Redeeming the mis-judged devil
Redeeming the mis-judged devil
Improving delivery predictability by 96%
In the competitive kirana market, celebratory days are rare. However, when GMV realization increases by an average of 8%, alongside a rise in the NPS of the blue-collar workforce, you know something is cooking.
In the competitive kirana market, celebratory days are rare. However, when GMV realization increases by an average of 8%, alongside a rise in the NPS of the blue-collar workforce, you know something is cooking.
The perfect storm
The perfect storm
Ever walked into an office floor in complete chaos? It's one of those days when a meticulous coworker, immersed in metrics, brings to light issues that send entire teams into a frenzy. As a designer for a wholesale, supply chain-focused, customer-centric organization, I unwittingly found myself in a meeting about to erupt into a perfect storm.
On the face of it, the agenda of the meeting was pretty straight forward - where is my delivery? The reason this was being brought up was
Ever walked into an office floor in complete chaos? It's one of those days when a meticulous coworker, immersed in metrics, brings to light issues that send entire teams into a frenzy. As a designer for a wholesale, supply chain-focused, customer-centric organization, I unwittingly found myself in a meeting about to erupt into a perfect storm.
On the face of it, the agenda of the meeting was pretty straight forward - where is my delivery? The reason this was being brought up was
Defining the devil
Defining the devil
Our customer delight team was inundated with queries, with resolution times sometimes exceeding an hour. Agents struggled to meet the basic target of answering all customer calls in a day. The message was clear: we had anxious customers who repeatedly faced broken delivery promises.
Simultaneously, the helpline email overflowed with hundreds of complaints. Customers reported instances of delivery personnel making fake deliveries, delivering to other stores in the area except theirs, speaking rudely, and arriving when they weren't available.
The gravity of the situation weighed on every member present in that meeting. We recognized that overcoming this challenge wouldn't be easy, as research unveiled the complexities inherent in last-mile operations.
Our customer delight team was inundated with queries, with resolution times sometimes exceeding an hour. Agents struggled to meet the basic target of answering all customer calls in a day. The message was clear: we had anxious customers who repeatedly faced broken delivery promises.
Simultaneously, the helpline email overflowed with hundreds of complaints. Customers reported instances of delivery personnel making fake deliveries, delivering to other stores in the area except theirs, speaking rudely, and arriving when they weren't available.
The gravity of the situation weighed on every member present in that meeting. We recognized that overcoming this challenge wouldn't be easy, as research unveiled the complexities inherent in last-mile operations.
Problems uncovered
Problems uncovered
Predictability
Customer's delivery and delivery hero's day both longed for predictability
Customer's delivery and delivery hero's day both longed for predictability
Route adherence
Delivery heroes do not follow the system-predicted route, as all touchpoints are available at once
Delivery heroes do not follow the system-predicted route, as all touchpoints are available at once
Vehicle loading
The loading of the vehicle is not optimised for accessibility or movement of delivery hero inside the vehicle
The loading of the vehicle is not optimised for accessibility or movement of delivery hero inside the vehicle
Location accuracy
Waste a lot of time in searching for the exact location of the customer
Waste a lot of time in searching for the exact location of the customer
Lack of transparency
In salaries for delivery heroes with no knowledge of the amount or the date of credit
In salaries for delivery heroes with no knowledge of the amount or the date of credit
Training of delivery hero
Lacks understanding on scenarios and practicality of experiences
Lacks understanding on scenarios and practicality of experiences
Empathising with the devil
Empathising with the devil
The barrage of problems that were unveiled would easily unnerve anybody working in this space. There was an urgent need to triage and prioritise these problems. But, how would you go about that?
Adopting a user-centered design approach, with the user as the focus, we analyzed the problems.
The predominant theme that emerged was the critical need to introduce predictability into the lives of our busy, multitasking kirana store owners. With predictability as the guiding principle, the first issue to address was ensuring that the organization promised customers a fixed delivery time and consistently delivered on it.
The barrage of problems that were unveiled would easily unnerve anybody working in this space. There was an urgent need to triage and prioritise these problems. But, how would you go about that?
Adopting a user-centered design approach, with the user as the focus, we analyzed the problems.
The predominant theme that emerged was the critical need to introduce predictability into the lives of our busy, multitasking kirana store owners. With predictability as the guiding principle, the first issue to address was ensuring that the organization promised customers a fixed delivery time and consistently delivered on it.
Finding the crux of the problem
Finding the crux of the problem
Now, the delivery system we aimed to reimagine resembled a two-point perspective problem. The first point was the customer, and the second was the delivery hero—both longing for predictability.
Now, the delivery system we aimed to reimagine resembled a two-point perspective problem. The first point was the customer, and the second was the delivery hero—both longing for predictability.
Factors affecting predictability
Factors affecting predictability
Inaccurate planning
Planning was not based on real-time traffic or data, or took into account returns/re-attempts
Lack of visibility
A delivery hero would not know when the customer would not be available to take deliveries
High door step time
There were multiple instances where there was miscommunication or low information within the customer touchpoint - why a certain product looks different, or how to redeem their JumboCash balance
Lack of incentives
Delivery heroes were not incentivised or enabled to follow the route suggested
Operational challenges
Often there were delays in line haul vehicles arriving with goods to distribution hubs
Information overload
Delivery heroes were flooded with delivery touch points with little to no guidance
Trip assignment
Trip assignment being at the discretion of hub managers instead of a system doing the job brought in unfairness and bias
Vehicle loading
The loading of the vehicle is not optimised for accessibility or movement of delivery hero inside the vehicle that led to increased time during deliveries
Low location accuracy
Waste a lot of time in searching for the exact location of the customer
Solving for predictability
Solving for predictability
Geo fencing
Geo fencing
With the advent of geofence, now a system knew where a delivery hero was at all times, starting from arriving at the hub.
With the advent of geofence, now a system knew where a delivery hero was at all times, starting from arriving at the hub.
Fixed working hours for every delivery hero
Fixed working hours for every delivery hero
This meant computing and predicting real-time
• Delivery hero check-in, check-out time
• Travel time
• Doorstep time
• Delivery hero idle time/relief time, and
• Accurate delivery locations
This meant computing and predicting real-time
• Delivery hero check-in, check-out time
• Travel time
• Doorstep time
• Delivery hero idle time/relief time, and
• Accurate delivery locations
Prep for the trip - checklist
Prep for the trip - checklist
From a system perspective, this made sure that a delivery hero was prepared for the trip with
• Vehicle requirements
• Delivery requirements
• Personal care requirments
From a system perspective, this made sure that a delivery hero was prepared for the trip with
• Vehicle requirements
• Delivery requirements
• Personal care requirments
Progressive disclosure
Progressive disclosure
Now, the delivery hero was working with an intelligent system predicted route. The key here was to allow the delivery hero to focus on one delivery at a time
Now, the delivery hero was working with an intelligent system predicted route. The key here was to allow the delivery hero to focus on one delivery at a time
Check-in/out experience
Check-in/out experience
With ML improving location accuracy, now the customer could be intimated when the delivery hero was near by
With ML improving location accuracy, now the customer could be intimated when the delivery hero was near by
Cut door step time
Cut door step time
Each delivery was made time-bound with ML predicting required delivery times to incentivise lower door step times. Helplines to jump in when this time is exceeded
Each delivery was made time-bound with ML predicting required delivery times to incentivise lower door step times. Helplines to jump in when this time is exceeded
Karma points
Karma points
Incentivising the delivery hero for adherence to system generated timings, Karma points were introduced to reward delivery heroes at each step
Incentivising the delivery hero for adherence to system generated timings, Karma points were introduced to reward delivery heroes at each step
Take-aways
Take-aways
Happiness
Customers being happy is of utmost importance
Customers being happy is of utmost importance
Predictability
Having predictability in a work day makes for a better employee
Having predictability in a work day makes for a better employee
Visibility builds trust
In supply chain last mile chaos, there can be a million problems for any actor. Building visibility for processes helps onboard these actors with trust
In supply chain last mile chaos, there can be a million problems for any actor. Building visibility for processes helps onboard these actors with trust
Perspectives
A problem may not always have a singular perspective. Diving deeper into the lives of actors and viewing it from different lens can unravel deeper insights
A problem may not always have a singular perspective. Diving deeper into the lives of actors and viewing it from different lens can unravel deeper insights