Do you remember the time when you would run to the post office to send that letter or package or anxiously wait for a letter to arrive at your doorstep? It seems that everything has fast-tracked forward and the courier industry is also stepping into the game and taking advantage of new technologies. Not more than 20 years ago, you could only make a phone call on a landline at a phone booth, the office or at home. Today mobile devices allow you to send emails instantly anywhere in the world and you can request a parcel delivery to Germany from the comfort of your home.
With the advancement in technology, every industry sector is changing in one form or another. Technology is allowing the courier industry to provide more precise and accurate services. The most recent innovations include the elimination of delivery estimates. Some time ago, it was a matter of guessing when a package will be delivered, and if it is something important, a person could be sitting an entire day waiting for a delivery. These estimates have been cut to an hour with room for further improvements. Logistics in the courier industry pin down the route a parcel will take and seek every opportunity to reduce the delivery time.
Another innovation introduced in the courier industry is parcel tracking. GPS technology allows customers to track every movement of parcels from one location to another until it reaches its final destination. Such a system accounts for greater customer satisfaction and offers clients advanced warning should there be a delay in the announced delivery time.
Such improvements in the delivery of parcels are mostly due to an integrated station system in the courier industry. The use of WI-Fi networks and other methods of internet access allows instant connectivity between each department of a courier company and with third party associates. Departments are also using sophisticated back-office applications, allowing quick intervention from the office to the warehouse and route optimisation, hence courier companies are dispatching parcels as quickly as they receive them, having at their disposition through technology the best route and time slots of transport companies should that be the case.
There are still lots of room for improvements and increasingly courier companies are rethinking their systems as technology provides more opportunities. With global warming and the greenhouse effect, some courier companies are seeking to reduce their carbon footprint with the adaptation of hybrid and electric vehicles. Some companies are being more bold with innovative options. It should not be a surprise if a parcel delivery to Portugal is undertaken with the use of a drone.
Increasingly, courier companies are flirting with the idea of drone delivery of parcels. The introduction of drones for delivery will be a radical step forward for the courier industry since it will allow access to parcel delivery even in areas where it wasn’t possible before. It might also open the possibility of late night deliveries or almost instant delivery like futuristic cartoons where packages were delivered instantly upon order. The courier industry, however, is using technology to improve efficiency and provide a better customer service experience.