Why Proof of Delivery is Important in Last-Mile Deliveries

Last-mile deliveries, as well as delivery failures due to lost or stolen parcels, are on the rise. What can you do to ensure the safety of your customers and delivery partners, as well as your reputation for dependability? For last-mile deliveries, electronic proof of delivery is a convenient and effective way to provide responsibility and visibility. With app-enabled proof of delivery, every member of the delivery chain can confirm a successful hand-off without having to deal with cumbersome paperwork or phone calls. Are you interested in learning more about what e-POD can accomplish for your company? Continue reading!

Table of Contents

• Why do you need Proof of Delivery?
• Why is it important to have Proof of Delivery?
• Proof of Delivery aids in the prevention of missed deliveries and theft
• The price of failed deliveries
• Why it’s better to have electronic Proof of Delivery
• EasyRoutes makes implementing e-Proof of Delivery simple

Why do you need Proof of Delivery?

The demand for last-mile deliveries is increasing. Retailers and other suppliers have quickly changed to delivery methods in response to changing consumer behaviour, putting a pressure on logistics and profitability. The pressure is also being felt by third-party logistics companies. Maintaining profitability while satisfying customer delivery expectations is a constant issue for everyone in the supply chain.

Because last-mile delivery expenses account for 41% of total supply chain costs, achieving efficiency in the last mile is especially important. Furthermore, today’s delivery customers are astute shoppers who want dependability in return for their faith in merchants.

Your clients and delivery partners deserve explanations when a product goes missing.

• Was the box marked as delivered by mistake, but it’s still lying in a depot somewhere?
• Is it possible that it was sent to the wrong address and the recipient retained it or discarded it?
• Was it taken after it was dropped off?
• Was it delivered to the wrong location on the premises?
• Is there any evidence of deception on the part of anyone in the chain of custody?

You can provide those responses with the help of an electronic proof of delivery (e-POD) system. Using e-POD minimizes delivery costs while enhancing efficiency and offering a great post-purchase experience for your customers.

Why is it important to have Proof of Delivery?

The concept of proof of delivery isn’t new. Proof of delivery has been used by senders and receivers to certify the completion of a delivery for ages. Requesting that an authorized representative of the recipient sign an acknowledgement when they take possession of a package or shipment was a traditional proof of delivery procedure.

Additional information, such as the quantity of units received or their condition, is frequently included in these proofs. This signed document might then be used by couriers seeking payment or responding to a delivery failure claim or dispute as proof of performance.

Proof of delivery is used by senders to confirm the completion of a delivery and the transfer of responsibility for the goods to the recipient. Proof of delivery documentation is also beneficial to recipients. A signed receipt creates a chain of custody within the company, allowing them to trace when and in what condition an item was delivered.

Proof of Delivery aids in the prevention of missed deliveries and theft

When the orders being deliveries are valuable, easily damaged in transportation, or the delivery is time-sensitive, requiring a signed hand-off to an authorized recipient can help avoid costly difficulties.

Senders and recipients may request that couriers obtain a signature at the stop in order to confirm that packages are delivered to the correct address and are not stolen or damaged. When essential items must be delivered by a certain date or to a specified recipient, signature-required proof of delivery is a necessary.

Nobody wants their valuable audio equipment or certified check to be delivered to the wrong address or left outside overnight!

The price of failed deliveries

• When a customer has a bad delivery experience with a company, 38% of them will quit buying from them.
• Annually, 11% or more of shipments in the United States are lost, stolen, or misdelivered.
• In 2020, the total value of shipments stolen from US delivery customers will be $7.4 billion.
• The average loss per parcel theft is $136.

Other types of proof make visibility and responsibility easier.

Of course, not all deliveries are signed for. Sometimes a recipient does not want or is unable to sign for a package. A driver may sign a paper certifying that delivery was accomplished or snap a picture of the box at the delivery site in these situations.

These proofs may not carry the same weight as a legally binding signature. They can, however, assist you in determining when and where an issue happened in the last mile.

In a 2020 poll, more than half of respondents stated they prefer to purchase at stores that use secure delivery methods like contactless delivery. Contactless drop-offs are made more secure with photographic confirmation of delivery. Plus, when it comes to resolving disagreements over a package’s condition upon arrival, a picture can help.

Traditional proof of delivery techniques assist avoid theft and fraud by ensuring end-to-end responsibility for delivery companies and their consumers. Even more can be done with electronic proof of delivery.

Why it’s better to have electronic Proof of Delivery

E-POD offers the same security as old techniques while also providing for more flexibility and information access. You may improve your clients’ last-mile experience as well as your efficiency by using electronic proof of delivery solutions.

Here are five reasons that going digital with your proof of delivery benefits your delivery partners and customers:

1. Electronic documentation allows you to collect and maintain documents in a secure manner.
   Unlike paper receipts, which can be destroyed or lost, electronic papers are digitally preserved and backed up. Instead of having to shuffle through a stack of documents at each stop, drivers benefit from being able to access all of the relevant documentation on a single device.
2. Real-time updates can be collected and distributed by drivers. To figure out the status of a delivery, delivery managers don’t have to wait for couriers to check in or carry papers back to the office. As soon as data is captured, it becomes available to all parties.
3. Employees don’t have to spend time entering data into different systems. Someone must enter your manual evidence of delivery into your delivery management system. This procedure not only takes time, but it also raises your chances of making a mistake. With just one incorrect input, delivery dates, unit numbers, and other data can be tampered with. By inputting the data only once and using automation to distribute it, you can avoid making mistakes.
4. Automatic, real-time notifications keep everyone up to date. Enable automatic alerts triggered by the e-POD entry to improve your customer support for shipping partners and end customers. Over 70% of customers desire the ability to track their packages in real time. You’ll save time by fielding fewer “Where is my package?” phone calls and provide a better customer experience by automating your operations, including delivery confirmation.
5. Traditional solutions lack the scale and flexibility that E-POD provides.Implementing an on-demand, digital proof of delivery system enables you to increase your fleet and exchange data across your organization without burdening back-office workers with excessive paperwork.

EasyRoutes makes implementing e-Proof of Delivery simple

EasyRoutes includes electronic proof of delivery in the form of multiple photos, a signature, and a note field. Each stop has its own set of instructions. Drivers can gather the recipient’s signature and check the recipient’s identification or age using their mobile devices. Signed signatures are immediately accessible to you in your store’s back-end, and your customers can see the proof of delivery on their customer tracking page.

Customers can check the picture to verify sure the package was delivered to their address if the recipient couldn’t find it. If the snapshot demonstrates that the gift was delivered to the correct location, you’ll both know that more research is required!

For complete, automated record-keeping, delivery coordinates and timestamps are automatically appended to both signature and photo proofs.

Electronic evidence of delivery gives everyone peace of mind about their supplied goods and services. You can exceed your clients’ expectations while saving time and money by using EasyRoutes’ delivery management and routing tool.

Start a 14-day Free Trial