Project LastMile - Delivery service goes smart
Consumer purchasing behavior has changed dramatically in recent years. Characterized by fast-paced living, packed schedules, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, leisurely shopping trips have become a rarity, replaced by delivery services in (almost) all sectors. Consequently, food delivery services are booming.
Whether it's a pizza from your favorite Italian restaurant, a healthy, regional organic produce box directly from the farmer, or freshly baked goods, one thing is certain: The goods should be delivered fresh, efficiently, and ideally, in a climate-neutral way. But what role does digitalization play in this context?
How multiple ideas can be combined to achieve a common goal
The Digital Innovation Hub East project, or DIH-OST for short, aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises in their digitalization efforts and pave the way for them to achieve this.
To increase efficiency in bakery delivery services, a smart route planning system, "BonTour," was developed in collaboration with bakeries at the project's outset by digitally transforming existing processes.
The resulting app allows producers to create sales routes, assign drivers and vehicles to these routes, view the current location of the sales vehicles, contact drivers, and evaluate completed routes. The application for mobile sales staff displays the route and each stop on a map. Additional information is shown for each stop, such as "no honking," "beware of dog," or "park at the garden gate." Drivers can also add additional information to a stop.
In a subsequent webinar, "Smart Supply Chain," held in the second year of the project, the focus was on the delivery service of organic produce box providers. Customer service and fleet management were key aspects of the project.
From a variety of ideas and opportunities generated by the "BonTour" and "Smart Supply Chain" initiatives, another project ultimately emerged: "LastMile".
What does LastMile offer end customers?
The previous developments from BonTour were used and expanded with several ideas from the "Smart Supply Chain" webinar to create the "LastMile" project.
Connected to the "BonTour" route planning system, the new application is specifically tailored to customer needs. In addition to accessing current and past orders, the app allows customers to enter their availability and track drivers, including their current location and the number of stops made before delivery. "LastMile" thus offers the ability to optimize delivery routes while providing customers with an up-to-date overview of their order status and direct communication with drivers. Simple, efficient, and smart.
Conclusion
"LastMile" highlights the significant importance of digital transformation for SMEs and demonstrates how the value chain can be effectively implemented and practiced within the DIH-OST project.
LastMile is an open-source solution and will be released on GitHub after the project ends in August 2022.
Project details and contact information can be found at: