in your delivery management and devise a plan to address them.
Boost Customer Retention
Achieving a higher customer retention rate is one of the crucial and challenging goals in a delivery management business. In a competitive market today, there’s always a quest to keep up the pace and engage customers using new strategies.
You can use a last-mile delivery management system to implement required changes and make the delivery process effective. When you complete a delivery quickly, it is one of the best checkpoints to bring customer satisfaction. It helps establish a loyal relationship between your business and your customers.
Cost-Effective Rewards in Future
When your business operations begin work in an automated fashion, you can stop planning to hire more employees to perform the tasks. The investment of effort and money you make in last-mile delivery software development saves a significant amount of manual workload.
The software performs a lot of tasks in an automated way and thus requires no human intervention. First, it saves you a lot of time, making things efficient and incredibly smooth. Then, it prevents hiring more resources, ultimately saving the cost in the long run.
Easy Tracking
When you have a fully integrated last mile delivery management system, you can get real-time updates on deliveries. There are times when deliveries get delayed for various possible reasons. This software solution automates the consignment to a corresponding driver, making things pretty simple and quick.
Effective Communication
Last mile delivery management software collects data and uses orders to proceed further. Once you have the needed information, it is entered into the database and distributed to the drivers. It eliminates the scope for any confusion among drivers. They can easily determine where they have to deliver the order.
Moreover, it enables you to keep tabs on the processes to stay up-to-date on an order’s progress. Every member of the team can get real-time information. Whenever there are changes or delays, the software keeps everyone informed.
Last Mile Delivery Software Development Process
Once you’ve understood how your business can reap benefits from delivery solutions, it is time to ask – how to develop final mile software. Your company might have different needs and goals, which have a lot to say in how you proceed with your plan. Thus, it is ideal to take a hand from last-mile delivery software development services to ideate the project and create a detailed strategy to implement the solution.
On the surface, you will be following this step-by-step process to develop a final mile delivery software solution:
Discover and Define
Before anything else, it is crucial to understand why you need specific software for your business. Create a blueprint of all the software’s details, features, and tech aspects that will be useful to you.
Design
The design will play an important role in the usability of your software. The design aspect of your software will determine how easy it is for the users to navigate the solution.
Develop
After you have a detailed plan for how to go about the final mile of software development, it is finally time to develop it. Last mile software developers need to define the tech stack with this solution.
Test
Testing is a critical stage in the software development process. Quality analysts perform comprehensive testing of every aspect of the software. This practice is implemented to find and fix bugs and glitches if any.
Get Started with Last Mile Delivery Software Development
Today, many companies involved in transportation operations are embracing digital transformation to carry out deliveries. Businesses are utilizing the power of cutting-edge technology to develop final mile delivery software solutions and make their delivery operations autonomous.
With final mile delivery software development, you not only get an automated way of doing the work but also reap many other advantages such as reduced fuel consumption and less distance traveled. Final mile delivery software development is also a gateway to minimizing paper usage, removing vehicle idleness, and reducing empty miles. These advantages together bring a good way to mitigate carbon emissions.
We at Matellio help businesses implement enterprise software solutions to transform their operations digitally. With cutting-edge technology and a custom approach based on the goals and needs of a company, our team of engineers develops robust tools. If you’re planning to create last mile software that aligns with your operational needs, schedule a call to discuss the idea, and our experts will be there to help you.
