The Courier Industry in Kenya: by Eugene Orunga (self help books to read TXT) 📕

vi.            Peace of mind: This system will give both you and your clients a piece of mind. The system is easy to use; it updates automatically and maintains communication between your company and the customer. No waiting for a phone call to say the item hasn’t appeared, or wasting time phoning around to check items have arrived.

vii.            Professionalism:Items delivered by properly maintained systems often make a good impression on the customer.

viii. Knowledge: Knowledge, they say is power – and if you know where your parcel is you can respond professionally to any customer inquiries.

With the d-trail mobile package-tracking app, you can track your packages right from your Android phone. You can now relax and do all you got to do as your parcel is safely transported to its destination. When your package is delivered, you’ll know when to come home. D-Trail will help you speed up your delivery processes and improve on your service delivery. This will ensure customer satisfaction and will go along way in building your reputation in the industry.

For more details about the D-rail system and more insights about the parcel delivery industry in general, visit the product’s website at http://d-trail.co.ke and join D-Trail on social media at the following links:

v Like the D-Trail facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DTrailKenya?ref=hl

v Follow Dtrail_Tracker on twitter at https://twitter.com/Dtrail_tracker

v Connect on linked in at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=210895023&trk=tab_pro

Other Advantages of using the D-Trail System

We maintain the infrastructure which means you can now concentrate on your core business process of delivering parcels.We leverage business analytics and reports to help you make the right decision for your business. From customer analytics, to rider efficiency reports, as well as ability to manage your riders across multiple offices efficiently. Using our custom algorithms, you can intuitively direct the nearest rider to the next parcel collection point, or just view real time data of your rider’s locations and transactions. Your clients get instant SMS notification on delivery, arrival of parcels, or late deliveries.You get to send SMS’s to your clients informing them of promotions or any new feature of your service.Using QR code makes data recording and authentication easy, fast and accurate. You no longer have to trace missing delivery papers. You can generate proof of delivery reports complete with rider location maps and times. And where required, time stamped image.

System Requirements

In order to use the D-Trail system, you will need to register with the developers of the system (Doban Africa). For more details on how to purchase the system, visit http://d-trail.co.ke. Once your company is registered, log in details and the user manual will be provided to you and you will be able to have the D-Trail experience.

 All you need to have is an internet enabled computer, android/java camera phone and about 7- 10 delivery people or more in order to fully maximize the functionalities that the D-Trail system brings to you.

The home delivery sector has been experiencing unprecedented growth in the last few years. Historically, home delivery of many goods was much more common in urban centers of the developed world. The range of goods that can be delivered to the home is extremely wide. They may range from groceries, small packages, large items, flowers, cooked meals, electronics and computer accessories, furniture and even water and gas.

The core of this market remains the agency mail order business and the delivery of high-value household items such as electrical appliances and furniture. While these services have been expanding, new forms of ‘remote’ shopping have emerged which also require home delivery.

The growth of on-line shopping is now responsible for much of the increase in van traffic in residential neighborhoods. Concern has been expressed about the economic efficiency of home delivery operations and their wider social and environmental implications. While retailers and carriers are keen to exploit new commercial opportunities in the home delivery market, local authorities are considering the resulting impact on the transport system.

Couriers, retailers and restaurants are all embracing home delivery services in order to appeal to their customers. With the growth and development of urban centers and increased home shopping, home delivery services have become a necessity to most urban dwellers. There is therefore need to tailor home delivery services to meet the requirements of both the customers and companies in order to accommodate future trends in the industry.

From the customer’s point of view, home delivery services would suit him/her best when the items are delivered at the time of their choice and when they are available. Customers also need reassurance of when their products are going to arrive while they are waiting, so they need to be aware of where the vehicle and the parcel are. Flexibility is also a feature that customers would like to see in most delivery companies offering home delivery services. When the items arrive while they are out of their homes, the delivery company should be willing to deliver the items at another location where it will be easier to retrieve. The consignors (senders) will want to see proof of delivery reports so that they know if their items have arrived in good condition at the specified address.

Courier companies act on behalf of the consignor to deliver items to their places of choice. Consignors would like to be represented by excellent couriers who would deliver the items in the way the consignors would do, if they were to deliver by themselves. Couriers should therefore be willing to go an extra mile in doing all they can to represent their clients in the way they want. Its therefore important for couriers to improve their delivery services so as to meet the needs of their clients and customers. There is therefore need to improve on their parcel management systems, employee management and improved customer relations.

Some of the issues that are likely to shape the future of home delivery services include:

i)                    Improved Transparency

This is in terms of letting the customers be part of the delivery process by giving them updates on the progress made on their items during the delivery process. This will highly improve customer satisfaction. Couriers and other delivery companies should have in place systems that can send either email or text message notifications to clients informing them about the status of their deliveries. Such messages may be as simple as ‘Expect your delivery in about an hour’.

ii)                  Proof of Delivery

Clients want to know about their deliveries. They need something as proof that their items were delivered in good conditions and to the right people at the addresses they specified. Some couriers use signatures to prove deliveries were made; others use photos of the recipient or home where the delivery was made. With developments in technology, new systems are in place to give evidence of delivery electronically, and notifications sent to clients.

iii)                Real Time Tracking

The popularity of smart phones has made is easy for the gadgets to be used to provide real time location tracking. With appropriate applications, drivers, riders and all delivery people can join the delivery network. This technology also means you can know the actual location of a vehicle in real time so for a home delivery a customer can track the order being delivered or receive an automatic alert when the vehicle with their package is within a certain radius.

iv)            Secure Drop Boxes at Properties

Courier should advice their home delivery clients to have secure boxes at their homes or offices, where their items can be dropped when they are not at the premises. The boxes should be lockable and placed at a secure location.

Brown, Elizabeth F. (1988). "Business America, "Kenya's telecommunications market is opening up to U.S. suppliers", 24 October 1998". Business America. Retrieved March 16, 2006.

"Peter Kariuki, CCK speech, CTO Workshop on Telecommunications Competition and Privatisation, 5 March 2003". Retrieved March 16, 2006

http://www.cck.go.ke

http://d-trail.co.ke

Text: Eugene Orunga
Editing: Beth Mmboyi
Publication Date: 04-19-2013

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
This book is dedicated to my mum, Mrs. Rose Pauline Orunga, for her encouragement and support throughout my education and career