Augmented reality (AR) provides users with a unique digital experience. While it may not seem obvious in the last mile delivery industry, AR has the potential to really shake up deliveries. In fact, it has already started to do so. Here we examine how exactly it can help couriers and exactly where it can be useful.
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented Reality (or AR), is when digital technology is integrated into your physical environment. These elements can include sound, images, or words transmitted through a smartphone, glasses, or headset. It creates an immersive experience where this digital information transforms your perception of the physical world.
A concrete example of AR would be Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s AR glasses allow users to watch movies and do many other activities. Your movie is then projected onto your physical environment. So, you continue seeing your surroundings, but a layer of digital images is integrated.
How Does AR Improve Last Mile Delivery?
Last mile delivery is expensive. According to Accenture, it accounts for 53% of the total cost of shipping. Using AR devices, including smartphones and glasses, you can improve route planning, deliver parcels faster, and increase customer satisfaction.
The high costs of last mile delivery were highlighted by DHL. They said that drivers spend 40% to 60% of their time away from the distribution center not driving. AR could help solve this inefficiency by solving issues that drivers struggle with during their deliveries.
AR could also help drivers locate parcels, and understand the delivery requirements by scanning them with wearable AR glasses. Rather than needing to scan each parcel individually, AR glasses could scan them all at once. The driver would gain time at every stop that they made with an innovative solution.
3 Places AR Can Help Couriers
Vans
A delivery driver arrives at the correct address and parks. They get out, open the back, and are confronted with a lot of parcels. Some of which may have moved around during the drive. They have to rely on their memory of the way they packed the van to find the parcel(s) to be delivered. It’s not an efficient way to work and slows deliveries down.
But AR can help! If a driver was wearing AR glasses, they could scan all parcels simultaneously to find the right one in a fraction of the time. Once the package is in their hands, AR could be used to close the van doors. The driver could use a voice command or eye movement to close the van doors.
One example of technology that currently does that is Scandit. They provide barcode scanning software with augmented reality. With this tool, drivers can scan multiple barcodes at once to identify the correct parcel in record timing.
Delivery Address
Our driver now has the parcel in hand, their next challenge is to find the correct building or house and locate the entrance. This isn’t always an easy task, house numbers could be hidden, or the entrance is through the backyard.
Using an AR device, they could view all Google Street View information to identify the entrance. If the information isn’t available, AR devices could be used to build up a database of information to help others.
In fact, Google’s AR glasses help users to navigate better using Google Maps. Using their immersive technology you can find the entrance faster with their AR directions.
Distribution Centers
Back at the distribution center, things can get chaotic. There are a lot of people coming and going and a lot of items to track and place correctly. It’s another place where AR can come in useful, it can be used to create maps of the warehouse or center that can then be used to identify how to use the space more efficiently. These maps can also be used to train staff faster and more effectively.
AR can also be used to log where items have been placed, that way they can be found quickly. Using AR, the distribution center can be more organized and efficient.
TeamViewer Frontline provides this technology, using their wearable tech, workers can reduce manual errors and improve quality. It improves logging parcels, inventory control, and logistics processes.
Innovate Your Courier Business
Using Augmented Reality, you innovate your courier delivery business and stand out from the crowd. By using AR, you can increase your efficiency, speed, and organization, and also improve customer satisfaction.
Innovating your business can start with improving route planning and optimization using Onfleet. We provide advanced algorithms to make your deliveries more efficient, increasing on time delivery rates by up to 100%. Harnessing the power of software to improve your routes and starting to use AR hardware will increase your customers' loyalty and the number of new clients.