Innovative technologies are constantly changing the world we live in including anything from how we do business to how we live at home. One industry that has benefited greatly from this is the logistics industry and rightly so. With millions of parcels being sent each and every day, everything from letters, to large parcel delivery are moving from origin to destination in as little as 24 hours in some cases, but how has the industry come to such improvement? We’re taking a deeper look into how technology is helping to speed up parcel delivery below.

Online Quotes

Online quoting isn’t necessarily a way of speeding up the delivery itself, but customers are getting the opportunity to find a quote and book their delivery in minutes rather than trudging to the post office to stand in a queue. Online comparison companies can also offer potential clients a much faster way of comparing the prices that each courier will offer, rather than cycling through countless websites or phone up different couriers to get their rates. By offering quotes online, customers and businesses alike will have access to a much more streamlined, well-organised and ultimately much more convenient system.

Image source Public Domain Pictures

Tracking

The big demand from consumers today is the ability to track their packages and while tracking has been around for a while, the need for increasingly transparent and real-time tracking solutions is constantly growing. Luckily, the availability of electronically submitted consignments are making it much easier for couriers to track parcels from A to B with increasing accuracy and pass this information on to the sender and recipient. Through doing this, it’s possible to eliminate the guess work previously associated with parcel delivery and instead provide much more efficient updates as to the status of a parcel.

Mobile Applications

The world is going mobile and as a result, the technology associated with our smartphones is providing more and more opportunities for a variety of different industries and the parcel delivery industry is no exception. Mobile apps are making it possible for businesses and customers alike to book shipments, keep track of where their delivery is and even receive notifications if anything changes along the way. The convenience this provides caters for increasing customer demand for transparency with ease, and can allow businesses to more easily track a large volume of shipments.

Automation

Automation is another technology spreading around every industry, but the convenience and efficiency that it is offering the logistics industry is not to be overlooked. From warehouse automation that eliminates the need for human interaction and speeds up the movement process, to talk of potential use of driverless vehicles and drones in the future, automation could change the parcel delivery industry as we know it. It could also provide a solution for back office jobs and give the employees currently spending time on these processes the chance to spend more of their time and effort on other business activity.

Supply Chain Visibility

In a similar way that technology is providing tracking to customers and businesses, the increase in technology is also opening up the supply chain to increased visibility across every stage. Not only will the sender and recipient have a better idea of where the parcel is, but every stop along the way can see what’s coming in, what’s going out and could  better help them prepare in advance to improve speed and efficiency overall. Visibility has been a big issue in parcel delivery in the past, but technological improvements are changing this for the better.

If you’re looking to send a parcel, speed, efficiency and a promise of a safe delivery are all things that you understandably want. With technological advancements making this much easier, couriers from around the globe are able to offer quicker shipments as standard.