With the surging popularity of eCommerce and online shopping, more issues surrounding last-mile delivery have started to crop up as volume increases. Thanks to the rise of ubiquitous “free shipping,” customers are less willing to cough up for a delivery fee. This means that retailers and logistics partners must foot the bill.
Yet, when you consider that last-mile delivery accounts for a whopping 53% of overall shipping costs, it’s no wonder that businesses are struggling to keep up demand without taking significant hits to their bottom line.
On top of this, factors such as complex routes, rural deliveries, outdated technology, and inadequate planning can all lead to low-efficiency levels. This results in frustrated customers and low levels of satisfaction. As a result, organizations have been scrambling to develop new technologies and try out new supply chain models in order to increase parcel volume, speed up delivery, and keep customers satisfied.
One company at the forefront of this movement is Mileberry, a self-service network of parcel locker smart machines that utilize IoT technology. Let’s take a deeper dive into Mileberry’s current services and how they plan to transform the last-mile delivery sector.
What is Mileberry?
Mileberry is a startup based in San Francisco. They are building a network of IoT click-and-collect devices in the U.S. to drive improvements in last-mile delivery. Their overarching goal is to make last-mile delivery cheap, high quality, and sustainable. They do this by offering solutions for a wide range of B2C, B2B, and C2C markets.
According to McKinsey, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated eCommerce by ten years. Therefore, Mileberry’s service offers a timely (and cost-effective) solution that business owners can utilize to ship packages more efficiently to keep up with rising demand. Moreover, Mileberry hosts its own software platform and mobile application that customers can use to manage orders, initiate returns, track parcels — further enhancing the user experience.
On that note, let’s take a look at how the Mileberry service works for both senders and receivers.
The Mileberry Customer Journey for Senders
- To send a parcel, visit the Mileberry application or website to create the shipment.
- To do this, you will need the receiver’s details.
- Find a Mileberry hub.
- Use the map in the application to find the nearest hub location to load your parcel.
- Visit the location and use your QR code to open the cell.
- Once the cell is opened, leave the package inside.
- Follow the onscreen instructions or the manual in the app for further guidance.
- Close the cell.
- Once you are done following the instructions, ensure that you close the cell before leaving.
- The package will be waiting for a courier to collect it.
- Now, just sit back, relax and check the status of your delivery on the application to keep up to date with its movements.
The Mileberry Customer Journey for Receivers
- To receive a parcel, open the map in the Mileberry application or website to find the necessary Mileberry hub.
- Visit the Mileberry hub where your parcel is located.
- Use the collection code that you received from the text message, or scan the QR code in the app.
- Follow the onscreen instructions, and open the cell where your package is located.
- Take the parcel, and close the cell carefully behind you.
Why Mileberry?
Now that you know how Mileberry works, let’s take a look at some standout benefits from this new delivery service.
Overcoming Parcel Theft
One of the biggest advantages of using Mileberry is its ability to overcome many of the challenges presented by parcel theft.
Theft is quickly becoming a huge concern amongst couriers, retailers, and logistics companies. According to the New York Post, a staggering 210 million packages were stolen from Americans this year, resulting in massive expenses for all of those involved.
With Mileberry, all packages are loaded securely into the hub. This means they are out of the reach of criminals and opportunists. The only way to get into the lockers is with the unique code sent to the receiver.
Contactless Service Around the Clock
Due to the service not requiring a physical handover of goods, Mileberry can be used 24/7. This is great for those who work during the day or simply want to practice social distancing. Mileberry offers receivers access to high-quality self-service hubs at a variety of locations, including:
- subways;
- coffee shops;
- business and residential buildings;
- retail stores;
- pharmacies;
- gas stations; and
- shopping malls.
Solar-Powered Equipment
Solar power energizes all Mileberry hubs. One of the company’s goals is to reduce the global carbon footprint. It also hopes to help the logistics industry reduce its impact on the environment.
What does the future have in store for Mileberry?
There are many exciting developments in the pipeline.
Mileberry expects to launch its pilot project in the U.S. in May 2022. At the time of this writing, participating cities will include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.
As for its product offerings, Mileberry plans to develop the Mileberry hubs to handle both hot and cold food thanks to refrigerated and heated compartments. Of course, this has a vast potential use case across various industries, including restaurants, fast food, and grocery suppliers.
Let’s hope that Mileberry’s innovative IoT self-service solution will help to overcome many of the long-standing issues associated with last-mile delivery. Hopefully, it will help bring it up to par with consumer demands.
Image Source: Mileberry
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