Door to door package theft has been a growing problem ever since home delivery has been in existence. I’m sure you’ve seen a Youtube video or two of a home surveillance camera catching a thief in the act. Most people aren’t home during the normal delivery business hours which seems to have led to massive door theft. The solution up until this point has been for delivery drivers to leave the package at the door.

Alternative Delivery Solutions

Many courier companies and startups have tried to solve this issue.  There once was a new startup on Shark Tank that tried to solve this problem by placing a secure box outside the recipients home and drivers would then be charged with the task to leave the package within the secure box.  While this is a creative idea, convincing millions of home owners to buy a box is quite a feat to overcome.

Amazon’s Delivery Solutions

Amazon aims to resolve this problem by offering in-home deliveries. The program is called Amazon Key and is available only to Amazon Prime members. It’s important to note that in order to enroll in this program, you will need to purchase a kit for $250 which includes a surveillance camera and a key.  The surveillance camera will be triggered and will notify the home owner when the delivery driver arrives to your door with the package.  The customer can then watch the delivery driver drop off the package.  The delivery driver will use the key provided by Amazon to enter the customers residence.

What’s Next For Home Delivery and Delivery Software

For years Amazon has led the way in home deliveries and it will be exciting to see what they come up with next.  Perhaps a flying drone or driver-less car is in the works.

Automation is a key component to quicker and more efficient delivery transactions.  Amazon may have solved the issue of door theft and improved key factors on the frontend of the transaction, but have they solved the problem of automation and route optimization which are backend problems?  After all, a human will need to deliver the package to the door which drives up the delivery cost because the humans’ wages need to be accounted for.

Sophisticated delivery software can help improve communication between the customer and the driver and can increase the route optimization for dispatch and the driver.  Zippykind has created a delivery management software that offers dispatch operators total oversight over their fleet of drivers and offers drivers advanced route optimization tools so that each driver can get to where they need to go quickly and can update customers and dispatch throughout the delivery process.  If you operate a delivery business and are wondering how you can keep up with titans like Amazon, then consider Zippykind as your delivery management software.