Keeping Courier Businesses on the Move: Technology Matters

The impact technology has on any business in today’s increasingly competitive world is huge. Managers and business owners, regardless of their industry, need to stay abreast of how advances in high-tech tools might benefit their operations, improve staff welfare and increase profits. The courier industry is no exception, and today’s mobile technology, in particular, has made a real difference to many aspects of courier work.

Tracking packages in real time is vital, especially for those companies dealing with transporting medical goods, blood, organs and other vital components. More and more companies are offering a time critical service in order to stay competitive, and to deliver customer satisfaction they need to have access to appropriate information and the whereabouts of packages very quickly.

It is not only the technology used by drivers out on the roads that makes a difference; there are many advantages of keeping up to date with new devices and systems available to you.

Benefits of Embracing Technology

Updated technology offers several benefits for business owners and managers involved in courier work, even down to the simple process of capturing signatures and transmitting them back to base in real time, as evidence of successful deliveries.

The handheld devices that are available for drivers make logging, storing and accessing information much easier. This reduces labour costs and ensures increased accuracy. Reports and statistical data can be retrieved with ease and used to measure efficiency of the systems in place.

Reducing our carbon footprint is another concern for many businesses, especially in our industry, and by incorporating more technology paper waste is reduced. This can only be a positive.

What is Available to You?

Barcode scanners are a neat way of collecting information and sending data back to the warehouse. The whole delivery process can be monitored and controlled much more easily, and having up to the minute information on deliveries leads to enhanced customer relations. Communication with customers and transparency with regards delivery times can only increase the standard of service.

Warehouse management system software, when installed and used to its full potential, can do wonders for warehouse organisation and efficiency, which leads to saving time and money.

Transportation management system software achieves the same results in terms of time and money saving, but is geared to helping businesses work more efficiently while on the road. Streamlining routes, collecting data on drivers actually carrying out the courier work, and collecting real time information on deliveries is reshaping the efficiency of businesses in our industry. Having such accurate information increases visibility across all parts of the business and helps managers and owners stay in control of all aspects.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is another excellent piece of technology that allows the tracking of deliveries and drivers.

With the right management and the correct staff training, technology in the transportation industry can make huge differences to business efficiency. Labour costs can be significantly reduced, productivity increased and money can be saved across all aspects of any company. 

Author Plate

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier work in the express freight exchange industry. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.