Last-mile delivery is one of the most important parts of the logistics process, playing a huge role in the customer experience. But it’s also one of the hardest things to get right—and carriers aren’t the only ones responsible.

In this episode of Unboxing Logistics, Nicholas Daniel-Richards, CEO at Packiyo, lays out some last-mile challenges and explains how warehouse optimization streamlines the delivery process.

As CEO of Packiyo, a warehouse management system, Nicholas is very familiar with the ins and outs of logistics. But when it comes to the importance of last-mile delivery, he shifts to his consumer mindset.

“I'm still a consumer that's receiving packages … and I think the complications around last mile [involve] convenience. You know, do I have tracking information? Do I know when that package is going to arrive or when it has arrived? Is it the right thing (or things) inside the package?”

The answers to those questions can make or break the delivery experience—and mean the difference between loyal and lost customers.

Who’s in charge of making sure last-mile delivery goes smoothly? Nicholas says, “A lot of people put an emphasis on … the carrier. But ultimately, there is that step of how packages get to the carrier in the first place.”

He explains that businesses are responsible for receiving customer orders, picking products, packing boxes, and coordinating shipping. If those tasks lead to inaccuracies or wasted time, the last-mile delivery experience suffers.

When picking, packing, and shipping decisions are made in the moment by individual employees, there’s a lot of room for error. If it takes too long to pack boxes, last-mile shipping could be delayed. If the wrong product gets added to a package, you’ll face a frustrated customer. And the list of potential issues goes on.

The solution? Make decisions before it’s time to prep packages, so warehouse workers know exactly what to do.

Nicholas puts it like this: “You don't want to make decisions on how an order should be packaged and fulfilled and shipped at the time that you're trying to process the order. That’s a repetitive thing. [The] factors that affect that should be automated.”

• Connect with Nicholas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasdr/
• Visit Packiyo’s website: https://www.packiyo.com/