Tired of putting out last-mile fires? Real-time data sharing across logistics systems will put most of them out for good.
Most last-mile problems don’t actually start in the last mile. They start upstream: The wrong item goes out, a driver doesn’t get the update, and the customer ends up with something they didn’t order. On the surface, this looks like a delivery issue, but it’s usually an information problem.
In other words, the transportation management system (TMS), routing and scheduling software, and order management system (OMS) weren’t “talking” to each other. And when those siloed systems don’t share data and updates, gaps become pretty noticeable in the last mile of the supply chain.
“We see this every day. What looks like a delivery issue is nearly always an information issue,” says Matt Finger, VP, Customer Experience at Roadie. “Orders, routes and customer updates live in different places, and when systems don’t share data in real time, the last mile breaks down fast.”
For most of software’s history, getting systems to talk to each other and work from the same playbook was a lot like getting two toddlers to share a snack. It’s just not going to happen.
Let’s say you bought an enterprise resource planning (ERP) from one vendor, a TMS from another and a warehouse management system (WMS) from a third. Getting these to share data and sync took costly custom integrations, a small army of IT pros and enough workarounds to wallpaper a warehouse.
This changed when Salesforce rolled out the first web API in 2000. eBay, Amazon Web Services, Facebook and others quickly followed suit, introducing their “shared language” interfaces that let disparate systems pass specific bits of information back and forth without giving them full access to one another.
Once systems are connected and kept in sync using application programming interfaces (APIs), the whole operation gets easier to run — from order intake to final delivery.
The API model shines in the last mile, which depends on good collaboration and accurate data to function properly. With all these discrete systems talking, everyone from the warehouse manager to the driver to the end customer can work from the same set of facts.
Blind spots are expensive in the last mile. Without a unified stream of data, the cost of miscommunication adds up fast:
The problems usually trace back to systems that kept information to themselves.
Connecting those systems changes what the whole operation can see and act on before things go sideways because:
These wins don't happen by accident. They show up as soon as a shipper's TMS talks directly to their delivery provider. The Roadie platform includes API integration with major platforms, such as Shopify and Zapier, that helps businesses automate and track deliveries in real time, keeping customers informed from the warehouse to the door.
With the Roadie-Centiro integration, retailers can access Roadie’s nationwide same-day delivery network directly through existing shipping workflows. By separating label creation from data transmission, warehouses maintain full speed even during peak periods. They can also avoid system slowdowns that happen when order volumes spike.
Roadie also integrates directly with UPS, allowing businesses to manage deliveries in one place and bill Roadie shipments to their existing UPS account. These deliveries count toward UPS contract commitments and tiers, helping simplify billing while expanding delivery options.
Getting connected before you need to be
Roadie built its API to work with existing systems, resulting in faster startup times and less headaches for the IT team.
With Roadie’s API integration, businesses and 3PLs get:
These wins matter as supply chains shift and the last mile becomes more unpredictable. For example, when the pandemic hit, Tractor Supply Company had to compress a months-long same-day delivery rollout into a few weeks. The retailer’s integration with Roadie was already set up, allowing Tractor Supply to launch same-day service across 1,462 stores. Even amid an extremely challenging, chaotic period, Tractor Supply became the first major general merchandise retailer to offer same-day delivery from 100% of its locations nationwide.
As Tractor Supply and many other retailers have discovered, connected logistics systems in the last mile result in faster decisions, straight answers for customers and operations that don't require an extensive team to manage.
Click here to learn more about how the Roadie API gives companies seamless, on-demand delivery.