6 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Same-Day Local Deliveries
In the digital age, online shopping has become the norm. The same is true for delivery services. 51 percent of online retailers have given into the rising demand – most now offer a same-day delivery option at checkout. For small businesses that rely on local customers, a one-day turnaround for orders can make all the difference.
At first glance, it seems simple enough. Find a courier service, receive orders, and send them out. However, it would help if you prepared your staff and store for same-day deliveries first.
Group Orders Together in Batches
Grouping your orders in batches makes the consolidation and picking process much easier because you can process multiple items for multiple customers – for instance, you can pick up all the items for fifteen orders simultaneously instead of picking them up one by one.
When the picking process is complete, you can sort the items into their appropriate orders. Doing it this way will ensure you’re working efficiently by cutting down the number of trips you or your staff have to make around your store.
Configure New Order Alerts
When your business is gearing up for a same-day delivery service, you must set up alerts that will notify you every time you get a new order so you can begin the picking and delivery process.
You can get these notifications via an app on your mobile device or through e-mail, depending on what software and e-commerce platform you use.
Test Your Site
Test your website frequently to make sure that it is working properly. You should check your site’s load time, that your platform’s listings are correct, and any glitches in the ordering and checkout processes. A malfunctioning website is completely preventable, so make sure there are no issues.
Train Your Staff
You should train your staff members to handle the complexities of same-day delivery quickly and resolve any problems that may arise effectively.
On top of training your staff correctly, you should also ensure you have enough employees to get the job done. Each employee should understand every step of the ordering, picking, and delivery process, and they also need to how much time should be spent on each task. Your staff should also become familiar with your courier if you’re not doing the deliveries yourself.
Keep Track of Your Inventory
To successfully implement a same-day delivery service, you need to keep track of your inventory at all times. You need to know exactly what is available and keep a record of where everything is located in-store.
You’ll also need to know how quickly you can restock each item if it runs out, and you should be able to name similar alternatives for your customers.
Try to Simplify the Fulfillment Process
You should assess your fulfillment process on an ongoing basis so that you can keep a record of the corrective measures you’ve taken in the past. It would help if you always looked to streamline the delivery process by identifying where you could improve.
Talking to everyone involved in the delivery process will also give you a better idea of how much time it takes for an order to leave your store and get delivered to your customers.
