Miss the Delivery Slot, Lose the Customer

Send me a messageWhat happens when last-mile delivery stops being a logistics function and starts becoming a strategic differentiator?It changes how you think about cost, resilience, sustainability, and even customer retention.In this week's episode of the Resilient Supply Chain Podcast, I’m joined by Nishith Rastogi, Founder and CEO of Locus, to explore why last mile has become one of the most consequential decision layers in modern supply chains. For leaders focused on supply chain resilience, sustainability, risk, data, and visibility, this matters because delivery is no longer just about moving goods. It’s about making better decisions, faster, in environments where complexity keeps rising and customer tolerance keeps falling.We break down why traditional TMS and routing models struggle when delivery networks span stores, warehouses, captive fleets, 3PLs, gig capacity, and rising service expectations. You’ll hear why “more data” is not the answer on its own, and why the real advantage now comes from turning that data into real-time decisions that improve cost, service, and emissions in parallel.We also get into the growing role of AI in logistics, the limits of rules-based automation, and why resilience increasingly depends on optionality, adaptability, and reducing dependence on tribal knowledge. One of the sharpest ideas in the episode is this: if you miss a linehaul slot, you lose a day; if you miss a customer delivery slot, you may lose the customer.🎙️ Listen now to hear how last-mile logistics is reshaping the future of resilient, sustainable supply chains.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous Subscribers:Alicia FaragKieran OgnevGary LynchAnd remember you too can become a Resilient Supply Chain+ subscriber  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one and give you access to bonus episodes of topical, timely supply chain resilience analysis.🎤 Looking for a keynote speaker on supply chain resilience, AI, and sustainability?I help leaders understand the forces reshaping global supply chains, from geopolitical disruption and climate risk to AI and real-time decision-making. Download my Speaker Pack: https://tinyurl.com/spkrpckFinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.