Future Proof, Productive and Flexible - Your Key to Last Mile Delivery Efficiency

Driver shortages and rising delivery volumes mean companies need to unlock more last mile delivery efficiency.

But first, what is last mile delivery? It’s the final stage of a logistics operation where goods are transported from a distribution center or warehouse or store to their final destination. Typically this is a consumer residence or a business.

Here we’ll reveal the key to streamlining this crucial stage.

A smart device powered by with the right data capture technology can help your business to increase:

• Flexibility – using BYOD or cost-efficient consumer devices to scale with demand.
• Productivity – get the most use cases out of one smart device.
• Longevity – ensuring your application and hardware moves with the times.

Read on to discover how to create efficiency gains and cost reductions with the rapid deployment of low-cost smart devices. All while increasing customer satisfaction.

Scandit’s Smart Data Capture platform can be deployed on any smart device, including smartphones and handheld computers.

Scandit-powered smart devices provide unmatched scan speed and accuracy, all while providing the robust and reliable performance needed on delivery routes.

Almost any everyday smart device can become an enterprise-grade scanner with Scandit Smart Data Capture software.

New, temporary or longstanding employees can use either their personal (BYOD), or company-provided smart devices. They can then download and run business apps with smart data capture-enabled capabilities like augmented reality.

Scaling up (or down) is crucial in an era where delivery volumes are notoriously unpredictable. By using smartphones, there is no need to bring in multiple single-use scanning devices.

A smartphone can handle anything from scanning parcels, when loading the van, to confirming proof of delivery, or age verification, on the doorstep.

Parcel inventory checking

Taking inventory – especially at PUDO points like convenience stores – can be a time-consuming task. But this can be easily streamlined with Scandit-enabled smartphones.

Simply hover the device over multiple parcels in the storage area. On-screen augmented reality overlays visually highlight what parcels are overdue for return.

Scanning speed and accuracy is a crucial differentiator for us, helping to attract and retain customers to our delivery service. Scandit has been spot-on in enabling us to exceed our main business KPIs: speed of service and customer experience.

Fredrik Stavik, Chief Product Officer, Helthjem

Drivers are in short supply and delivery numbers are rising. So what is the solution?

Technology that makes drivers’ jobs easier and faster. Create efficiencies for the driver and you create cost efficiencies for the business.

Smart devices can be turned into a delivery driver multi-tool to increase productivity in last mile processes. It can do this thanks to high performance, multi-barcode scanning, and by using augmented reality.

Below are some forward-thinking use cases for this.

Scandit technology immediately delivered a level of performance that open source mobile scanning simply couldn’t match. Our mail and parcel carriers now complete deliveries with greater speed and accuracy, with fewer scanning errors.

Pierre Prygoda, IT Manager, La Poste

Benefits include:

• Reliable scanning in low light in the back of the van.
• Ability to save time capturing multiple barcodes in a single scan.
• Identify a single parcel fast with AR overlays on screen.

1. Sorting and loading

Scandit enables a mobile device to scan multiple barcodes and provide instructions to a user via augmented reality.

How can this be used?

Imagine you are a driver loading a vehicle who needs the packages to be in the right order for the route. But you are able to instantly understand where a package should be best loaded into the vehicle.

You just point your device at the parcel barcodes. The order for each parcel is worked out on the device and overlaid over the packages on the screen.

Any driver delivering 100+ packages is going to welcome the ability to do this. We have a customer in Japan, Yamato, which has implemented exactly this service and has reduced loading times by a third.

MatrixScan and AR can:

• Scan multiple barcodes at once for ultimate efficiency.
• Get real-time parcel data for loading via augmented reality.
• Check real-time delivery instructions or the next drop off.

In today’s market, speed is key. That’s why MatrixScan’s batch scanning capability can speed up and automate time-consuming tasks.

2. AVD and Proof of ID

Deploying smart data capture, including ID scanning into existing delivery apps and processes, is a proven age verification solution for alcohol deliveries.

It automates, updates and mobilizes processes for faster, more reliable document checks to prove age or check a recipient’s ID. It largely automates the process of age verification and takes responsibility away from the driver. This means less training and complicated instructions.

Our ID Scanning technology can also record ID scans so you have an audit trail available.

By combining barcode scanning and text recognition technology with smart parsing capabilities, our ID scanning solution supports a wide range of ID documents, including:

• US and Canadian Drivers Licenses. We can scan the PDF 417 on the back or the text on the front of the license.
• Passports. Here we can scan the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) on any passport (the block of numbers and text below the image).
• EU and UK driver’s licenses. Our SDK can read the text on the front of the driver’s license.
• ePassports/ eMRTD with RFID chips. ePassports are ICAO-standardized Passports with an RFID chip embedded.

Instacart

Over 500,000 devices run the Instacart shopper app. Instacart is able to protect the company from the risks of delivering alcohol to minors without losing delivery efficiency.

• Automated and efficient age verification thanks to a simple ID scan.
• All ID data processing is done on the device so shoppers can assure customers their data is not being stored.
  An audit trail of correctly executed age verifications can be recorded.
• Instacart can offer the function to almost any shopper as age verification is available on 1000 different Android and iOS devices.

Getting the most out of existing driver capacity is a key focus for last mile companies. Combining Scandit and smart devices offers huge potential to squeeze more out of existing driver capacity. There are two main ways to do this:

• Smart devices, deployed in a company-owned privately enabled (COPE) model, are cost effective. Giving the employee ownership of the device (as with COPE strategy) is proven to reduce the breakage and loss rate.
• BYOD – where the employee installs an application on their own device, is even more cost effective. Businesses don’t need to source, stock and ship expensive hardware scanning devices.
• The combination of scanning-enabled apps and a COPE or BYOD approach makes it especially easy to tap into crowdsourcing or gig-economy platforms and sub-contractors in today’s tough labor market.

Smart data capture is easy to deploy, as employees simply need to download an app to get started. It can also provide a platform for future-proof services.

• Scandit provides best-in-class scanning in real-world conditions like low light, tight angles, and bright glare on uneven surfaces. It works like this even on lower-end devices.
• Training requirements are minimal, as most drivers are familiar with smart devices. Tools like augmented reality (AR) provide excellent training aids for new recruits. So it’s easy to scale capacity at speed.
• Integration into existing employee mobile apps is straightforward and supported by Scandit’s Enterprise-Level Success team.
• It can also be added to post office or store associate apps to transform PUDO tasks.

There are plenty of options available when it comes to adding Scandit to an application besides our Native Barcode Scanner SDK.

Here are just a few:

• SparkScan. SparkScan fits on top of any smartphone application, providing an intuitive user interface for simple, fast and ergonomic scanning. Ideal for scan-intensive workflows such as inventory management or goods receiving in logistics.
• Scandit Express. No time to change your application? Scandit Express instantly upgrades smartphones or tablets with a smart keyboard wedge barcode scanner. So you can scan directly into any input field from your keyboard without changing any software or code.
• MatrixScan Count – Take the tediousness out of counting. Speed up receiving and inventory and cycle counting workflows by up to 10x. Save months of development time by deploying MatrixScan Count’s robust, expert-built interface.
• ID Scanning – Focused on proof of delivery or age-verification for age-restricted deliveries. The Scandit’s ID Scanning captures the information on numerous identity documents, scanning the barcode, machine-readable zone (MRZ) or text using Optical Character Recognition. All of this is done using the smartphone camera and the phone’s processor. So there is no need to connect to an external database.
• SDK for the Web. If your app opens in a browser, use SDK for the Web to add the Scandit engine to your web app or website.
• Enterprise Browser. The Enterprise Browser can open your web-based app or website like a standard browser, but it can scan into any field in your app.

Delivery drivers face multiple challenges. They are constantly moving around in small spaces, working with many different products and tracking deliveries.

This can cause errors that result in failed deliveries and complaints from customers.

It is time to revolutionize delivery driver operations. Scandit is at the forefront of enabling smart devices to help you achieve this.

Want to find out more? Then contact our team, or download one of our demo applications and test Scandit out for yourself.