How to Achieve a Greener Final Mile
Is going Green on your 2020 to-do list? While hundreds of companies have publicly announced sustainability initiatives, less than 20% of Supply Chain Managers say they have a plan in place to hit their company sustainability goals.The final mile has historically been one of the most expensive and wasteful parts of the supply chain. How do you turn that around and build a greener final mile?
1. Improve Dispatching & Carrier Technology
Cutting down on inefficient miles spent by final mile carriers is the first place to look when going green. Many carrier companies are still operating without operational systems, some using a pen and paper, some using Excel. When joining the Carrier Partner Program, 22% of our carriers reported having no operating system.As good as many carriers are at final mile deliveries, sometimes there is no replacement for artificial intelligence and a sound dispatching system.Cut down on inefficiency in the last mile by ensuring your carriers use a dispatching system.Of course, this does not mean forcing your carrier to use your portal or dispatching system if they already have one in place. You should integrate to your carriers system or, as an eTrac shipper, if your carrier does not have a dispatching system, eTrac will provide them one for free.
2. Ensure Carrier Compliance
Mistakes are naturally inefficient and waste resources. Damaged items end up in landfills. Items delivered too late or incorrectly are returned. Lost items must be replaced.Taking strides to improve carrier compliance can not only improve your bottom line, but cut down on your environmental impact.Start by working with your carriers to agree on a set of standards to abide by; define each service level so everyone knows what the expectations are for completing an order.Then, analyze carrier performance regularly to make sure standards are being met. Are orders being delivered on time? Are items being repeatedly damaged by the same carrier(s)?This information should be accessible in real-time for your review regularly. eTrac customers have access to a complete Business Intelligence Dashboard, showing them invaluable insights on their final mile and carrier compliance.
3. Know Your Numbers
When building a more sustainable supply chain, one option is to offset your emissions and waste. In order to offset, though, you must know how much is produced.Visibility through your final mile is key to knowing your numbers and improving your environmental impact. How many miles were spent on deliveries and attempted deliveries? What was done with drayage? What were fuel emissions when picking up returns?Using tools like driver mobile applications and dispatching systems, then aggregating all of your data into one dashboard can paint the clearest picture of your final mile carbon footprint.At eTrac, we help you utilize this with our Business Intelligence Dashboard. Your customizable dashboard can provide you with the insights needed to offset your footprint.
The Key to Going Green in the Final Mile
With dispatching and mobile tools to improve carrier efficiency and your visibility, and data that’s all available for analyzing in a customizable business intelligence dashboard, eTrac is your partner in building a greener final mile.Learn more about eTrac here.