Delivery challenges: how technology disrupting supply chain errors
Tags: saas, startup, ecommerce, challenge
Published: 2022-09-13 04:06:31

Many firms have faced delivery challenges. Discover how technology helps tackle service delivery challenges in the service industry. Find more about this! 

E-commerce has transformed the way people shop, enjoy shopping, and do business. The covid-19 pandemic makes customers rely on e-commerce for essential items. Consumers turn to e-commerce to fulfill their needs during the pandemic. Business owners jump into the e-commerce bandwagon to reach more customers and explore the benefits. 

With the e-commerce growth, service delivery has surged as well. Customers expect their orders to be fast and delivered without any problems. Merchants either choose third-party online marketplaces or build channels in which they can track their orders via custom apps. Either building delivery channels or hiring a third-party delivery service, enterprises might have experienced delivery challenges. Explore how technology solves service delivery challenges in various fields, especially e-commerce. 

## What is e-commerce delivery? 
E-commerce involves online shopping in which consumers and brands can buy and sell products and services from a website or mobile app. After that, delivery will transport those products to buyers. E-commerce delivery is an approach that transports ordered online products to the place of buyers. 
Consumers increasingly rely on online shopping platforms, so brands need to sell and handle the delivery logistics. In many circumstances, service delivery is not a core competency. They will partner with e-commerce delivery providers to fulfill their orders and build trust with customers. Therefore, people hire [offshore development teams](https://adamosoft.com/offshore-development-center) to maintain e-commerce delivery management software. 

## Delivery methods in e-commerce you should not miss
The evolution of e-commerce has boosted delivery service growth, especially delivery models in e-commerce. You might wonder: how can a brand sell its products online with a low budget? Check out various delivery models in e-commerce to know-how. 

### Warehousing - The oldest distribution model but still common 
Warehousing is a proper alternative for small and large businesses that sell a limited and controllable variety of items. Using the delivery methods in e-commerce allows you to respond immediately in case of a complaint or a return request. There are no delays or problems related to your inventory management. However, you need to hire warehouse employees or implement all the hard lifting yourself. 

### Outsourcing - One of the most popular e-commerce delivery methods 
When outsourcing order fulfillment, you ship your staff to the warehouse of a third-party logistics company. You have to find a reputation fulfillment firm that does not offer higher prices. It is hard to set a balance between having competitive prices and profitability. Brands spend more time on promotion and marketing. Many startups use outsourcing software development services to build software applications for delivery services. 

### Dropshipping - A recent trend in the delivery method in e-commerce
 
This delivery method has recently been a trend in the e-commerce industry. Brands can hire the physical labor necessary to operate a business on social channels. Besides, brands have no interaction with the merchants. Dropshipping is a choice for widening your product line and launching a new venture. Nevertheless, you don't have control over your products. The time for return is slow, which might lead to complaints. 

### Subscription - An emergent trend in the e-commerce delivery service 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/cza0upx9em5t62iua3tl.png)

The delivery method in e-commerce provides consumers with convenience and savings. Fulfillment firms will become a channel to communicate with customers. Brands cannot define product types with low quality since you offer the same product type every month. 

## Service delivery challenges for delivery providers & customers 
Here are some service delivery challenges that providers and customers face with delivery management. 

### Hard to manage distinguished customers 
E-commerce firms are potential customers for delivery providers since the delivery company is associated with many e-commerce companies. It is hard to have an effective management system to deal with various orders, keep COD records, and others. Hiring offshore development teams is a feasible solution to create software applications for delivery services that can work best in various firms. 

### Delivery delays 
Transport consignments might cause some losses for delivery providers. It can also increase the shipping fees, leading to customer dissatisfaction. 

### Poor visibility of the delivery operations 
Transparency in the delivery operations makes things intact. It ensures people deliver products on time. Yet companies without visibility have to pose difficulty in transporting orders on time. This service delivery challenge might result in customer dissatisfaction. 

### Minimize reliance on human resources 
It is one of the biggest service delivery challenges for delivery providers. Using physical delivery teams for management poses a high operational cost. 

### Ensure goods delivery without damage 
Transporting products safely to end-customers places is another service delivery challenges for delivery providers. Any damage to your product will harm your reputation and pose a loss. 

Managing delivery operations consist of order segregation, order allocation, choosing the right vehicle for shipping, and other manual tasks. It requires a big team of employees, a considerable amount of time, and effort to execute those tasks. People need to use [e-commerce delivery management software](https://adamosoft.com/ecommerce-retail-software-development) to calculate which shipping routes are economical, etc. 

## How e-commerce delivery solutions deal with those challenges 

### E-commerce delivery management software 
Delivery providers have faced managing delivery operations, human resources, shipping costs, etc. Our e-commerce delivery solution is by using e-commerce delivery management software. Many delivery providers hire offshore development teams to build custom apps for managing delivery processes. Outsourcing software development services is another option for delivery companies to build software applications for delivery management. 

E-commerce delivery management software boosts customer experience, ensures profitability, drives deliveries, and promotes brands to gain visibility. E-commerce delivery solution streamlines the picking up, and delivery process, and packages. The e-commerce delivery management software allows delivery providers to track packages from websites and shipments that have been imported or exported. 

Once shippers deliver a package to the warehouse, they enter package details into the systems. It is easy to locate the package position in storage or out for transporting. E-commerce delivery solutions reduce the issues regarding misplaced packages and customer complaints. It helps retailers build effective e-commerce delivery strategies. Digital evidence of where, when, and how shippers transport your products helps resolve any problems. Besides, e-commerce firms can access package information on a web server whether shippers are on the road or in the office.
 

### How delivery becomes a strategic advantage for business success 
E-commerce delivery plays a vital role in e-commerce success since customer satisfaction directly affects product shipments. The package and the safe product delivery is a factor that keeps clients satisfied and coming back to the e-commerce website. Thus, an e-commerce business needs to build an effective delivery strategy for shipping goods and services. It will become a competitive differentiator in the market. 

When the e-commerce industry relies on shipping, the shipment services should be top-notch and reliable with an extensive network. Business owners hire outsourcing software development services to apply advanced technology in delivery management software. The e-commerce delivery management software helps track and monitor the delivery process. 

International projects of Euromonitor state that the growth for the global retail field will be digital by 2025. E-commerce sales will reach 1.4 trillion USD. The e-commerce business relies on shipment and transportation to deliver its products and services. Many delivery providers invest in innovative technology solutions that analyze data for cost savings and integrate human resources. Regardless of small businesses and startups, e-commerce delivery has supported them to enter the market. It promotes outsourcing software development services and even offshore development teams to build software applications that boost delivery management.
 

##E-commerce delivery options for customers 

E-commerce delivery options are one of the most important factors consumers consider when deciding to make an online purchase. They want their orders delivered quickly but do not pay more for shipping. Here are some e-commerce delivery options for your online store and customers. 

### Free shipping - The gold standard for online shopping 
If you offer free shipping, it will remove an essential friction factor and enhance the way to your “Buy” button. Free shipping isn’t free. It comes from your profit margins, so business operators design your pricing strategies. One of the challenges when offering free shipping is that shipping costs may vary for every order. 

### Flat rate shipping  
When using flat-rate shipping, you don’t have to use software applications to calculate actual shipping costs for each order. Consumers do not surprise when receiving high shipping charges for online shopping. This e-commerce delivery option rewards larger purchases. The more consumers buy, the smaller the delivery cost is. 

### At-cost shipping rates 
Applying the actual costs for service delivery is an option that works best for e-commerce brands. Consumers who are familiar with online shopping will no longer be unpleasant. When you provide customers with the actual delivery cost to customers, your firm will get benefits. 

You can charge less for your items due to excluding shipping costs. Brands use outsourcing software development services to build custom apps for delivery services. Consumers can see the delivery fee when making online purchases via delivery management software. 

### Expedited shipping 
The e-commerce delivery option helps save time for customers. Sometimes, people order an item and want those item to arrive earlier. They are willing to pay an extra fee for expedited shipping at a flat rate or the actual cost for expedited delivery. 

### Wrapping Up 
E-commerce delivery services have promoted the e-commerce industry growth recently. In a fast-paced world, delivery management challenges that business operators face. They can include managing delivery operations, human resources, delivery routes, technologies, etc. The article provides e-commerce delivery solutions that help brands handle delivery challenges while running their business.