Four Logistics Automation Trends Quick Commerce Brands Need to Embrace in 2023

Complexities in the hyperlocal delivery space keep multiplying owing to varying order types, diverse delivery models, and shrinking fulfillment windows. The need to adhere to SLAs and operational constraints without compromising on the customer experience and bottom lines further increases delivery planning complexities. 

Without intelligent technology, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to cope with the rapidly evolving hyperlocal delivery ecosystem. For instance, same-day deliveries were considered a game-changer a few years back. It’s losing its luster fast as customers are being lured away with 10-minute delivery promises across diverse industries.

Therefore, being prepared for tomorrow is crucial, and embracing technology-driven automation trends is one sure-shot way of doing so. Here are the top automation trends that every quick commerce business looking for a long run must embrace in 2023.

#1 Automating Last-Mile Operations for Efficiency & Profitability

Manual dependencies will pose enormous challenges for on-demand and hyperlocal delivery providers to fulfill customer demands like deliveries in less than an hour. Automating last-mile delivery operations is the only way to address such needs. A smart logistics management platform can automate 99.7% of the hyperlocal delivery task allocation process.

Brands can quickly respond to 10-minute grocery delivery requests by using auto-allocation engines. Such systems drive intelligent processes based on predefined constraints like weight, volume, proximity from customer and store, driver workload, and more. 

#2 Automating Order Allocation

Configuring allocation logic intelligently to meet the needs of your delivery KPIs is critical. Smart logistics management tools help hyperlocal businesses leverage this capability and deliver immense business value. Auto-allocation logic can reduce delivery steps by 77%, leading to faster and more cost-efficient deliveries. 

Such tools allow delivery managers to set eligibility criteria for drivers to accept orders. These criteria can include delivery radius, capacity, temperature handling capability, and more. One can rank a driver’s order fulfillment chances based on distance, delivery time, rider score, and more.

#3 Automating Updates On Delivery Progress

Customers want absolute transparency in their deliveries. They want to know where an order is, who will deliver it, and the exact ETA. This makes enabling your customers to track orders in real-time a necessity. It is beneficial for businesses also as real-time visibility over order movements reduces customer complaints by 28%.

Smart logistics management tools automatically send quick (and real-time) tracking links to end customers. It also notifies customers about delivery progress made, potential delays, and exceptions.

#4 Automatically Arresting Fake Delivery Attempts

It frequently happens that your delivery executive marks a delivery as completed without reaching the actual customer location. This implies two things. The location received from a customer in the first place was inaccurate, or a fake delivery attempt was made. Both are concerns, but the latter needs to be dealt with faster as customer experience is at stake. 

A smart logistics management platform immediately triggers an alert both to a driver and a delivery manager in case the location of a delivery point does not match with a driver’s current location. In other words, delivery stakeholders have complete visibility of where delivery was supposed to be made vs. where it was actually made. 

While automation becomes smarter with every passing hour, businesses need to be ready to embrace the trends that drive purchase decisions and operational efficiencies to stay profitable in the future.