The two key issues that sellers encounter when it comes to eCommerce shipping in India are first-mile and last-mile delivery. They are the most difficult to deal with, despite the fact that they are the most important parts that start and end the process. First and last mile shipping are extremely important to the shipping process.
What is First-Mile Delivery, and how does it work?
The process of carrying merchandise from the shop to the courier business is known as first-mile delivery. It refers to the process by which things are delivered to the eventual purchaser.
If you ship your products via FedEx, for example, first-mile delivery refers to the delivery of products from your warehouse to FedEx’s warehouse.
What is Last-Mile Delivery, and how does it work?
Last-mile delivery is the process of carrying packaged goods from a courier company’s warehouse to the buyer’s address.
Similarly, if you ship your products via FedEx, final-mile delivery refers to FedEx’s delivery from their warehouse to the customer’s door.
The Challenges of First-Mile Delivery
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Labelling
Labelling packages is one of the most difficult aspects of first-mile delivery. Most vendors underestimate the need for a proper label, opting for handwritten versions that exclude crucial information. The courier companies are thus unable to collect the orders on schedule because of the incomplete information. Shipping solutions provide automated label production that includes all of the package’s data. This aids in the creation of a good label and the speeding up of the procedure.
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Packaging
Another significant issue with first-mile delivery is the packaging. Because vendors do not adhere to packaging guidelines, courier companies get packages in an unreliable format. Frequently, the packaging material utilized is either ineffective or improper. As a result, the initial stage of delivery from the shop to the courier business is delayed.
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Overcrowding and a scarcity of resources
India is constantly a hive of activity. The peak hours of traffic, of course, aren’t set in stone. The transfer of commodities from one location to another is governed by a number of rules. It is critical to plan pickups ahead of time in order to avoid delays and halts. Delays are also caused by a shortage of trained personnel who can assist in checking the entire package at the time of collection.
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Incorrect Details
Many merchants do not offer complete buyer information. This presents an issue for courier businesses, as they are unable to fulfil orders on time if they do not have all of the necessary information. Authorities may also hold the goods at customs or during interstate transportation.
The Challenges of Last-Mile Delivery
The top obstacles in last-mile delivery companies around the world are responding to last-minute adjustments, aligning with warehouse operations, limiting rebounding, lowering logistics costs, and delivering on time.
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Cost
Last-mile delivery contributes to a company’s high fulfilment costs. The majority of businesses charge their consumers an additional fee for this service. However, for many people, this is not the most practical alternative. As a result, budgeting for last-mile deliveries has become a significant concern, as has to substitute for the additional expenditures. With multichannel retail and same-day deliveries entering the ecosystem, it’s becoming even more challenging.
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Granular Tracking
Granular tracking is the next major difficulty with last-mile deliveries. When customers place an order, they are always curious to see how far it has progressed. Forming a single chain and tracking the whereabouts of each shipment until it reaches the buyer becomes difficult.
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Quick Deliveries
Companies fail to provide their customers with a rapid delivery experience due to a lack of competent resources. The majority of the time, the order is delayed owing to heavy traffic. Fast deliveries are impossible to maintain in metro cities like Bangalore and Mumbai, where peak hours can result in traffic congestion lasting up to two hours. In addition, in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, the roads and transportation infrastructure are in poor condition.
These are some of the major first-mile and last-mile delivery challenges that e-Commerce businesses today face more regularly.
