Google has announced the launch of Last Mile Fleet Solution from Google Maps Platform and Cloud Fleet Routing API from Google Cloud – two new solutions to help fleet operators improve delivery success and optimise fleet performance.
The pandemic has accelerated e-commerce adoption and strained supply chains, while consumer expectations around delivery speed and visibility have reached an all-time high. At the same time, last-mile delivery is estimated to make up more than half of total shipping costs. This means last-mile fleet operators have to work harder to create better consumer experiences and improve their operations. Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing API help fleet operators address these challenges through an integrated suite of mapping, routing, and analytics capabilities.
Cloud Fleet Routing API focuses on the route planning phase of delivery and allows operators to perform advanced fleet-wide optimisation, enabling them to determine the allocation of packages to delivery vans and the sequencing of the delivery tasks. Natively integrated with Google Maps routes data, Cloud Fleet Routing API can solve simple route planning requests in near-real-time, and scale to the most demanding of workloads with parallelised request batching. Across this spectrum, customers can specify a variety of constraints, such as time windows, package weights, and vehicle capacities. Cloud Fleet Routing runs on the cleanest cloud in the industry and can help carriers meet sustainability targets by reducing distance travelled, number of delivery vans, and CO2 output from computing.
Last Mile Fleet Solution focuses on delivery execution and allows fleet operators to optimise across every stage of the last-mile delivery journey, from e-commerce order to doorstep delivery. The solution also helps businesses create exceptional delivery experiences for consumers and provides drivers the tools they need to perform at their best when completing tasks throughout the day. It builds on the On-demand Rides & Deliveries mobility solution from Google Maps Platform, which is already used by leading ride-hailing and on-demand delivery operators around the world.
When implemented together, Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing API allows businesses to optimise across every stage of the last-mile delivery journey.
“The pandemic further accelerated both e-commerce and the number of deliveries, which were already growing rapidly,” said Hans Thalbauer, Managing Director, Global Supply Chain & Logistics Industries, Google Cloud. “The increased strain on delivery networks, plus many other factors like driver shortages, poor address data, factory closures, and an increase in fuel prices have impacted delivery time and success.With Google Maps Platform’s Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing API, we’re making it easier for delivery fleet operators to address these issues and create seamless experiences for consumers, drivers, and fleet managers.”
