Last mile delivery is the most difficult part of the supply chain to master, so it’s important for SMB delivery companies to adopt app-based GPS tracking technologies to help streamline operations and drive customer satisfaction.
The last mile is the most critical link between SMBs and customers. It’s that simple. For small delivery businesses, it’s even more essential because the need to build and maintain long-term business relationships is important for business growth.
The irony of the last mile is that even though it’s one of the most important steps in the supply chain, it’s one of the most difficult because there are so many moving parts that must be correctly orchestrated.
Drivers, schedules and routes combined with unpredictable day-to-day factors like road conditions, weather, vehicle/delivery driver performance, missed or cancelled deliveries, the amount of variables plus the amount of deliveries an SMB delivery company is responsible for only compounds the difficulty of the process.
The only constant? People need their packages delivered and the amount of packages they need delivered is growing year-over-year. It’s just not going to slow down anytime soon, which is why SMB delivery companies need to improve operations constantly.
Any weak link in the chain can throw everything else off so there needs to be solutions that help manage and streamline core operations so SMB delivery companies can focus on what matters most: satisfying customers to the point of exceeding expectations, and growing the business. No pressure, right?
That’s why affordable, app-based GPS tracking solutions like B2Field are important to help streamline delivery operations for SMBs. Read the article to learn more about app-based GPS trackers and the benefits and results SMB delivery businesses can expect from them — most notably the peace of mind you get knowing that operations are running smoothly and the fact that you can pinpoint issues as they arise to work toward a solution fast.
The many benefits of GPS tracking
It’s indisputable that it’s important to know exactly what’s happening in the field in real-time if you’re trying to run a successful delivery company. When you have vehicles on the road, it’s vital to be able to set expectations for customers (as it is for the business so you can plan accurately).
App-based GPS tracking tools give SMB delivery companies the accuracy and insight necessary to be in control of the company, whether or not you’re in the office. Here are some important solutions GPS tracking capabilities give to SMB delivery companies.
GPS tracking encourages safe driving
Safe driving does much more than avoid costly fines, accidents, lawsuits, and financial losses that result. Safe driving helps improve your bottom line by saving fuel and avoiding unnecessary vehicle wear and tear brought on by bad or reckless driving, like excessive idling, hard braking, and unnecessarily fast acceleration.
GPS tracking made possible by app-based technologies allow the business to monitor driver safety and monitor driving behaviors so you can set benchmarks and enforce (and even reward) good driving behaviors. B2Field reporting and analytics allows you to drill down on stats related to individual driver efficiency, based on fuel costs, maintenance, average speeds and more.
Ensure employee hours are documented accurately
There should be no dispute between on-the-clock and off-the-clock hours, and GPS tracking makes time-clock accuracy near perfect, especially if your SMB delivery company relies on manual reporting of job hours.
B2Field allows employees to easily clock in and out for the day, and notify dispatchers of break periods in-between. If there’s ever a discrepancy, all the driving information is logged into the system for reporting purposes to be reviewed for accuracy.
GPS tracking helps achieve urgent delivery requests and other same-day challenges
The variables of last mile delivery are many, and with so many moving parts, you can pretty much expect that something to change when you have drivers in the field and customers who might want to change their delivery.
GPS tracking helps you manage a mixed-demand approach to delivery. Your delivery business’s last-minute delivery requests and scheduled delivery requests can be planned by assigning the right orders at the right times to the drivers/resources that make sense based on proximity so you can manage delivery demand with confidence while meeting and exceeding your customer’s expectations.
Gain business visibility and turn it into confidence
With GPS tracking, you can turn real-time field data into the information you need to drive business growth.
Aggregate operations data can be analyzed over any time period you choose to set delivery and operations benchmarks (fuel costs, maintenance, driver’s behavior, etc.), assess productivity (how many deliveries do drivers make per shift?), and plan for peak times and lull times so you can run the business with confidence and make smart business decisions.
Improve the customer experience
Any healthy company is measured by the happiness of its customers and it goes double for SMBs, whose customer success is a great measure of their own success.
It might go without saying, but giving customers the information they need to manage their delivery, while providing them with the delivery options they demand is essential to retain them.
Another reason why GPS tracking is so important. Not only does it give your customers the power to manage their deliveries on their terms, but it takes strain off the business when customers aren’t calling you asking where their deliveries are or when they’re supposed to arrive.
B2Field also offers electronic proof of delivery (ePoD) capabilities via photos, signatures and more so you can track delivery success while keeping customers in the know.
App-based GPS tracking from B2Field
GPS tracking from B2Field offers SMB delivery businesses 360-degree business visibility into operations via live maps so you can gain the optimum productivity needed to grow your delivery business the smart way.
The many benefits of B2Field GPS tracking:
- View real-time vehicle position
- Real-time accuracy within a 15 feet, both indoors and outdoors
- Automatic alerts any time the GPS tracking app is turned off
- Monitor unplanned stops, vehicle speeds, and mileage
- Keep real-time tabs on drivers and equipment
- Prevent unauthorized out-of-area use (geofencing)
- Provide accurate ETAs to customers
- Complete more deliveries in less time
- No costly hardware or configurations — just turn on the app and go
- Reduce fuel consumption and vehicle usage
- Our proprietary energy-saving technology saves device battery
Want to learn more about how B2Field GPS tracking technology can help streamline delivery operations for your SMB delivery business? Visit our website and fill out the form to learn more.
