Technology’s sole purpose is to serve the body. It has been designed to reduce the physical load. And technology is acing its purpose of reducing the stress and working hours of delivery boys.
“We are changing the world with technology “
It is not that we use technology, we live technology. Technology has made what was once impossible possible. It has made its presence evident in almost all the spheres of industry. The F&B industry is no different. Technology is that weapon that helped the vulnerable F&B industry to conquer the vicious war against the pandemic.
By empowering delivery boys who are the backbone of the industry, it has given more strength to the industry. The delivery boy with a phone in one hand, an unstrapped helmet on the other and a heavy backpack full of goods is the most visible face on the roads.
He doesn’t deal with parcels alone, he also deals with the recipients ‘expectations and reactions. They have to deal with pesky customers that too with optimum patience and calmness. As that is what they have been taught during their training period. They just say sorry and move on, even when they have pissed off themselves.
Drivers are often loaded with more hours, deliveries and stress, leading not only to mistakes but also major deliveries issues. What has made their job easy and convenient is technology?
Emerging technologies like IoT, AI, blockchain and wearables helped delivery boys in tweaking the existing systems to their advantage.
Technology has enhanced the delivery efficiency and made the process more convenient for delivery boys. In the highly competitive F&B industry, winning the race against time is a must for those determined to succeed.
Through real-time location tracking and remote monitoring of critical control variables, they give delivery boys the opportunity to respond efficiently to any problems that may arise, such as:
• Delivery delays due to the unpredictable weather
• Drastic changes in temperature of refrigerated trucks and containers
• Delivery delays due to heavy road traffic
• Delivery delays due to cargo damages.
Technology’s sole purpose is to serve the body. It has been designed to reduce the physical load. And technology is acing its purpose of reducing the stress and working hours of delivery boys. Let’s see how it is serving its purpose.
Ways in which technology has empowered delivery boys:
1. Technology like IoT is nowadays being highly utilized to provide an end to end view of the entire supply chain in real-time, including monitoring of goods location and condition, and the sending of alerts to delivery boys if anything goes wrong.
2. It saves delivery boys from cargo damage. Technology like AI can help in the timely detection of any issue in the cargo and thus, will help delivery the boys resist frustrating delays and food spoilage.
3. It also helps in decoding the best route. For instance, UPS utilizes AI algorithms for intelligent route planning. It ensures reduced delivery time and peril free delivery of perishable goods.
Different food tech organizations are rapidly adopting advanced technologies and training their employees so that they too can bring these technologies into practice. They are aware of the fact that giving their delivery boys the opportunity to upskill at work to make them eligible to incorporate technology in their work is extremely vital in the prevailing status quo
For instance, wearable technology is widely adopted by logistics companies as these wearables not only eliminate the danger of mobile phone conversations while driving but also ensure that the delivery boys would not miss any vital notifications that can hamper their job.
These wearable devices also help in monitoring driver fatigue levels. Smart watches like Apple help to send a message to headquarters in case the driver is sleepy or is feeling drowsiness. Moreover, if there is a blind spot, a technology-driven blind-spot detection system is there to notify you through vibration.
The amalgamation of technology and food logistics is bound to yield promising results. They have eased the work of delivery boys.
Furthermore, the efficiency of driver and asset utilization go hand in hand, and by better managing assets, you can make more timely and efficient deliveries without burdening drivers. And technology has tremendously helped food tech companies and delivery boys in this pursuit.
Source: Business World
