Running a delivery operation without the right tools is like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded. Delays, unhappy customers, and rising costs can quickly pile up. That’s where delivery management software comes in handy.
It can streamline your operations, cut down unnecessary expenses, and make your customers happier. If your business is struggling to keep up, it might be time to rethink how you manage your deliveries.
But how do you know it’s time to make the switch?
In this article, we’ll look at 10 signs that show your business is losing money, and how delivery management software can get your business back on track.
But first, let’s determine what exactly delivery management software is.
What is delivery management software?
The definition is straightforward. Delivery management software is a digital tool or software suite that helps businesses manage and streamline their delivery operations. Sounds simple, but it also does so much more than that.Â
The core function of delivery management software is to handle every aspect of the delivery process. From dispatch right through to tracking. In short, this is the mechanism that ensures deliveries are completed on time.
But how does it manage all this? With automation.
Delivery management software automates tasks like route optimization and driver assignment, so your staff won’t have to sit for hours with slips of paper and packing labels to figure this out.
It even assists with digital proof of delivery.
Delivery management software also gives both your managers and your customers a real-time overview of the delivery process. If you provide accurate ETAs and reduce delivery errors, your managers will have fewer headaches to deal with, and your customers will love the service they’re getting from your business.
It’s a win-win for everybody!
Why it matters for your business
You might wonder if you really need something like this.
Delivery management software is across a wide spectrum of industries, from logistics, e-commerce, and grocery delivery to pharmaceuticals and field service businesses.
And what happens when your business begins to grow? It might be easy to manage everything with a spreadsheet now (or manual tracking). But what happens when your business grows?
Beyond the scalability, you’d also have to deal with human error if you’re not using a delivery management system. After all, to err is human, but these mistakes could lead to delayed deliveries, lost packages, and irate customers.
And with customers expecting same-day or next-day delivery these days, you’ll need a delivery management system that can optimize your routes in a fraction of the time. As a bonus, it will also help you reduce fuel costs.
6 signs you need delivery management software
Delivery management software can give your business a competitive advantage. If you deliver quickly and accurately, you’ll get better reviews, and your customers will be loyal to your brand.
Customer experience is not something you want to take lightly. After all, it’s one of the key factors identified that will either make or break brands in 2025.
Let’s look at the ten most common reasons why your business needs delivery management software.
1. Missed deliveries and delayed deliveries
Late deliveries are a serious matter. It should be addressed immediately since it damages customer trust. Upset customers can lead to your business receiving negative reviews online, which in turn can lead to lost business opportunities or sales.
So ask yourself, what are some of the reasons for delayed deliveries? These could include:
- Inefficient route planning,
- Poor driver communication,
- Even unexpected traffic.
Delivery management software solves this with route optimization so your staff can, in a matter of minutes, work out the fastest and most efficient delivery routes.
This type of automation also reduces missed deliveries, since both your customers and staff can get automated notifications. And digital proof of delivery just covers all your bases so there’s no confusion later on.
According to a study by McKinsey & Co, more businesses should be focusing on automation. They recommend that the “immediate focus should be on technologies that can work quickly, such as robotic process automation (RPA), smart workflows, or data-visualization tools.”
This is one of the key ways your business can save money. Delivery management software can help with this.
2. You’re struggling to keep track of drivers
It’s risky not knowing where your drivers are or when they will be arriving at your customers’ doorsteps.
With a delivery management system, you’ll be able to provide live ETAs to your customers. And thanks to GPS tracking, you can monitor routes and ensure driver accountability.
It’s useful to know when your drivers are when you’re dealing with irate customers, but it actually goes beyond that. By providing real-time driver tracking, customers get peace of mind.
It also makes your own internal planning so much easier, and you won’t have to deal with a million panicked calls about the status of a delivery or the time of arrival.Â
3. More and more customer complaints
Customer complaints can hurt your brand and your reputation. The most common complaints involve delivery times, lost packages, or even just the lack of updates from a company and/or its drivers.
With the type of automation that delivery management software provides, you can give your customers automated notifications and real-time updates. This already goes a long way to reduce customer complaints.
4. Your delivery costs are rising
“Delivery costs” is a wide umbrella term that is made up of a lot of small, easily avoidable profit gobblers. Think: the time wasted on inefficient routes, the costs lost to poor fuel management. Even drivers’ idle time!Â
It all eats into your profits.
Thankfully, a delivery management system can take the inefficiency out of the process by optimizing routes.
More efficient routes and monitoring driver behavior will also lower fuel consumption.
5. You’re relying on manual processes
Spreadsheets and other manual processes might work well if your business is still small. But what happens when you begin to scale?Â
This is when the limitations of spreadsheets, paper-based systems, or outdated tracking methods become glaringly obvious.
A delivery management system will automate order/booking management while finding the best route, so dispatching becomes a breeze. You’ll also get reporting and a deep-dive into the data behind these processes.
All of this just means your delivery process runs smoothly and efficiently, and your deliveries are on time. And according to Statista, retailers see a 30% higher customer retention when their deliveries are on time.
6. No real-time visibility, no accurate ETAs
The quickest way to lose control is to forego live visibility. This includes everything from not knowing where your drivers are, to not being able to provide your customers with accurate ETAs.
But if you use a delivery management software solution, you can get detailed insights through the software’s dashboards and advanced reporting features.
What do customers want? Fast deliveries. And nothing frustrates a customer more than unreliable delivery times. With a delivery management system, you can use predictive analytics to calculate accurate ETAs.
Everyone benefits from this: from a medical supplier with life-saving deliveries, to a flower delivery service during peak holiday seasons.
Also read: Top 5 consumer trends for 2025: What businesses need to know
Final thoughts on delivery management software
If you’re noticing any of these signs, now’s the time to invest in delivery management software—before it costs you more than it should.
Locate2u’s delivery management software uses real-time traffic (including weather data!) to build the most efficient routes for your deliveries. This reduces fuel costs and travel time.
Your customers can provide feedback and rate the driver’s performance, which bolsters driver accountability. And you can easily identify areas within your fleet and your business that may need improvement.
And thanks to the schedule management system, you can plan deliveries with ease. That means your company’s resources are used in the most efficient way.
Locate2u’s complete delivery management solution includes:
- Live location tracking
- Proof of delivery
- Customer reviews
- SMS alerts
- Route Optimization
- Last-Mile bookings
- Delivery resource management
- GPS tracking.Â
Plus, it’s super easy to use!
Remember: Delivery management software is not just for large corporations or Fortune 500 businesses. It’s for everyone, across a wide range of industries.
About the author
Cheryl has contributed to various international publications, with a fervor for data and technology. She explores the intersection of emerging tech trends with logistics, focusing on how digital innovations are reshaping industries on a global scale. When she's not dissecting the latest developments in AI-driven innovation and digital solutions, Cheryl can be found gaming, kickboxing, or navigating the novel niches of consumer gadgetry.
