Delivery management app: objectives and must-have features

Delivery management software (DMS) is common among restaurants to better manage the delivery orders. Taking a closer look at what the key features are.

Delivery management software objectives

It is undeniable that with the flourishing of the food delivery management software, restaurants need to keep up. Similar to any software development solution, the delivery management app is born to solve the issues that the restaurants are facing when they try to manage their businesses. The main objectives of the on demand delivery management software are to:

• Help owners obtain the transparency of the delivery management process
• Optimize delivery routes by providing real-time feedback and planning
• Mitigate potential transportation risks (in case of misconduct from any parties participating in the process)
• Provide a high level of information transparency for customers
• Promote automation in task/person allocation

Delivery management software fundamental mechanism

The primary mechanism of the restaurant delivery management software can be easily understood by looking at the whole processing of a customer placing an order. From the moment the customer places an order on their on demand food ordering app to the time they receive their ordered items, there are three main steps: Order submission, Order processing, and Order completion. The DMS plays a vital role in coordinating all the parties involved in the process. It signals the restaurant staff to prepare the order; at the same time tracking, shippers with real-time GPS; generates ETAs for the merchants and the shippers. By adopting the DMS, businesses definitely enhance the customer experiences in ordering food from home.

Must-have features of Delivery management software

Although there are multiple options for delivery management software available in the market, they all have some similar features to ensure the best outcome of the work they support. It is highly important for you to take a look and understand these features to select the right solutions for your businesses. From the POS system to the high-end restaurant management system software, it is always a good idea to grasp the essential features coming from agile software delivery.

Customer experience leveraging

The first and foremost feature of a DMS solution and any restaurant management software is to keep the customers informed at any time during the delivery process. It can happen in the form of displaying the exact time and route length that can affect the total bill. It also allows end-users and the enterprise software delivery fleet to interact to customize the experience for each one of them. The transaction can now occur with a human touch combined with automation.

2. Instant chat/ messaging

Instant message is the key to the party interactions to achieve a particular agreement without the need to call for a middleman. The instant chat is usually a built-in feature that allows human-to-human messaging. It can also integrate with a chat-bot that imitates natural human language and clearly answers customer requests, which is a resource-saving option.

3. Crowdsourcing

The crowdsourcing of this software development service lies in the ability to allocate orders to the nearby drivers rather than fixed fleet. It improves the total time allocation and cost-effectiveness. The crowdsourcing feature is known to be one of the essential features among business owners.

4. Digital Control Towers

For managing end to end of a supply chain, the food and beverage industry is fond of the term borrowed from the airline industry “digital control towers”. In its origin, the word means a physical tower where the control panels and staff steadily watch and manage air transportation. In technological metaphor, it often means the ability of the delivery management app to take control of all related activities. The DMS works as a station to execute this function.

5. Location tracking

GPS tracking is a must in any option of on demand food delivery app development. It promotes real-time location identification and transparency among parties that participated in the process of delivery. The location tracker acts as a two-way communication method in ensuring the orders can come to the right place and can be traced back in case of an emergency.

6. Last-Mile Optimization

The last-mile transportation is quite an obsession with people working in the supply chain industry. In the DMS, its real-time data and interactive platforms provide a hassle-free way to implement the last-mile delivery. Business owners can definitely utilize the data generated by the transactions to improve the product/service they are providing.

7. Integration with other software systems

The DMS system cannot be a stand-alone system, it should be attached to an overall restaurant management system software. This integration streamlines the information flow between systems and eliminates the need for handling manually any other tasks. Besides, it is also a wise decision to connect it with the best restaurant POS system. The data aggregation puts businesses in a convenient position to manage business information without putting their extra resources.

Conclusion

F&B practitioners should always update with the latest features of the delivery management software as it continuously evolves with the speed of the technology advancement. If you are going to take on a new DMS solution, take into consideration the real needs and available resources to make the right decision. The key features are always there for you to benchmark.