What is the last-mile logistics ?
Logistics is essential to every company. Its purpose is to satisfy demands relating to the management of materials (transport, packaging, storage) and associated information flows (traceability). To achieve this, logistics is in charge of managing the resources needed to reach this objective (materials, machines), and mobilizes resources (human, financial) to do so.
Goods transport is an important part of the logistics chain. In urban environments, where last-mile logistics are involved, companies are confronted with problems linked to congestion and respect for the environment. As a result, supply systems in city centers need to be restructured, starting with goods transportation.
Why last-mile logistics?
Because it's the most expensive mile. As the product gets closer to its final destination, the unit cost of transport increases, peaking in the last kilometer. If the first few kilometers are well controlled (just-in-time flows between their inventories and their delivery centers), unit transport costs are often highest when we get closer to the end customer. This is the "last mile challenge" faced by many logisticians and their e-merchant customers.
This issue is particularly important in the case of mail order and e-commerce (+22% in 2009 according to Xerfi).
How can we improve last-mile logistics?
Today, many solutions are being put in place to limit the negative consequences of this last mile.
Vert Chez Vous has chosen :
- an ecological and sporty method using bicycles or non-polluting means of transport
- and a more "logistical" method involving the pooling of flows