Business-to-business, or B2B, delivery is a major portion of all deliveries, but it is often overlooked. Often, the major focus of last mile efforts is on business to consumer or B2C. B2B delivery accounts for 23% of all same-day delivery services in the United States (CSCMP). There are still numerous ways to improve B2B delivery through the partnership with advanced dispatch software. Advanced dispatch solutions have many features that will benefit B2B deliveries, such as ETA alerts, real-time visibility, reverse logistics for returns, customer service, and big data analytics. All of these features are focused on one main goal: helping both businesses to improve through time and cost savings while bringing increased satisfaction to both parties.
ETA Alerts
ETA alerts are the first feature of an advanced dispatch software that benefits B2B delivery. Both businesses on either side of the delivery have very packed and rigid schedules. ETA alerts help the receiving business to be prepared for the delivery and make necessary arrangements to receive the order and unload it quickly. The delivery company can ensure that the receiving location is prepared once they arrive, which will help them to stay on time and make more deliveries each day.
Real-time Visibility
Another fantastic feature of advanced dispatch software is the real-time visibility offered for delivery vehicles. Managers can see where each of the delivery vehicles are at any given time, which can help them to track their progress on their route for the day and can see if the drivers are running ahead of or behind schedule. Real-time visibility is best coupled with the ETA alerts for B2B delivery. They work in tandem to open additional lines of communication between the businesses. For B2B deliveries, it is paramount that open communication and information are easily accessible and readily available. Real-time visibility is a great feature that can help inform both businesses and allow them to make informed decisions.
Reverse Logistics and Returns
A seldomly talked about feature of advanced dispatch software is the reverse logistics that the software provides to assist in returns. As everyone knows, sometimes deliveries aren’t exactly what they should be, and this is the same for B2B deliveries. Deliveries are often focused on getting the parcels from point A to point B, but what happens when the parcel needs to go from point B to point A? For B2B deliveries, these parcels could be damaged products or overstocked items, for example. Reverse logistics makes the whole process easier, with online returns portals that help Company B to communicate with company A and get those parcels back to their original destination.
Big Data
B2B delivery benefits greatly from the enormous amounts of data that advanced dispatching software collects for managers to analyze. The software can collect hundreds of types of data, from median speed, idle time, mean delivery time, driver safety, and more. These can help both businesses to analyze the current efficiency of their B2B delivery situation, and look for more ways to improve in multiple areas. These can manifest in shortened delivery times, fuel savings, increased driver safety and increased accuracy of orders. All of these result in time and cost savings for both companies, which will bring an increase in profit margins.
Sources
CSCMP. “Market Share of Same-day Delivery Services in The United States in 2018, by Segment.” Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Jun 2019, https://www-statista-com.ezp3.lib.umn.edu/statistics/720372/market-size-of-parcel-services-in-united-states-by-segment/
