Logistics Giant Aramex Innovates Their Last Mile Delivery with Vonage APIs

The growth of digital transformation throughout a variety of global industries has been astounding. But, nowhere has the transition to digitization been more pronounced than within global logistics and transportation companies. As more and more purchasing power shifts to e-commerce, a seamless last mile experience becomes crucial to satisfying consumers’ needs. The resulting surge of shipments has made digital transformation and last mile innovation imperative to streamline logistics and transportation processes.

A 2018 industry report has predicted that digital transformation spending in the global logistics market will reach nearly US$ 95 million by 2026. Savvy businesses are recognizing the game-changing benefits that come with digital transformation, such as:

•  heightened efficiency and consumer experiences
•  broader awareness and reach of products and services
•  higher productivity
•  innovative business models

To realize these benefits, companies must adopt new practices and deploy innovative technologies to support them. Just ask Mohammed Sleeq, Chief Digital Officer at Aramex. The company has been around for over 35 years and is today a logistics and transportation solutions leader and innovator. Based in Dubai, Aramex operates in over 65 countries with 16,500+ employees. During recent years, Sleeq and his team have been key contributors to the company’s ongoing digital transformation. “Since its foundation in 1982, Aramex has grown to become a global leader in the logistics and transportation industry, recognized for its customized and innovative services for businesses and consumers. Our breadth of services includes International and Domestic Express Delivery, Freight-forwarding, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, e-Commerce, and Record Management,” said Sleek.

“While we continue to compete with the traditional global logistics operators, the rise of a new breed of competition, fueled by the growth of global e-commerce, is changing the competitive landscape. In order to remain competitive, we need to upgrade our technology-enabled solutions to allow for faster and more efficient delivery of parcels from point A to point B.” Sleeq explained that what is disrupting the industry more than anything else today are the new “Last Mile” technologies used by both large and small e-tailers and the new digital logistics operators. In the journey from warehouse shelf to customer doorstep, the “last mile” of delivery is the final and most important step of the process— it’s when the package is delivered to the consumer. Although this step is critical in terms of providing a positive customer experience, Last Mile delivery has traditionally been the most expensive and time-consuming part of the fulfillment process. Innovation is changing that.

New, advanced technology-enabled fulfillment solutions are at the heart of this digital transformation. “We’re talking about everything from autonomous vehicles and drones, all the way to applying data science to enhance the customer experience, or finding the location of a customer and their last mile preferences and almost eliminating the need to contact them via phone,” said Sleeq. “We can today identify and deploy the best communications solutions to ease and expedite delivery. What happens in that last mile will continue to be the primary differentiation factor for companies such as Aramex, and this is where the company has been focusing its resources over the last year and where it will continue to in the future.”

Vonage Delivers Speed-to-Market for WhatsApp Launch

With so much at stake, Sleeq and his team needed to ensure that the technology platforms selected to support their digital transition enabled the highest level of efficiency. Aramex started by choosing the Vonage SMS API for its two-factor authentication capabilities, as well as its fundamental communication tools for Last Mile delivery. With this choice, the foundation was laid for an enduring technology and business relationship between the two companies.

The next major milestone in the relationship would be opening up an important new channel for Aramex customer communications, WhatsApp. Aramex was able to use the new WhatsApp Business solution enabled by the Vonage Messages API.

“The more mobile we become and the more digital we become, we need to access as many channels as possible to connect with our customers,” said Sleeq. “We need to communicate with them through the apps that they currently use and enjoy. Our integration with Vonage not only enables us to use WhatsApp, but the Vonage Messages API also allows us to give our customers the ability to use other preferred communications apps.”

Through the Vonage Messages API, customers are able to choose from SMS, MMS, the WhatsApp Business solution, Facebook Messenger, Viber, and more. According to Sleeq, “Instead of having to integrate each channel or communication center separately, Vonage provides the access we need to use a variety of different communications channels, leaving the choice in the hands of the consumer.”

Improving Customer Experience and Eliminating Last Mile Inefficiencies

The Aramex-WhatsApp Business solution service, supported by Vonage, will provide customers with a highly integrated communication and messaging channel. The features Aramex currently offers are “find the nearest Aramex location” and a “track and trace” functionality. Future digital enhancements will include “on-demand and customized customer interaction for shipment notifications”.

Over the last couple of years, Aramex has been focusing its efforts on digitizing and streamlining its processes and minimizing the number of delivery attempts that need to be made. The company is also innovating the way they navigate through various regions and major markets where they deliver shipments. With the Vonage Messages API, Aramex is able to enhance its customer service through the WhatsApp Business solution by increasing the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of deliveries.

“The integration with the WhatsApp Business solution through the Vonage Messages API enables us to communicate with our customers and receive precise delivery instructions on time and in an efficient manner,” said Sleeq. “This allows us to become more effective on the ground and improve the quality of service. The more channels we are able to offer and the more AI based intelligence we can provide through those channels, the better we’ll be able to enhance our delivery processes and navigate through the Last Mile.

“Vonage's APIs help Aramex ensure that our Last Mile infrastructure becomes more efficient. We will now be able to reach our customers in a variety of convenient ways and minimize the number of delivery attempts made. It’s all about enhancing the customer experience and improving the customer’s journey. Vonage is an important component in helping us achieve these goals.”