The pandemic has laid a fillip to the e-commerce sales right from ordering groceries, essentials, and food, which also pushed the demand of bolstering the delivery and logistics services. Several small businesses and brands have pivoted online to build their independent online store to become direct-to-consumer brands. The increasing number of small businesses going online is paving demand for logistics service post- covid a majority of them now will be heavily dependent on the doorstep or last-mile delivery services.
Challenges in the last mile delivery for MSMEs and D2C companies
The D2C business counters several bottlenecks in the supply chain while being a new player in online commerce. Here are the most challenges faced by the businesses :
Last-mile order tracking: It is cumbersome for small businesses to manage last-mile deliveries through multiple courier partners that also require customer care to be seamless and proactive.
Not catering to all geographic locations: Small businesses cannot do order fulfillment for demand coming from small towns and villages of India as their logistics partner does not service such remote areas, leaving those markets underserved and losing business opportunities.
Managing reverse logistics: Reverse logistics management is crucial for MSMEs to remain competitive and provide the best online shopping experience to customers. Most problems faced are during the pick-up point of the returns, as most delivery men are not available at the designated time slot.
To cater to the challenges faced by the small business and D2C in the supply chain, Ecom Express – a technology-enabled end-to-end logistics solution to provide for the e-commerce industry – has recently announced the launch of a self-sign-up portal called E-Zippie.
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E-Zippie enables micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners, sole-proprietors and home-preneurs, to quickly and conveniently sign-up for logistics services.
What is E-Zippie for small businesses all about?
The portal enables micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners, sole-proprietors and home-preneurs, to quickly and conveniently sign-up for logistics services. It will act as a one-stop shop for logistics services in less than 30 minutes. Also, benefitting Ecom Express, this initiative will help to simplify the customer onboarding process with various small businesses by enhancing user experience and providing more flexibility in terms of service plan and price selection.
E-Zippie will be leveraging the latest banking and identity verification APIs to reduce redundant manual back-end processes and paperwork for smooth onboarding and can start shipping orders instantly. For solving customer grievances, small business owners can submit requests at their convenience through their mobile that will be directed to the concerned department that handles the request without any manual intervention or re-keying of information.
How will E-Zippie prove to be beneficial for small businesses?
The backbone of India’s economic strength lies on the shoulders of 6.3 million small businesses. With online shopping becoming the norm in the pandemic, robust logistics and digital capabilities will be crucial for the growth of an online small business. What took 10-12 days for a small business to register with a logistic player, with E-Zippie will take less time.
Moreover, Ecom Express’s delivery network reaching more than 27000 pin codes, will enable small businesses to make their products available to rural and remote places of India and tap the underserved market conveniently. Small businesses can gain direct control of their shipments with maximum flexibility in managing their end-to-end shipment life cycle.
