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Articles › Strategic Planner • Oct 31st 2024

What Is Delivery Strategic Planning?

Wise Systems

Wise Systems

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Last-mile delivery is no picnic. There’s a lot to think about, from optimizing routes to loading trucks. But logistics providers have to look at the bigger picture, too — how do you get goods from a regional warehouse to a customer’s front door?

Logistics companies use strategic planning to organize and speed up deliveries. This approach divides your service areas into optimized territories instead of managing all deliveries in a single large area.

In this guide, we’ll explain how delivery strategic planning works and offer expert-vetted tips to help you create better territory plans.

In this article:

What Is Delivery Strategic Planning?

Person reviewing strategic planning diagrams and notes on a wall

Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels

With delivery strategic planning, a business organizes delivery addresses into geographic areas. Instead of sending delivery drivers all over town, your business chops large delivery areas into smaller, more manageable zones for each driver. This process improves delivery speed, cuts down on travel times, simulates different frequencies, models costs, and gives your customers a better experience.

Of course, it takes a lot of data and planning to determine delivery territories. This process works by:

  • Analyzing demand based on past customer orders and stop frequencies
  • Defining your delivery area into regions based on size or delivery volume
  • Optimizing delivery routes for each territory
  • Balancing each driver’s workload
  • Updating delivery routes based on real-time data

5 Tips for Better Delivery Strategic Planning

Drivers hands on a steering wheel

Photo by Daniel Andraski from Pexels

A lot of planning goes into defining delivery territories. Follow these quick tips to design smart plans that slash costs and delivery timelines.

Use Strategic Planning Software

Most businesses don’t plan territories manually. They use tools like the Wise Systems delivery automation platform to gather data and quickly draw conclusions about the best possible delivery plans. This software can even help you pinpoint the best areas to build micro-fulfillment centers, making the last-mile process faster, easier, and more affordable.

Request a demo today to learn how Wise Systems can streamline your delivery strategic planning and improve last-mile efficiency.

Let the Data Tell You What’s Going On

Strategic planning software gathers a lot of data, including delivery locations, stops, delivery timelines, and driver performance. The software can drill down into each territory to find points of friction, whether it’s traffic, driver issues, or customer requests. Let the software’s automations take care of demanding tasks, like dispatching, while you dig into the data to find opportunities for improvement.

Share Plans With Your Customers

Create a white-label customer portal that offers real-time delivery estimates. The right software effortlessly shuttles this information between the driver and customer, keeping both parties updated on any changes.

Integrate Data Sources

Delivery driver looking at a smartphone

Photo by Norma Mortenson from Pexels

Do you use an OMS? Don’t treat delivery strategic planning as a separate tool: solutions like Wise Systems relay plan results to your OMS for better route planning.

The more you can integrate into a single platform, the less time you’ll spend switching between solutions, allowing you to maintain focus on the task at hand. Plus, integration allows you to pull even more data into your territory and route plans, developing better strategies in less time.

Adjust Plans as Needed

Who says your territories are set in stone? Things change, and you may need to tweak your plan.

For example, if data tells you that customers in one area stopped ordering as many goods, you may need to reclassify those addresses so your delivery drivers have a balanced workload.

Streamline Your Delivery Process With Smart Strategic Planning

Your customers expect flawless, on-time delivery. It seems like a reasonable expectation, but last-mile delivery is tricky for delivery providers.

Give your drivers a leg up by using strategic planning solutions like Wise Systems. With Strategic Planner from Wise Systems, you can effortlessly adjust and share territories with internal teams and your customers.

The Wise Systems delivery automation platform offers tools for every stage in the delivery process, so you can streamline your last-mile operations with ease. Get in touch with us today to schedule a no-strings-attached demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I balance workloads between delivery territories?

Delivery strategic planning software analyzes demand and allocates drivers as evenly as possible across your territories. If one territory has a surge in demand, you may need to break it into smaller zones.

Solutions like Wise Systems can help you do this in real time, making the most of driver resources without burning out your team.

What are some key performance indicators (KPIs) to track in delivery strategic planning?

Look for a strategic planning software solution that will compile this data for you automatically. Important KPIs include:

  • Delivery times
  • Cost per delivery
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Percentage of on-time deliveries
  • Driver performance

How often should I update my delivery strategic plan?

Today, updating your delivery strategic plan in real time is essential, especially if you deliver to high-volume areas. However, if you experience consistent demand with few changes, you can use the same strategic plan for several months. Look for changes in traffic, delivery volume, or customer demand, and adjust your plan accordingly as things change.

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