The transportation industry has come a long way since the days of Louie De Palma — the surly, greedy, conniving dispatcher and cashier on the Emmy award-winning television comedy Taxi. Equipped with a telephone, PA system and an aggressive, abusive and boisterous management style De Palma — played by Danny DeVito — oversaw the dispatch and payment processing — cash only please — for a wildly diverse cadre of waggish New York cab drivers supported by an oddball mechanic envisaged by comedian Andy Kaufman.
De Palma’s obsession with controlling drivers and how they earned a living highlights the impact technology is having on the transportation industry. In the past, the customer had little control over the process other than placing the order and paying for the service. Today, because of advances in technology, you now have complete control over every aspect of the courier or messenger delivery process.
The same can be said for drivers. Once captive and at the mercy of an employer, today’s independent contract drivers manage their own business affairs, work when it best fits their schedule and use automation in delivering exceptional service levels. All made possible by advances in technology that facilitate end-to-end visibility of every step in the process.
Such purpose-built, web-based applications ensure complete transparency, giving you flexibility when business needs demand it most. Plus, they are accessible from desktop, laptop, mobile phone, notebook, or any other Internet-enabled device, further underscoring their value in adding efficiency, accuracy and agility to a once rigid, unpredictable operation.
The flowchart above and descriptors examine how technology impacts the courier or messenger process and how each step gives you the control you require while greatly reducing uncertainty around when items will be picked-up, how they are transported, when they are delivered and how the data created in the process helps you share important information, plan and schedule better and budget more effectively.
SCHEDULING PICK-UPS AND DELIVERIES
Traditionally messengers were summoned via FAX or phone call. Customers specified the nature of the delivery — size of item or items, weight, level of urgency, distance and estimated travel time. A courier was dispatched when available, usually from the messenger service’s place of business. The messenger then determined the best route based on nothing
Today, you can establish permanent routes for pick-up and delivery on specific days at set times or request an immediate on-demand shipment using desktop, laptop, notebook or smartphone with equal ease and efficiency. The courier service receives your requests and can either allow independent vendors to respond based on proximity to the pick-up point or assign the route to a drive that best fits customer needs and requirements. Same goes for dedicated route sweeps.
As the illustration indicates, every aspect of the shipment is managed with a complete view of every aspect of the transaction. The user even has immediate access to courier service personnel via phone or email should circumstances require human intervention.
DISPATCH, ROUTING, TRACKING AND CONFIRMING
Automated workflow allows real-time, GPS-enabled tracking of your shipments as well. Dispatch is equipped with in-app messaging, so coordinating solutions to issues before they become problems is greatly enhanced. And, if perhaps another stop or change in the order is needed, the driver is immediately notified and they can respond accordingly.
Push alerts keep you informed of the shipment status, giving you the highest degree of chain of custody visibility. Real-time ETA calculations, geofencing, exception management, on-premise barcode scanning, signature verification, image capture and delivery confirmation by the recipient give you complete control and confidence in the process.
SEAMLESS PAYMENTS, ANALYSIS AND REPORTING
Complete end-to-end transparency allows you to manage your account within the courier application, ensuring invoices match quotes and delivery times and requirements are met without fail.
Customized onboarding, training and implementation of the application based on your specific business needs and procedures ensures the highest levels of adoption and user experience. And you can also take advantage of webinars and help-desk access that provide continuous support for you and your team.
As a result, you benefit from standardized operations from placing and monitoring orders, processing invoices and payments, managing expenses and eliminating unnecessary costs. Best of all, you can now track and utilize business and operational metrics with a suite of reports that take the guesswork out of planning and managing performance. You can even integrate KPIs into the operating system.
Messenger, courier and intra-organization logistics companies are using technology as a highly-effective means of reducing costs, identifying and eliminating inefficiencies and streamlining operations for both themselves and their clients. As a result, the process is becoming highly-collaborative between you and your courier service provider. This gives companies a competitive advantage and consumers benefit from lower prices, less complexity and better, more timely services.
Make sure you work closely with your MMS account manager and ensure you get the most out of the technologies they offer. Click here to learn more: https://michaelsmessengerservice.com/connect/