‘In good hands,’ says Pepperfry
As an e-commerce business delivering to more than 500 cities with 20 experience centres, Pepperfry faces the challenge of providing competitive timelines and delivery to meet customer requirements. Vikas Sharma, Head - Supply Chain, Pepperfry, explains how DHL SmarTrucking manages the company’s vast business. What challenges do you face while meeting customer requirements?
The logistics infrastructure in India for large item delivery is significantly underdeveloped, and shipping bulky items such as furniture was either prohibitively expensive or took too long. We also faced challenges like lack of earnestness on the part of vendors to go beyond stipulated practices to deliver to the doorstep of consumers, or the absence of the brand ethos that Pepperfry stands for. Therefore, it was critical for us to have a partner who was reliable, had a pan India presence, and was tech-enabled to provide visibility of shipments.
How has DHL SmarTrucking made a difference?
DHL SmarTrucking built a techenabled truck fleet which gave us clear visibility of the movement of our products. They also have a pan India presence and are able to support us in our key lanes. With them expanding their network, we will be able to support our clients and business better. The work culture that DHL SmarTrucking has created, focusing on training for drivers, is a critical aspect for Pepperfry. Since their drivers work on a relay system, the ‘SmarTruck’ can be utilised to the maximum without compromising on the well-being of the drivers. This system has contributed to a reduction in transit times. For example, FTL deliveries from Mumbai to Kolkata used to typically take six days; DHL SmarTrucking has helped reduce this by 50 per cent.
What are the issues with moving bulky, odd-sized products?
Furniture delivery is one of the most challenging tasks in our country. We are talking about products that are heavy and have non-standardised dimensions, and that poses a big logistical challenge. Ideally, a truck needs to be fully packed with goods to optimise product stacking and maintain stability within the container. With items like furniture, the packages are odd-sized and therefore cannot be stacked uniformly. There’s always a risk of damage due to mishandling. In addition, some of the materials used in furniture, such as wood, metal and glass, are prone to cracks, dents or breakage due to improper handling or shipping. During transit, the truck may need to traverse roads that are poorly maintained, which can lead to the consignment being damaged as a result of jarring inside the container. Due to the weight of items such as large furniture, any improper road condition or sudden braking can cause the product inside the container to shift, which leads to the risk of the container tipping over. The key requirement, thus, is timely delivery and safe delivery of furniture to the customer.
What about the cost of delivering long distance?
DHL SmarTrucking is reliable and tech-enabled, so we have visibility to real-time status of our shipments. The team works very hard and is great at translating feedback into real solutions. We are happy to pay a premium for the benefits, which ultimately leads to improved customer satisfaction that we don’t get from other logistics providers.
It was critical for us to have a partner who was reliable, had a pan India presence, and was tech-enabled