“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics….”
–Sun Tzu
While God created all people as equals in his eyes, the same cannot be said about our goods. Some packages are more expensive than others, and some are even fragile, thus requiring a little extra attention.
While some people debate against the said fact, they don’t realize that you cannot transport a car like Tesla in the same way you deliver furniture from IKEA.
That’s where white-glove delivery steps in. For a novice, white-glove delivery services are just about sturdy packaging, but as a concept, there is a lot more to white-glove delivery that meets the eye.
Here is a quick refresher if you are not familiar with the concept.
White-glove delivery is the final-mile freight delivery solution that adds value to the whole delivery process. Many renowned names in the logistics industry are already offering these solutions to win a more lucrative client base and higher revenues.
White-glove delivery offers high-end logistics services beyond the traditional delivery between docks. Here are a few critical components of white-glove delivery:
- Removing and packing material before loading
- Ensuring the goods are adequately wrapped to avoid any damage
- Loading and unloading the goods with liftgates or other technological aids
- Delivering the goods to their destination in a safe manner
- Placing and installing the goods at the destination
While this list is not exhaustive, it should give an insight into the services that white-glove delivery offers.
Why Does Your Business Need White-Glove Delivery?
Logistics companies dispatch several freight packages via land, sea, and air every day. While some consignments are sturdy, many are fragile and require a great deal of attention to avoid damages during transit.
Let’s look at some potential shipping issues you may encounter when dealing with large shipments.
1. During Land Transport
It is the most widely used mode of transportation, and shipments by trucks and cargo vans are prone to preventable dangers. Some of them include:
- Cracks in freight due to jostling: You can mitigate this by securing the cargo with proper packaging and equipment.
- Problems during temperature-controlled freight carrying frozen, perishable goods: You can remedy the situation by having tabs to regulate the temperature.
- Accidents: It can be mitigated by having proper schedules for the drivers with a logbook to track if they have had their rest during the journey.
- Thefts/Vandalism: The vehicles can be secured using video surveillance cameras on the vehicles themselves.
2. During Air Transport
Although many consider it the safest means of transport, some issues can affect the freight while in the air. These include:
Jostling of freight during take-off and landing. Using belts to secure packages is a great way to avoid that.
Movement of goods during turbulence. You can use D-containers to restrict these movements and secure the cargo even in turbulent conditions.
3. During Sea Transport
It is not always smooth sailing when transporting cargo via sea routes. You can face the following problems when moving freight containers via sea:
Constant changes in temperature affect the good below the deck. Proper sealing and temperature management systems can help keep the goods safe.
Perishable goods can expire during long travel times. White-glove delivery encourages companies to anticipate proper times for delivery of such goods promptly.
Physical damage of goods due to powerful waves under horrible weather conditions is a common cause of goods bouncing around. You can use the correct size belts and equipment to keep the goods secure and prevent spillages.
The Impact of White-Glove Delivery on Logistics Industry
It is a matter of pride for a logistics company to offer white-glove delivery services to their clients.
Believe it or not, white-glove delivery services are a low-cost solution to the large-item shipping category. Some of the best practices in white-glove delivery include:
- Assessment of items to determine the packaging requirements
- Securing the cargo with proper materials and sealing
- Wrapping the delicate items with shock-absorbing packaging
- Organizing the goods neatly during transportation
- Determine the best mode of shipping for the goods
While these measures might seem trivial to many, leading brands like Louis Vuitton deliver their products using white-glove delivery to ensure the customers receive them in pristine condition, thus, providing a satisfying customer experience.
Now that you have a clear understanding of elements of white-glove delivery, it is time to assess the overall impact it can have on your business if you implement it using an AI-powered solution like NetworkON.
Location
A logistics company can have one or multiple warehousing or storage hubs in different locations. While large cities can have more than one, smaller towns will certainly not match the same numbers.
NetworkON’s AI-powered route optimization features can help you determine the correct transportation route within a specific geographic area and help you deliver goods on time.
In addition to that, you can also use NetworkON’s white-glove delivery functionalities to coordinate warehouses and truck drivers for pickup, delivery, and installation of products from a single dashboard.
Providing accurate customer information is essential for successful deliveries.
Leverage an intuitive and user-friendly agent app to help your white-glove delivery agents navigate to the customers’ location with ease. In addition, allow agents to collect proof of delivery to increase transparency.
Delivery Type
Every significant eCommerce business offers multiple delivery types to its customers. With NetworkON, you can differentiate different types of deliveries like same-day delivery, white glove delivery, and more to assign them to expert partners.
Automatic Scheduling
NetworkON enables white-glove delivery businesses to automate order scheduling. Its complex algorithms assign the jobs to delivery partners in the field as they are on the move.
You can also use it to increase the number of high-paid deliveries and offer fair compensation to the partners
Pricing
Pricing of white-glove delivery can be highly elastic. Since customers can essentially choose the level of white-glove services they want, it can often be challenging to have a concrete pricing figure for a specific shipment.
As the white-glove delivery process becomes standardized, you can create pricing tiers for the level of services required and optimize the prices.
Next Steps
Leveraging the right technology stack can help you provide superior white-glove services.
With NetworkON, you can streamline the white-glove delivery process, automate the mundane tasks and leverage the power of AI to optimize routes, determine ETAs and handle ad-hoc delivery tasks with ease.
The logistics industry is evolving at an unprecedented rate, and only the best companies will be able to scale up their operations and differentiate themselves from the competition.
Embrace the change and offer white-glove standard services in your portfolio. Personalize your offerings, deliver goods without damage, meet the expected shipping times and deliver an outstanding customer experience every time.
To know more about using NetworkON for white-glove delivery, get in touch with our experts today. You can email us at info@networkon.io or visit our website.
Know of any other ways in which white-glove delivery services impact the logistics industry? Share your views in the comments.
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