In the winter months, the pressure for companies to act along supply chains increases. Online orders in retail, supermarkets and restaurants are increasing, and at the same time end customers want to receive their consumer goods on the same day. This increase offers an opportunity to increase sales for all companies that sell products online and offer same-day delivery. However, many are faced with the challenge of managing the increased order volume without losing quality and speed. The delivery platform of the Hamburg startup Fleetlery bundles orders and distributes them specifically to the available couriers. With their app, they manage to organize the critical ‘last mile’ for companies cost-effectively and at the same time keep up with growing demand. COO Timo Kerzel explains how digital platforms can determine survival in the winter months.
While many people’s consumer behavior is shifting to the home, the period with the highest sales in e-commerce is beginning for companies. Demand increases significantly from autumn onwards. “Our internal data shows a rapid increase of 20 percent within the first autumn month of October. After that, the volume increases steadily but more slowly,” reports Timo Kerzel, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of the delivery platform Fleetlery. “We see in our figures that the extreme peak around Christmas and January 1st offers companies an opportunity to increase sales. But they also show that they have to react to sometimes rapid fluctuations in orders within a few days in order to supply consumers reliably,” the expert continued. Against this background, they founded the startup Fleetlery in Hamburg, which operates without an investor and is therefore self-financed. The platform connects companies, especially supermarkets, restaurants and retailers, with couriers so that last-mile orders reach people’s homes efficiently and on the same day. The system intelligently distributes orders to available couriers, who are navigated via its own app and coordinated in real time. “Companies usually have to find additional couriers at short notice, otherwise there are longer waiting times and unhappy end customers. In the worst case, they even have to reject orders in the winter months. To prevent this, as an aggregator, we ensure that supply chains remain stable even in the event of short-term order fluctuations,” reports the COO. Timo Kerzel explains why the catering and food industries in particular are particularly affected by the high demand and how companies can cope with the logistical task.
Aggregator Advantage: How the algorithm handles the logistics peaks
“Deliveries of groceries and prepared meals increase particularly strongly in the winter months – understandably. Many people prefer to skip going to the restaurant in the cold and instead order the dishes home,” reports Kerzel. What initially sounds like an increase in sales actually means immense logistical pressure. Every order requires immediate scheduling and coordination under difficult conditions: with limited resources, in bad weather and, above all, against time. The key to logistical complexity and therefore scaling is aggregation. If order volumes suddenly increase, companies whose own courier fleets are already fully utilized quickly reach their limits. Platforms like Fleetlery relieve companies of the burden of handling complex delivery processes and ensure that processes function smoothly even when demand is high. To ensure that the ordering process remains trouble-free for everyone involved, those ordering can continue to shop via their usual apps or websites. “As a neutral interface, we take on the bundling of these deliveries and the intelligent distribution. Our algorithm means that our customers do not reach their capacity limits because we aggregate deliveries and can thus access thousands of couriers with different vehicles,” explains the co-founder. The solution is that they can utilize their couriers across many different customers and thus cushion the peak times of one company because another has a different demand curve. This makes it easier to absorb seasonal peaks without affecting delivery times or service quality. Around Black Friday and Christmas, demand also increases in retail and e-commerce: more and more people want fashion, electronics and household goods delivered on the same day.
Requirements in wet and cold conditions: Seamless courier communication
Weather conditions such as snow and slippery conditions in particular can cause transport to be delayed. This is where Fleetlery comes in as an aggregator. As a neutral interface, your platform takes over the entire, sometimes complex, communication with the driver as well as the transmission of orders. “Our live operations team is in direct contact with the couriers in order to react immediately to weather-related problems. If necessary, deliveries can be temporarily paused because the safety of the drivers is our top priority,” emphasizes Kerzel. The customer does not have to worry about anything and can concentrate on his core business, such as selling goods or preparing food. At the same time, end customers are transparently informed about delays so that they can track the status of their order at any time. This also makes it possible to react flexibly to the weather and the current traffic situation and, for example, to use e-bikes specifically to avoid traffic jams and ensure punctual delivery. “Immediate response is critical to maintaining supply chains, avoiding shortages and reorganizing operations when necessary,” said the COO. Geo-fencing functions then document arrival and delivery in real time, optionally supplemented by photo or signature evidence, giving both companies and consumers maximum transparency. “Anyone who relies on aggregated delivery processes ensures satisfied end customers and a clear competitive advantage in order to take advantage of the winter opportunity,” emphasizes Kerzel in conclusion.