How Modern Transport Companies Ensure Timely Deliveries

Timely delivery is a hot topic that transportation managers in Australia spend much time debating. The world we inhabit may be seamlessly interconnected in theory but in practice, it is a very fragmented place. This fragmentation causes significant issues for modern transport companies as they attempt to meet customers’ expectations for a frictionless online shopping environment with rapid order fulfilment. The question on every transportation professional’s lips today is: “How does a transport company ensure timely delivery?” For the answer, please join us as we explore this topic in depth with our in-house experts.

The Evolution of Consumer Expectations

There are several forces exerting pressure on transport companies to step up their game and provide speedier services across Australia. The largest and most powerful of these forces is the expectation of 21st-century consumers that everything they order online will be delivered almost instantly. Companies selling goods on the Internet need to meet the high expectations of people who have become used to free same-day and one-day delivery services from major retailers and now expect every retail organisation to provide the same services. Whether ordering food, clothing or even furniture, the modern Australian consumer expects delivery to occur within just a day or two, not a week or two.

Key Strategies for On-Time Delivery

There are several effective strategies that Australian companies can adopt in the fight to provide speedier delivery services to consumers across the country:

• Streamline Supply Chains – The more efficient your supply chains are, the faster your deliveries and the happier your customers are. By streamlining every aspect of your supply chains, you can eradicate unnecessary delays that occur before consignments are handed over to your transportation manager or courier firm. Multinational concerns with complex supply chains may also benefit from automating the most common supply chain processes although this is not always the case.

• Optimise Route Planning – With advanced transportation and logistics software, it is possible to optimise delivery routes and reduce lead times across entire product ranges. The latest applications use finely tuned algorithms to identify inefficiencies in route planning and make corresponding adjustments. A thorough analysis of your current routes and route-planning strategies could result in significant improvements to delivery times.

• Utilise Technology That Provides Real-Time Visibility – With GPS chips and tracking software, it is possible to view the location of thousands of consignments in real-time. This live, constantly updated overview of your corporate logistics makes it much easier to spot delivery issues and remedy them before they lead to delays. By sharing this information with your customers, you can also boost satisfaction ratings. When the location of packages can be checked online at any time, consumers are less likely to be bothered by minor delays.

• Cooperation and Communication – The more efficient your communications with logistics partners, the faster and more efficient your delivery service will be. Introducing training programmes designed to encourage greater collaboration and more effective communication between colleagues and business partners can yield meaningful improvements to delivery times and overall customer satisfaction rates. It is also worth fostering closer working relationships with your logistics partners, to ensure that you enjoy a better understanding of each other’s wants, needs, strengths and weaknesses.

If you can implement all the above suggestions, you can expect to see measurable improvements in your delivery times. If you are unsure how to implement these ideas, we suggest consulting a transportation industry expert.

Utilising Multimodal Transportation Systems

In some instances, the introduction of multimodal transportation systems can lead to dramatic improvements in logistics efficiency and delivery times. This is often the case in urban areas although meaningful improvements can be achieved in almost all types of environments. Transportation modes employed in modern multimodal systems may include:

• Air – Interstate consignments often travel by plane until the last few miles of their journey, especially when coast-to-coast journeys are involved. However, heavier items are rarely transported by air, even over long distances, owing to the high costs involved.
• Water – Established waterways are utilised in major cities around the world to combat congestion issues and ensure faster delivery times. However, when compared to transportation usage patterns in past centuries, our waterways are still somewhat underutilised today.
• Land – Although planes and boats are used in multimodal transportation systems across Australia, the majority of deliveries are completed entirely by land. Delivery vans, Utes, and trucks carry a wide variety of goods to businesses and consumers in cities, towns and rural locations.

In some cases, utilising multiple modes of transportation may result in cost savings, as well as a reduction in average delivery times. To determine whether this might be the case for your organisation, an in-depth study will be required. Alternatively, you may wish to consult a transportation professional who specialises in analysing and troubleshooting corporate logistics issues.

Prioritising Supplier Relationships

For manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers alike, supplier relationships are extremely important as far as delivery times are concerned. If you cannot rely on your suppliers to deliver on time, you will not be able to deliver to your customers on time. With this in mind, we recommend making a major effort to improve relationships with all your suppliers as a matter of urgency. If you are able to start new information-sharing initiatives at the same time, so much the better. The more integrated your respective logistics systems, the more efficient your delivery service will be.

Ensure Your Long-Term Survival With Efficient Logistics

An efficient delivery service is key to the long-term survival of any supplier in the 21st century. The best way to ensure that your delivery service meets your customers’ expectations is to streamline your supply chain processes, optimise delivery routes, utilise GPS tracking software to monitor the status of all consignments in real time\ and encourage greater cooperation between your logistics partners and workforce.

If you lack the in-house expertise to implement all the suggestions in this article, you may like to consider working with a transportation partner such as Adlam Transport. We provide professional transportation services to businesses and individuals in Perth and throughout Western Australia. Our services include commercial furniture delivery, corporate relocations and domestic removals.