538: Enjoy Ecommerce Delivery at the Speed of Flight, with DeliverDirect

Jeffrey Elder of Delta Air Lines & Derreck Travers of SmartKargo talk about DeliverDirect & combining speed, tech & simplicity for the best shipping experience. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.06] An introduction to Derreck and SmartKargo. [02.33] An overview of DeliverDirect – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. "We're an alternative delivery network… We're pulling different carriers together, with Delta as the middle mile." [05.47] The ideal client for DeliverDirect. [06.54] Why speed is a top priority for e-commerce businesses, the challenge of balancing speed and cost, and how DeliverDirect's network helps tackle that. "The most successful e-commerce companies have strategies focused on serving the customer with speed. But the challenge retailers have is that speed often comes with a cost." [09.28] How Delta partnered with SmartKargo to create DeliverDirect, specifically to tackle shipper's key pain points from predictability to pricing. "It's January, you've planned the year and know the numbers you have to execute to. And then, a few weeks later, someone upgrades 1,000 zip codes to the next zone, and all your rates increase… For shippers, it makes it really difficult to plan – and we're talking about big dollars." [13.01] How Delta recognized its own limitations when wanting to enter the small package delivery business, what they were looking for in a partner, and how and why they chose SmartKargo. "Innovation is important for Delta, but recognizing what we do well, and what we don't do well, has also been very important. That's how things really came together." [15.51] A closer look at how the solution works, from pickup to doorstep. [19.40] The technology that powers DeliverDirect, and how businesses can customize their solution with add-on features. [21.36] What integration, communication and customer relationships look like with DeliverDirect. "Lots of service providers are trying to reduce cost, and they're making things self service. We've gone out of our way to do the opposite. We're very integrated and engaged with customers." [23.55] The biggest benefits revealed from DeliverDirect's recent customer survey. [27.18] How DeliverDirect is helping businesses reduce cost and make sustainability progress. [28.30] A case study exploring how DeliverDirect helped a small retailer optimize delivery, with cost in mind, to reduce delivery speed by days and enhance customer satisfaction. [32.55] Jeffrey and Derreck's predictions for the year ahead, and what they'll be focusing on at DeliverDirect. "It's a great time to be a shipper, but there will be a capacity crunch… There's a lot of players in this business now. There's going to be a lot of pressure put on businesses to be viable and profitable. And I worry that customer experience is going to suffer as a result." RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to DeliverDirect's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with DeliverDirect and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Jeffrey or Derreck on LinkedIn. Check out our other podcasts HERE.