Efficiency is one of the most important aspects of all successful businesses. Delivery drivers who optimize their delivery process not only make their own lives easier, but can improve the overall effectiveness of the company they work for. But how does efficiency translate to increased customer satisfaction, higher cost savings, increased profit, and higher levels of productivity?
By using new tools, strategies, ideas, and technologies to boost the efficiency level of UPS drivers, the business can directly profit from a higher level of productivity and savings.
Three Ways Route Optimization Makes UPS More Efficient
One of the most important ways that UPS can translate efficiency into cost savings is by using route optimization software. All companies that are struggling to figure out how to boost their delivery efficiency should consider using route optimization apps to speed up and optimize the delivery process.
Using this simple technology can help avoid traffic slowdowns, avoid wasted time, increase the ability to fit more deliveries into a time slot, save money on gas and equipment, and increase customer satisfaction due to on-time deliveries. If companies avoid using route optimization due to financial concerns or outdated thinking, they will suffer the negative side effects of lower customer satisfaction levels, slower delivery times, and wasted employee time.
Pinpointing the three things that UPS drivers should use to help boost efficiency levels is the first step in determining what can be improved in the company. By including route optimization software to act as a method to achieve the following targets, UPS can boost employee satisfaction, improve customer satisfaction, reduce delivery times, and improve daily productivity levels.
- Setting Priorities
One of the most important things that can help any UPS driver boost their efficacy levels on their daily delivery routes is to set priorities before the day has begun. Once the delivery driver has the manifest of their deliveries, software can help prioritize the route based on the delivery slots and customer demands.
Using a route optimization app, like Straightaway, allows drivers to simply upload their manifest with the press of the camera button. After this, it uploads to the app - and the app does the rest, calculating the most optimized route based on traffic patterns, weather conditions, road closures, and geographical planning.
Straightaway lets drivers organize their delivery schedule so they can prevent any missed delivery time slots and unhappy customers. By using an app that takes into account the pre-set delivery time slots, customer requests, and customer delivery instructions, delivery drivers will not have to manually calculate the delivery time slot per customer.
Furthermore, setting priorities using the route optimization app lets drivers avoid any damage to the precious goods they are going to customers. If customers are ordering perishable goods that must be delivered before a set amount of time has passed, Straightaway can use the time slots to set priorities and ensure perishable deliveries do not expire throughout the delivery day.
Another feature that Straightaway uses to help set priorities to determine delivery times is the driver’s availability. By knowing in advance the hours of the delivery driver, the number of packages that must be delivered during the day, and how much time each delivery will take per stop, the app can recalculate their workload accordingly. To avoid overworking employees and keeping employees on a manageable delivery schedule, setting priorities is key to improving employee morale.
- Monitoring for Feedback and Insight
Another aspect that can help UPS drivers become more efficient with the delivery process is monitoring drivers and receiving updates to see how they are doing on their delivery day. Although this can seem invasive to the delivery drivers’ privacy, it actually helps the business as a whole keep an eye on who is performing, who is not completing their routes, and who feels overworked during the delivery process.
By keeping an eye on the progress of individual drivers, UPS can ensure that each driver remains happy with their current workload and they are able to be successful during their daily tasks. Monitoring progress ensures that every driver can remain efficient and reach their target performance level.
Monitoring performance levels of employees provide managers with information and data regarding their real-time location, current progress, and driving route. By viewing their performance in real-time, management staff can see if any driver seems to be confused during their route, appears to be lost during the day, and might need help in the future with meeting the quota.
To avoid employees feeling overworked, using Straightaway can help optimize a driver's route so they can be as efficient as possible. Straightaway helps drivers stay on their route without the need to reevaluate during the day, ensuring they do to get lost while delivering a package, they remain on the fastest route, and they do not get stressed having to re-adjust their delivery route as the day goes on.
- Easier Communication Between Drivers and Customers
The final thing that can help UPS drivers become more efficient is the ability to increase the communication between customers and the employees. By opening a door of communication between staff and employees, UPS can avoid low customer satisfaction levels that can lead to a drop in customer loyalty.
Keeping an open channel of communication between consumers and drivers lessens the chance of customer complaints or unhappy clients. Furthermore, a two-way conversation lets drivers communicate their current situation or changes in delivery times to the client - this real-time update can ease a driver’s anxiety regarding a missed delivery slot and keep the customer in the loop.
By using Straightaway, drivers can seamlessly speak with customers through the app to avoid confusion, miscommunication, and unprofessionalism. Having a route optimization app eliminates the need for using personal cell phone numbers when speaking with clients to provide updates regarding their delivery.
Straightaway can Boost Every UPS Driver’s Efficiency
To boost the efficiency level of every single driver working for UPS, the company needs to focus on setting priorities, monitoring their workers, and facilitating communication between drivers and customers. Doing so will help boost employee morale, customer satisfaction, and make the lives of delivery drivers much easier - a benefit that can improve employee retention rates and avoid high turnover rates.
Implementing a route optimization app like Straightaway can help UPS accomplish all of these pre-set targets. Straightaway helps the diver set priorities by automatically updating the manifest, re-adjusting with real-time changes, and taking into account customer requests and pre-set time slots. Furthermore, Straightaway provides a GPS location for drivers, so management staff can monitor the daily progress to avoid overworked employees and underperforming workers. Lastly, Straightaway facilitates easy and professional communication between delivery drivers and customers to avoid lower satisfaction levels and stressed drivers.
