From Last Mile to Last Meter – Precision and Efficiency in Delivery Logistics

If you order a pizza, it can get cold on the way to your kitchen table for many reasons. Your delivery driver can have problems including:

• Finding a parking spot
• Navigating inside your building
• Locating the entrance to your backyard 
• Identifying your house number 

These issues highlight the broader complexities of precise last-mile delivery—the final leg of the journey that brings goods to your doorstep. For many customers, current delivery services simply aren’t good enough. 

And this isn’t just a problem for customers. It’s a problem for delivery companies too. Inefficiencies cost money. And according to Forbes, last-mile delivery can account for 53% of supply chain overheads.

Smarter and more precise last-mile delivery will enhance the customer experience and boost bottom lines. And importantly, customers will reward those firms capable of change in last meter delivery. Indeed, as revealed by an INCISIV report, as many as 80% of people think a better delivery experience would improve their brand loyalty. 

Why is precise last-mile delivery so difficult?

Let’s go into a bit more detail about some of the complications involved in last-mile delivery.

Journey challenges include:

• Traffic: Real-time traffic data can fail and unexpected congestion can still slow down deliveries.
• Multiple destinations with the same address: Large complexes or shared addresses create confusion.
• Driver preferences: Individual driver preferences, such as using the backdoor instead of the front, can affect arrival times.
• Different vehicle types: Various delivery vehicles—bikes, cars, scooters etc.—have unique needs and these can be misunderstood by last mile software.
• Industrial zones: Navigating vast and often unmarked industrial areas can lead to delays.

On-site issues like:

• Indoor navigation: Locating specific units or floors within large buildings is often difficult without precise data.
• Stairs and elevator challenges: Failing to master the layout and accessibility of stairs and elevators can lengthen delivery times.
• Shop opening hours: Misunderstanding business operating hours can be an issue, especially for B2B transactions.

There can also be parking problems such:

• Parking spot issues: Finding a parking spot close to the delivery location can be time-consuming and unpredictable.
• Loading zones and times: Not knowing where and when loading zones are available can set back drop-offs.

To optimize last-mile delivery and achieve “last-meter accuracy”, companies must address these blackspots. The right approach not only enhances efficiency but also improves the customer experience.

What are firms doing to make deliveries more precise?

There is a wide variety of companies doing innovative work to satisfy the market need. Let’s take a quick tour of some of them. 

– What3Words

A significant number of last-mile delivery delays stem from address-related issues. This is where What3Words’ innovative approach—allowing customers to share a precise location on a map instead of a traditional address—makes a big difference. It simplifies navigation, helping drivers reach their destinations more efficiently.

What3Words divides the world into 3-meter squares, assigning each square a unique combination of three words. This system offers greater accuracy than standard street addresses and is easier to use than GPS coordinates. Currently, the technology is active in 193 countries.

– Beans.ai

Beans.ai offers an end-to-end solution for managing middle- and last-mile deliveries. The company’s innovative approach includes creating a database that pulls information from fire department logs, enabling the acquisition of detailed and actionable insights.

With this data, Beans.ai’s SaaS platform can predict ETAs, optimize asset utilization, develop efficient operational plans, and anticipate potential failure scenarios. The platform provides precise geocodes for every address in the U.S. and detailed information for over 50 million points of interest, including elevators, lockers, mailrooms, lockboxes, access codes, parking spots, and building entrances.

The firm serves a range of high-profile clients, including FedEx, OnTrac, Optima, Instacart, Rently, LSO, and Point Pickup.

– Mapbox

This company provides visualizations on digital maps to enhance navigation and deliver customized, immersive experiences for users. With over 3.5 million registered developers, Mapbox is a popular choice thanks to its platform’s flexibility, robust security, and strong privacy compliance. 

Industry leaders such as GM, BMW, and CNN trust Mapbox to bring location to life with AI driven APIs and SDKs. This is a firm with a large user base. Half a billion people a month engage with the firm’s services for optimized routing, rich location data, and improved location search.

– Bettermile

Bettermile empowers express, courier, and parcel delivery companies to transform their last-mile operations, boost productivity, and provide an exceptional customer experience. This is achieved through a dynamic, location-based SaaS product suite combined with expert support at every step. 

Bettermile helps clients build their own logistics databases by capturing valuable data, including driver notes and curbside coordinates.

– Truemetrics

This company focuses on the phase between when a driver exits their vehicle and when they arrive in front of the consignee. Truemetrics.io leverages sensors in drivers’ mobile phones to capture position and motion data, providing real-time insights into driver location. 

This technology helps drivers navigate precisely right up to the front door of their destination.

Closer to “last meter delivery accuracy”

From innovative geocoding systems like What3Words to comprehensive last mile delivery softwares such as Bettermile, the industry is changing fast. Companies are redefining what’s possible in the final stretch of delivery, including improving map visualizations, fine-tuning databases, and creating location information beyond addresses. 

This all means that in the race for last-mile precision we’re getting closer to “last meter accuracy”, a development good for both companies and customers alike.

Outlook: Why will precision be so important tomorrow?

In the future, location data will become more essential as technology evolves. New tech such as robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles will demand even more precise information. 

So, now is a great time for delivery companies to make sure they invest in their last mile and get ahead of the curve. Firms will only benefit in terms of customer satisfaction, productivity, and efficiency.

Simon Seeger

Simon Seeger is a logistics industry expert and serial entrepreneur with a passion for revolutionizing last mile delivery. As founder of Bettermile, he has developed a cutting-edge SaaS solution that dynamically optimizes delivery routes in real-time, leading to increased productivity and an enhanced customer experience across 13 countries. Simon's experience in logistics is rooted in his history of transforming traditional industries. In 2009, he founded textunes GmbH, the first e-book platform for smartphones and tablets in German-speaking countries, which he later sold to Thalia Books GmbH. He then developed Tolino, an eBook platform for Thalia, which has a market share of over 40 percent in German-speaking countries, Italy, and the Netherlands.