As explained by Supply Chain 24/7, consumers’ expectations for faster fulfillment continue to grow, and millennials specifically are willing to pay up to 30% more to get products faster. Unfortunately, this demands a seamless, efficient supply chain process. The most straightforward delay from poor collaboration could lead to a missed final mile delivery or even chargebacks against the company. However, shippers that understand how improving final mile collaboration benefits the final mile and whole supply chain can reap higher profitability.

What’s Wrong With Final Mile Collaboration or Lack Thereof?

The problem with collaboration is simple. Carriers do not necessarily want to work together. It is in the best interest of the carrier to keep as many operations within their network. Of course, recent years have seen multiple carriers outsource their needs to smaller, localized delivery providers. This is especially true in areas where a carrier’s available resources are limited. Failure to collaborate and ensure a successful final mile customer experience will render the entire process obsolete and ineffective. Customers do not care what a carrier does to get products on time; they only care about getting what they expect. More importantly, a lack of collaboration in final mile logistics sets the carrier and shipper up for failure. Customers may expect to have products delivered in the home and installed, such as with the use of white-glove services. A lack of collaboration will result in products being resigned to traditional delivery models, such as “just leave on the porch” (JLOP), which increases the risk to the package, shipper and carrier.