Evolution of Delivery Courier - Priyasseoni/Priya GitHub Wiki

A decade ago if I asked you what is your definition of Professional courier service? You would say “a Professional courier is one which delivers the package on time and in case of any inquiries, the company should be able to answer our calls". Now if I ask you the same question, the answer would have much more expectations than before. The expectations have gone up because many organizations with the help of technology have made life easier for us. The delivery industry has evolved and is still evolving.

Here are some of the major changes that we have seen in the last decade in the courier industry:

Technology – The biggest change in yesterday's and today's courier service is the technical advancements. The way you place an order or how to track order, everything is driven by technology. A few years ago to send a courier you had to visit the courier office. Now you can get courier pickup from home. Online courier service like Pidge provides a user-friendly app to enter your order as well as track it 'LIVE' once the order is initiated. You can track your order from the pick up to delivery with the exact driver location all the time. Better technology not only ensures faster and better service but also a reduction in cost due to a lack of manual assistance required.

Players in the market – A few years ago few names would come to your mind if anyone asked you to list a few courier services. Today if you Google “Courier service near me" you would get a bigger list. The reason is the growing demand for courier services. Where has this demand come from? The growth of the e-commerce industry. We want to buy everything online from toothpaste to shoes. Who ensures that we get what we have ordered? E-commerce business relies heavily on delivery courier services. Where there is demand, supply starts building up.

Customer expectations –2 words that define today's expectation changes are "Millennial" and "Entrepreneur". These are two sets of people that have come to exist and have changed the industry to a large extent. Government initiatives like Make in India campaign have also increased the growth in entrepreneurship. These sets of customers want same day delivery with improved quality and better service.

Cost-effectiveness – Higher expectations imply higher investment to be made by companies. Hence courier companies are trying to automate the process as much as possible to reduce costs. Instead of hiring and spending on manpower, these companies are investing in technology which in the long run is a much more cost-effective way to operate.

Driven by customer expectations whether it is same day courier service or the most professional courier service, delivery courier vendors have made many changes keeping costs under control. Still, it's a long road ahead.

Expectations and competition will keep increasing but the undeniable fact is 'change is inevitable'. We see a lot of positive changes in the courier industry. The industry has evolved and we expect more changes towards improvement will be made.