No one understands time better than an ecommerce shop owner. Time is gold; you want to reduce downtime and make optimal use of business hours. Time is of the essence, too; you want to maintain customer satisfaction by ensuring their orders reach them within schedule.
Booking or managing your own parcel deliveries take away precious time that you could spend focusing on marketing and sales. One solution to that issue is outsourcing last mile delivery to a trusted fulfillment service provider who’ll help you achieve business goals.
Here’s what new business owners and growing online sellers should keep in mind when streamlining operations.
What does “parcel is out for delivery” mean?
Let’s break down the average parcel’s journey before it reaches the doorstep of your customers:
- First-Mile: This is when your chosen courier or logistics service provider picks up the parcel from your factory or warehouse.
- Middle-Mile: This stage involves the sorting and packing of your products to ensure that the right products reach the customer safely.
- Last-Mile: The final lap of the parcel’s journey (a.k.a. the order fulfillment process) is the delivery to your customer’s doorstep.
“Parcel is out for delivery” means that the delivery vehicle has departed from the warehouse or distribution center, and a package is already at the final stretch of the ecommerce fulfillment process. In many cases, it implies that the package will arrive at the destination within the day.
The concept sounds straightforward enough, but many challenges in last mile delivery could still prevent safe and timely parcel delivery. Some of these include weather conditions, traffic congestion in the city, inaccessibility of remote destinations and failed delivery attempts.
Even though they’re both part of last mile delivery, note that “parcel is out for delivery” isn’t synonymous with “delivered.” “Out for delivery” only means that the package has left the local distribution center and is on the way to the customer’s address. “Delivered” means that the recipient has successfully received the parcel.
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What is last mile delivery?
Last mile delivery is the fourth — and oftentimes the last — step of the standard ecommerce fulfillment process, which typically involves the following:
- Step 1: Securing inventory from manufacturers or distributors
- Step 2: Storing inventory in a warehouse or local fulfillment center
- Step 3: Receiving orders from customers and preparing items for delivery
- Step 4: Shipping products from the warehouse or local distribution center
- Step 5: Processing returns of damaged items or failed deliveries
First-mile and middle-mile delivery fall under the third step. The fifth step is optional — it’s only triggered by complications in last mile delivery fulfillment.
Last mile delivery is all about ensuring that parcels get to their respective destinations in a safe and timely manner. It may be at the tail end of ecommerce fulfillment, but it could also take up a lot of time.
If you’re manually booking or managing your parcel deliveries, it means you’re spending more resources on order fulfillment than necessary. The smart choice would be to outsource last mile delivery to a specialized team. This way, you gain peace of mind knowing your parcels are being handled professionally by a team that prioritizes safety and timeliness.
5 advantages of outsourcing your last mile delivery
Last mile delivery service providers offer cost-effective ecommerce logistics solutions that are scalable based on the size of your business and the volume of your deliveries. They have the technology to automate inventory and provide real-time GPS tracking of your parcels.
Let’s discuss their benefits further.
1. Tap into the experience of last mile delivery specialists
Why spend more time booking, managing and tracking your parcels when you can entrust this job to the experts? By outsourcing last mile delivery services, you’re working with a team that can confidently navigate the challenges and complexities of parcel delivery and ecommerce fulfillment.
2. Gain access to strategically located fulfillment centers
Last mile delivery service providers like Ninja Van have fulfillment centers in strategic locations, ensuring that products are packaged, prepared for shipping and delivered to your customers in the quickest time possible. This also entails safer parcel handling, lower transport costs and shorter delivery time.
3. Maximize the use of advanced logistics technology
Ninja Van has a varied fleet of vehicles that ensure faster shipping even in the most congested cities and remote areas. But more than that, logistics specialists have access to advanced ecommerce fulfillment software platforms that streamline inventory management and provide accurate, real-time tracking.
4. Ensure safe handling and timely delivery of parcels
Local ecommerce fulfillment specialists have a network of delivery riders who have the training and experience to handle your parcels favorably. Armed with real-time tracking technology, they can easily navigate on-ground operations regardless of the volume of deliveries.
5. Boost sales targets and return customers
When you outsource last mile delivery to a team that specializes in it, you’re not just saving on labor, fuel and vehicle maintenance. You’re working with experts who ensure safe and timely parcel delivery. As a result, your business gains the trust of return customers and attracts new ones.
Grow your business faster with Ninja Van’s last mile delivery service
Ninja Van works with thousands of ecommerce sellers across the country and the rest of Southeast Asia. Not only do we have an extensive network of riders; we understand how crucial last-mile delivery is to the ecommerce journey.
Sign up as a VIP Shipper and experience how outsourcing last-mile delivery can streamline your operations. Ninja Van offers on-time parcel pickups, secure parcel handling and quick door-to-door delivery. The results? A positive customer experience and a potential boost of your sales targets.
Have further questions about outsourcing logistics solutions? Talk to us today.
