# Toward a Modern Last-Mile Delivery: Consequences and Obstacles of Intelligent Technology
## 1 Introduction  
Transportation is an important logistical activity that transports goods from their point of origin to distribution centers and end users [1]. The characteristics of product quality are unknown [2]; however, on-time and correct delivery is critical to a company's reputation and ability to service its consumers [1]. The concept of the \"last mile\" has evolved into a challenge that transportation logistics is increasingly focusing on today [3, 4]. The process of last-mile delivery (LMD) starts with a template warehouse near the customer's location and continues for a few miles to the specific customer [1, 3, 5, 6, 7]. The package may have a variety of destinations and pickup places depending on the kind of delivery requested by the client, such as doorstep delivery (attended), doorstep delivery (unattended), reception boxes, or post offices [8]. Last mile in supply chain management and transportation planning is the last leg of a journey comprising the movement of people and goods from a transportation hub to a final destination. Indeed, the last mile has received an increasing amount of attention in recent years as a result of the rise in e-commerce [9, 10, 11, 12, 13], particularly during COVID-19 [14, 15]. The rapid growth of online purchasing has increased demand for LMD, with consumers preferring home delivery over all other options [16]. Consumers want more online orders, faster delivery, and flexible delivery methods [17]; nevertheless, knowing that all initiatives are plagued by delays and inefficiency [18], late or damaged deliveries can have a negative impact on customers,resulting in dissatisfaction and complaints [19, 20]. LMD refers to the transportation of goods from a distribution hub to a final destination, such as a home or business. The term is commonly used in the contexts of food delivery, enterprise supply chains, and delivery business transportation [21, 22]; moreover, the increasing complexity of LMD has been exacerbated by the recent expansion of e-commerce and the new normal [23]. Consumers are demanding not only more online orders and faster deliveries, but also more flexible delivery methods [17]. Furthermore, the delivery experience must be satisfactory in order for customers to return with additional orders [24]. As a result, even though LMD was originally regarded a support function rather than a vital component of the business model, it has become a must-have component for enterprises [17]. Nonetheless, LMD presents several challenges for businesses, including high costs and environmental issues [19, 20]. Hence, because almost every order has a different destination and address, optimizing the delivery route is crucial, the delivery process should be modernized. Congestion, snow, lack of parking, and incorrect customer addresses are examples [25] that can cause delivery delays, higher supplier costs, and higher emissions. Customers who are not home when deliveries arrive add to LMD costs and emissions. Operators frequently travel more than necessary to transport packages many times or to the local post office for extradition [6]. Furthermore, because pollution is a concern and industrial activities (including supply chains) should conserve the environment, increased awareness contributes to a focus on environmental protection [26, 27, 28]. Nonetheless, researchers have documented that LMD is one of the most inefficient supply chain processes and causes a lot of financial burden, air, and traffic pollution [8, 29, 30]. All of these issues make it difficult to keep LMD services sustainable, but customers expect lower distribution costs, lower emissions, and shorter delivery times as e-commerce competition increases. Logistics, including LMD, is essential to good customer service and can add value when choosing a provider [31]. The last mile is the final stage of a process, particularly for a customer purchasing goods.