During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, ecommerce businesses became mainstream because they allow consumers to buy products without leaving their houses. People could visit an online store, find whatever they want, pay, and have it delivered to them in a few days. As more entrepreneurs recognized the opportunities in this space, they began setting up online businesses.
Over time, the ecommerce space became saturated, and online business owners had to do everything possible to gain a competitive advantage. As more consumers approached ecommerce businesses, it became clear that they value speedy delivery. As a result, ecommerce business owners had to create logistical systems that are capable of delivering orders quickly and to the right person.
To handle logistics, business owners organize a fleet of delivery vehicles and assign them to riders who will handle deliveries to specific locations. To ensure all deliveries take place as scheduled, business owners can install fleet management devices on their vehicles. These devices are GPS-enabled and allow fleet managers to have real-time visibility of their delivery vehicles on the road.
Benefits of Using Fleet Management Devices
While it is possible to manage the riders and vehicles handling logistics via an honor system, it is more effective to use fleet management devices since they provide the benefits outlined below:
1. Long-term cost savings
By tracking the routes that delivery riders take to fulfill customer orders, business owners and fleet managers can find the most efficient paths a rider can take to reduce fuel consumption and save time. Also, they can detect when riders take unnecessary breaks while on delivery runs and institute penalties that will deter them from being idle during work hours.
2. Theft prevention
Some dispatch riders may be dishonest and tempted to steal their company’s delivery vehicle while on duty. If this happens, the GPS-powered fleet management device installed on the vehicle will help the business owner find and retrieve their vehicle. If dispatch riders know their vehicle is being tracked, they will be discouraged from theft, knowing they will be found and charged with a crime.
3. Reduced downtime
By tracking the journeys of fleet vehicles, it is easy to identify the ones under the most duress so they can be scheduled for preventive maintenance. This will keep the vehicles in the fleet operational and reduce downtime, which typically impacts the quality of service and can reduce customer satisfaction.
4. Increased productivity
Being able to track the real-time position of every delivery vehicle allows business owners to verify that their riders reached all scheduled delivery locations before the end of a work day. Knowing this, riders will strive to complete their tasks every workday so they do not get penalized, thereby increasing productivity.
Endnote
Logistics is crucial to ecommerce businesses because once customers order a product, they will eagerly wait for its arrival. If an ecommerce business is known for often delaying their deliveries, they will lose market share to their competitors. Those who want to remain competitive in this area can use fleet management devices to monitor the activities of their dispatch riders to ensure they make quick and accurate deliveries.
