Web Accessible Product Delivery/Tracking Systems

How small business can monitor and evaluate performance of the web accessible delivery/tracking systems.

The web accessible delivery and tracking applications provided by main delivery carriers have brought expectations among small businesses. It is now almost certain that up-to-the-minute information on shipments can be accessed at anytime from anywhere. It is the high-tech data systems that coordinate and track all elements of shipping that accomplish expansive supply chain visibility.
Although some businesses are somewhat familiar with the internet, they often venture into the e-business world blindly or without sufficient guidance. The internet does provide potential; but it is also necessary for businesses to understand how to leverage this technology and avoid or lower risk simultaneously. An investment to the system must be thoroughly evaluated to determine costs, risks and value. Business owners/managers should adopt a set of objective measures to monitor and evaluate the performance of their shipping partners regularly. The failure of coordination would result in excessive delays and poor customer services (Levenburg 355.)

To most Internet shoppers, reliable and on-time shipping is just as important as the ability to easily browse products via a web-site and confidently and securely pay for them. (Appendix B) Successful order fulfillment and delivery can significantly contribute to the consumer loyalty to online retailers ("Consumers" 19.) Hence, when a small business monitors and evaluates the performance of its delivery partner, it should consider the cost, the delivery quality and real time. A mechanism for compensating unsatisfied delivery performance should also be built between the retailers and the carriers, such as how to deal with the claims for missing, damage, delay or wrong delivery.

There are five categories of the major methods for supplier performance evaluation that are suggested in the supply chain management realm: categorical approaches, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, rating/linear weighting models, mathematical programming models, and integrated approaches (Araz, Ozfirat and Ozkarahan 3728.) These effective tools are very helpful for small businesses to develop and implement a long-term strategic partnership with their delivery suppliers.

"A Synovate survey of 1,000 U.S. adults identified online shoppers' top delivery priorities as reliability (tops for 30 percent of the sample), convenience (28 percent) and shipping speed (19 percent). Eighty percent would likely shop again with a retailer who provided a positive delivery experience, the survey said. Nearly 70 percent said they preferred to do business with retailer who offered online package tracking, rates and service selection." (Consumers Seek Shipping Choice, 2005)