Where most people mainly see 'normal' trucks and vans driving around, logistics companies are busy behind the scenes with a digital revolution. After all, logistics is no longer just about pushing boxes, but about connecting data streams, organising processes smarter and unburdening people.
That shift from parcel to person is a key driver for many parties in logistics. Every shipment should feel like a well-arranged appointment, not a gamble on whether or not the delivery driver will be at the door today. This starts with transparency towards customers and recipients, but works through to direction and predictability throughout the chain. From the moment a shipment is registered to the delivery and any feedback afterwards.
By cleverly connecting IT systems, companies can continuously measure, improve and refine processes. Efficiency is of course a very nice bonus, but the real goal is a better customer and recipient experience. Thereby, digitisation is not a stand-alone project, but part of how the sector fulfils the step from package to person every day.
A digital ecosystem that continuously learns
The logistics industry is working hard to create cohesive digital ecosystems. Innovative IT systems thereby run like a thread through the business and the chain. Think of digital shipping solutions that customers work with, route planning platforms and mobile apps that support delivery staff in the field. Because these systems are linked, information can be shared quickly and processes connect better.
A key part of this is optimising routes and streamlining communication between deliverers, depots and customers. By combining data on addresses, volumes, traffic situations and historical patterns, routes are composed smarter and progress is continuously monitored. At the same time, the number of first-time deliveries increases as parcels arrive at the right place at the right time. During their route, delivery staff receive new instructions in their mobile app, for instance when a recipient changes the delivery location at the last minute, or when planning stops are rearranged due to a traffic jam or urgent shipment. This allows operational teams to make immediate adjustments without the delivery driver having to make a detour. For recipients, this means that they receive their package in one go - for logistics providers, it is confirmation that smart IT and operational experience reinforce each other.
That digital ecosystem does not stand alone. Logistics parties are increasingly actively seeking cooperation with other players in the market, for instance when expanding networks of parcel points and vending machines. By preparing their own digital infrastructure for this, such partnerships can be connected to existing processes relatively quickly. Step by step, this creates a more finely meshed network with more choice for the recipient.
Moreover, that ecosystem is constantly evolving. Data from different sources - from scan moments and route information to real-time tracking and customer feedback - is combined. This creates a learning system that provides daily insights into what is going well and what could be improved. These insights are used to adjust processes, further develop software and refine service propositions. Change thus becomes an ongoing process, not something that happens once every few years with a major IT migration.
AI as an accelerator - but with the human touch
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasing role in this development. AI is used, for example, to automatically categorise customer feedback and assign it to the right teams. This allows faster responses to signals from customers and recipients. The time between a signal coming in and finding a solution is getting shorter and organisations are learning faster from recurring patterns.
AI further helps to recognise patterns, ease repetitive tasks and better inform decisions. In the warehouse, you see this reflected in smarter handling of small shipments: a robot at the mini-sorter with cameras and sensors automatically determines the best way of sorting and handling based on shape and dimensions, reducing the need for manual intervention and improving the flow of parcels. In other places, AI is used to process issues faster, identify recurring causes of complaints and analyse large amounts of operational data for improvement opportunities - resulting in a more stable process and more reliable tracking information for shippers and recipients.
The human touch remains leading. Employees must keep the space to make real trade-offs in customer cases, especially when a situation is complex or sensitive. AI can do an initial sorting or give suggestions, but the final decision lies with people. In this way, the power of technology is harnessed without losing the human face.
Control for recipients
The recipient is increasingly central to the way the last mile is viewed. People want to be able to decide themselves until the last moment where and when delivery is most convenient. At home or increasingly at parcel points and vending machines.
This freedom of choice is directly reflected in the quality of delivery. If recipients can tailor the delivery to their day, the number of missed deliveries drops significantly. Delivery drivers drive less in vain, fewer delivery attempts are needed and recipients experience more control over their delivery time. This feels like convenience for them and efficiency for logistics organisations.
Transparent first and last mile
Digitisation is not just a last-mile story. Also on the first-mile side, where (business) customers deliver their parcels, the technology ecosystem plays a major role. There, smart links between shipping solutions, web shops, ERP systems and other customer systems ensure that every shipment has a digital footprint from the very first moment, which can be tracked throughout the chain. Shippers therefore have earlier and sharper insight into their orders and statuses. With real-time tracking for collections, they also see exactly when a driver will stop by to pick up shipments and when they will flow into the network - making the first mile as predictable and transparent as the last mile.
Connecting first mile and last mile digitally creates a consistent customer journey end-to-end. Shippers and recipients look at the same process, but receive information tailored to their roles.
Customer feedback as an innovation engine
Customer feedback plays a key role in all this. For modern logistics players, review platforms and customer surveys are not only assessment channels, but above all important sources for continuous improvement. By actively inviting as many customers and recipients as possible to share their experience, a much more complete picture of the day-to-day experience is created than if only the extremes report.
A key principle here is personalised feedback. Customers and recipients should be told what has been done with their feedback. By doing so, logistics companies show that people's experience matters and that they do not only look at numbers, but at the people behind those numbers. Combined with digital ecosystems and AI applications, customer and recipient feedback thus becomes a real innovation engine - and a driving force behind the move from parcel to person.
A look ahead to an agile, data-driven logistics landscape
Looking to the future, we see the entire logistics sector rapidly becoming more data-driven. Customer expectations are changing, new technologies are emerging and regulations are evolving along with them. Our industry can only remain agile if we keep designing digital solutions flexibly from the ground up. So instead of one big system that rarely changes, we should increasingly work with smaller modules that we can adapt more quickly.
Digitalisation in logistics is ultimately about much more than showing a tracking link. It is about how we set up processes, systems and cooperation in such a way that the person behind the parcel is central. At GLS Netherlands , we are convinced that the step from parcel to person is mainly made with data, smart IT and a strong focus on the entire customer journey. That is the path we work on together every day.
