IT Powered Solutions for DND

Assignment Taken

IT & Business Management Based Proposals for DND focussing on multiple goals of Excellence

Case Understanding

DND LLP focuses on mitigating the problem readily doorstep availability of daily needs products which customers subscribe otherwise separately. One important thing to note here is currently company focuses on highly perishable items such as milk, curd and paneer which requires meticulous care specifically in the months of summer or hot-humid conditions. Considering the areas of operations of DND which includes Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, barring Delhi, these areas have similar weather conditions and to ensure quality of product, customer as well as delivery partner both needs to work together for the holistic success of each others goals. Moreover the business requires cracking a suitable Logistic Management as well as Inventory Management Solution as well to optimise the delivery timings of the product and more shelf life of the goods in inventory respectively. Considering the business is quite new and budget of the operations, the technology leveraged to improve the functionality needs meticulous strategy, Trending technologies like Blockchain, AR, IOT etc is highly discouraged due to their complexities and higher budget. Moreover its important to understand simple yet effective strategies are the needs of the hour as even the areas of operations are Tier-1 cities, major part of the city are still occupied by not so highly tech-savvy people. Issues like missing products after deliveries, bad quality of product etc are more prevalent in those areas only where people are not living in high rise apartments rather staying in densely stretched colonies. The issue of poor shelf life management of goods, quality of product, delivery mishappening requires attention from both sides of the business that is improvements in user application as well as better delivery solutions.

BCS Solution Summary

The strategies aimed at mitigating the issues faced by DND encompass a multifaceted approach, leveraging technology advancements and detailed application workflows. In Part 1, the detailed flow for the Customer-Facing Application (DND UI) and Delivery Partner-Facing Application (DND Delivery UI) is delineated. For customers, the flow includes registration, schedule setting, dynamic pricing options, cancellation policies, timely notifications, and quality check mechanisms, ensuring efficient deliveries and customer satisfaction. On the delivery partner side, registration, availability selection, algorithm-based matching, compensation algorithms, optimised routing, quality checks, and integrated image detection systems streamline the delivery process. Part 2 proposes areas for improvement and expansion, encompassing leveraging AI/ML for user behaviour analysis, implementing timely push notifications, developing optimised routing algorithms, enhancing customer feedback mechanisms, investing in inventory management software, implementing dynamic pricing strategies, introducing biometric authentication, and expanding product offerings to cater to daily needs beyond the existing product range. These strategies aim to optimise operations, enhance customer experience, and facilitate business growth for DND.

Solution

There are multiple strategies which needs to be deployed to mitigate the issues faced by DND ranging from using Machine Learning Algorithms to understand and predict the peak hours of operations and developing strategy likewise. Along with that solutions needs to be focussed on developing an logistic & supply management application, inventory management as well along with that ensuring the product meets the quality check before and during the delivery, Also measures needs to be taken from Customer facing application as well. 

PART - 1 : Understanding the Flows

Mentioning the detailed step wise flow for Application deployed in the DND 

Customer Facing Application - DND UI

User Flow

1. Customer Registers in the Application
2. As a sign up bonus : Customer gets a 2 free deliveries of their chosen product. (This can act as customer acquisition technique)
3. Customers sets the schedule of the deliveries which includes time of delivery, price of deliveries, along with the planned days of "no delivery" required
4. Dynamic Pricing will be provided in app catalog in-order to serve the deliveries in efficient manner, as each individual has different wake up timings, customer should have the option to subscribe according to that and pay according to that.
5. Customer gets the option to cancel the delivery of any item only applicable till 18 hours of scheduled time (For Instance if the delivery scheduled for 12th December, 6AM, Customer has the feature to cancel at max before 11th December, 12 Noon). This is required to ensure delivery partners don't feel the frustration of making arrangements and delivering the product only to know "order is cancelled". This will ensure better shelf life and inventory management of product.
6. After receiving the delivery, a timer in the app will be triggered which will run for 30 mins. After this customer won't be able to make complaint of replacement or reimbursement free of cost. This precautionary step is necessary so that if the product delivered at doorstep remains unattended for more than particular time, dairy food items might perish. Though Customer can still give feedbacks anytime with support provided in the app.
7. A timely push notifications will be sent to the customers before the day of delivery so that customers can be alerted to take the delivery rather than keeping it unattended.
8. A timely notification to refill the wallet will be sent in-order to avoid payment transaction issues.

 

Delivery Partner Facing Application - DND Delivery UI

Delivery Partner Flow

1. Delivery Partner register to the application for first time.

2. Partner opts for the availability for the specified time period.

3. Application runs an "selection-algorithm" to match delivery partners to the customers every day before night based on customers as well as available delivery partners.

4. Based on number of deliveries assigned, "dynamic pricing algorithm" delivery partner will be compensated so that compensating the sleeping hours of delivery partners along with peak hours of delivery are also being taken care of.

5. An optimised "routing algorithms" which includes famous algorithms like "Travelling Salesman Algorithm" and "Dijakstras" will be leveraged to help delivery partners to get the best possible path along with least time consuming operations. 

6. The delivery partner collects the perishable items from dairies, inventory and proceeds to deliver along the lines of routes provided by routing algorithms

7. At the site of delivery, if customer is available to receive, the quality checks can be made instantly. A picture will be taken by delivery partner in both case if customer is available or unavailable. This will be stored in database on monthly basis to track the complaints of order fulfilment. The same pic will be shared with customer as well on the app instantly when delivered.

8. Delivery Application will have integration with the Customer Application in which picture will be shared. This shall also include usage of Open CV - "Image Detection Algorithms" Which will detect whether image holds the product which is ordered by customer along with packaging details (if packed).

9. As soon as picture is shared, the timer of 30 mins shall be triggered in user application and thus customer needs to attend the product before that time only.

Likewise all deliveries will be done

Part - 2 : Suggested Areas of Improvements and Expansion

There are multiple areas of improvements which have already been leveraged in the above flows and also mentioned below to understand the business viability of those.

1. Leverage Machine Learning & AI

Area of Focus : Customer, Partner Application

Management Principle : Understanding the user behaviour for better offering

Solution : The boom of Machine Learning & AI is known to all. This needs to be leveraged so as to understand the trends of peak hours, customers problems of that specific area. This can help to address the problem of that set of customers. 

2. Timely Push Notification for Users

Area of Focus : Customer Application

Management Principle : Notification Reminder for User

Solution : Timely Push Notifications before day of delivery to ensure user is able to attend the delivery partner. This ensures that customer can check the quality of product as well.

3. Routing And Selection Algorithms

Area of Focus : Delivery Partner Application

Management Principle : To optimise the delivery time with least hassle

Solution :Develop algorithms to optimise delivery routes, ensuring efficient and timely deliveries. This can also mitigate the impact of sudden absenteeism among delivery partners

4. Customer Feedback Mechanism

Area of Focus : Customer Application

Management Principle : Quick Complaint Resolution is the Key

Solution : To Implement an intuitive feedback mechanism within the app. Make it easy for customers to report missing, incorrect, or damaged deliveries. Consider adding options for feedback on product quality, allowing customers to indicate foul smells or bad taste.

5. Supply Chain-Inventory Management Software

Area of Focus : Delivery Partner Application

Management Principle : Real Time Inventory Management to account for perishable items 

Solution :Invest in robust supply chain management software that provides real-time inventory tracking. This can aid in minimising losses due to perishable items by optimising inventory and minimising excess stock.

6. Dynamic Pricing

Area of Focus : Customer, Delivery Partner Application

Management Principle : To ensure fair amount is given to customer and delivery partner based on timing

Solution : Every customer has different sleep wake time and wants delivery at different time and same goes with delivery partners. Delivery Partners might be absent on the given day, so pricing needs to be adjusted likewise. Dynamic Algorithm is critical part for success of DND.

7. Biometric Authentication for Deliveries

Area of Focus : Delivery Partner Application

Management Principle : Product Safety is paramount for DND

Solution :Introduce biometric authentication for deliveries, ensuring that only authorised recipients can accept the deliveries. This can enhance security and reduce instances of wrong deliveries or theft 

8. Business Expansion for Daily Needs

Area of Focus : Customer, Delivery Application

Management Principle : Offer more daily items to compete with existing market leaders

Solution : It's important not to restrict to daily products, daily needs requires items like bread, eggs, ready to make items like maggie etc as well. Its important to consider these for business expansion,

Conclusion

The comprehensive array of solutions outlined for DND presents a robust roadmap to tackle multifaceted challenges across customer experience enhancement, delivery optimisation, and business expansion. By integrating advanced technologies like Machine Learning and AI into both customer and partner-facing applications, the potential to understand user behaviour, predict peak operational hours, and address localised customer issues becomes feasible. Implementing dynamic pricing, efficient routing algorithms, and stringent quality checks within the delivery framework promises streamlined operations and enhanced service reliability. Moreover, the emphasis on customer feedback mechanisms, real-time inventory management, and timely notifications serves as pivotal factors in ensuring customer satisfaction, inventory optimisation, and seamless transactions. These strategies, coupled with the proposed expansion into offering a broader range of daily necessities beyond the current product line, are poised not only to resolve existing operational challenges but also to catapult DND into a position of competitive advantage within the market. By embracing innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and prioritising customer-centric strategies, DND is poised to transform its operations, fortify its market presence, and elevate its standing in the daily needs delivery sector.

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