Simplified Scheduled Deliveries with Delivery Software

December 5, 2023

Scheduled deliveries have become the talk of the town since on-demand delivery services were a big failure. Scheduled delivery software allows customers to place their orders and select a preferred date and time for delivery from the checkout page.

Did you know? According to an Online Shopping Experience Study by comScore, “24 percent of online shoppers will abandon their purchase if the site doesn’t indicate a delivery date.”

How is scheduled delivery service a win-win for both customers and businesses?

Customers can select a time and date for delivery of their orders based on the slots that the business has defined. This way, customers know a specific time slot for the arrival of their order and do not have to wait for the entire day. This also gives businesses enough time to pack and ship the order on time, which increases customer satisfaction. Businesses can collect all orders and send them out for delivery in bulk, reducing the logistical cost as compared to rapid-delivery services.

As businesses have started shifting to on-demand, it is crucial to understand that scheduled delivery is not as simple as it might seem. There are certain challenges that, if not dealt with properly, can lead to inefficient deliveries.

Ways to streamline scheduled delivery services

Route-optimisation software

Route optimisation is one of the crucial features you should look for in software, without which the overall headcount of the delivery can rise rapidly. Defining schedules and drivers for a particular route is the first step to optimising deliveries. As the order is placed, it is automatically assigned to the driver to whom the route has been allotted. The drivers can check the route on the driver application and make deliveries. As a share of the total cost of shipping, last-mile delivery costs are substantial—comprising 53% overall. Auto-route optimisation is a feature of the software that automatically creates the most suitable delivery path, which is short and allows drivers to deliver the orders on time, reducing delivery turnaround time and cutting fuel costs. Cutting fuel costs helps reduce the carbon footprint. Route optimisation ensures OTD (on-time delivery), which increases CSAT. Businesses can track vehicles and drivers during deliveries to check their efficiency.

Order management software

Efficient order management ensures OTIF (On-time, In Full) delivery while allowing customers ease in modifying their orders before the cut-off time. This increases the customer experience and also helps businesses with the seamless processing of orders. Customers can select the pre-defined delivery window of their choice using order management software. Customers use mobile interfaces to make orders. The business manager can create as many schedules as he prefers. The order management system can help increase order fulfilment accuracy and customer satisfaction scores. 93% of satisfied customers are likely to make repeat purchases from companies that offer excellent customer service.

Stock management software

Stock management can be a tedious job when the number of pre-defined schedules is high. A business manager needs to keep up with stock without being overstocked. Stock management software gives a detailed stock report about stock available, required and additional stock that needs to be collected. Businesses can use past stock reports to study and analyse future demand and order accordingly. According to a study by Zebra Retail, “Reducing stock-outs and overstocks can lower your overall inventory costs by 10 per cent.”

Telematics software

Telematics is the term used to describe the use of communication and IT to transmit, store and receive data. Telematics software allows businesses and customers to get data on their orders, like ETAs, and track the order. It also allows customers to directly contact delivery drivers in case of a delayed delivery or changes to the order. Effective telematics can increase your CSS (Customer Service Satisfaction). According to Comm100, “Millennials prefer live chat for customer service over every other communication channel.”

Used Case

GoPuff has tweaked its approach towards its 10-minute delivery and has allowed customers to schedule their deliveries. Customers can place and schedule their orders when the GoPuff marketplace is closed and they are delivered as soon as it opens. Customers can also place an order for a specific date and time. Customers can schedule an order in advance for a specific date and time or arrange for an order to be picked up where Gopuff offers retail and in-store shopping.

There are many software platforms available to operate scheduled delivery services. However, there are a few that offer an integrated solution specifically for scheduled delivery services. Trakop is an integrated SaaS platform for scheduled delivery businesses like grocery, dairy, bottled water, and cloth diaper delivery. Talk to our team of experts if you are looking for any scheduled delivery-related advice or software to automate your scheduled delivery business.

Hope You Enjoyed the Read!

ravi garg, trakop, founder signature image

Ravi Garg Founder & CEO

He loves to explore. His passion for helping delivery industries in all aspects flows through in the vision he has. In addition to providing smart solution to make delivery process flawless, Ravi also likes to write sometimes to make it easier for people from business industry looking for digital solutions.