In recent years, supply chains have evolved rapidly, with advances in transport and communication technology speeding up the movements of both parcels and information. This has created new opportunities and challenges for merchants as delivery volumes rise and delivery times drop. Today, supply chains are going digital, and this shift can revolutionize delivery journeys for merchants and customers.

As logistics operations move into the digital space, so does data, making information storage and sharing quicker, easier, and more reliable. Delivery tracking has also evolved, with an increasing number of marked checkpoints in the delivery journey allowing for granular visibility. 

Taking advantage of these advances, merchants can elevate customer experiences and create great value for their brands by improving delivery communications and streamlining logistics operations.

Leveraging accurate delivery data at real-time speeds

A key benefit of supply chain digitalization is more complete and accurate data provided in real-time. This can allow you to create more effective, useful, and timely delivery notifications for customers. 51% of shoppers want real-time visibility into the status of their order, 75% believe proactive communication is a crucial part of the delivery journey, and 98.1% claim that shipping impacts brand loyalty. With this new status quo in mind, it's clear how creating notification strategies with real-time data can be a great way to increase customer loyalty and lifetime value. 

Access to granular data from carriers can also allow your logistics teams to resolve issues more effectively and efficiently. With this, they can pinpoint exact points in deliveries where patterns of delays might be arising and investigate why they occur. This can help you work with carriers to form long-term solutions to delivery troubles and ensure smooth post-purchase experiences for your customers. 

Bringing your brand into the future of e-commerce

Unlocking these benefits, however, can be tricky. Logistics data that carriers provide is not standardized across providers and locations. That means that the tonnes of granular data merchants receive can become a challenge rather than a benefit as teams must standardize immense amounts of data points in order to make sense of them.

Standardization can be a time-consuming and difficult task but here, technology providers have also worked to fill gaps. Dedicated providers with expertise in logistics, e-commerce, and data analytics can support your brand with real-time visibility and sophisticated analytics allowing you to make the most of your digitalized supply chain. 

In the competitive space of e-commerce, brands need to take advantage of the latest developments in technology to stay one step ahead. As supply chains evolve, they’re opening up new opportunities for customer experience and logistics improvements that brands can seize to give them the edge that they need. 

Learn more about how your brand can lean into the future of supply chain management.