The most wonderful time of year is upon us. With the holidays just around the corner, many will be crossing off wish lists by shopping via their laptop, tablet or smartphone. Last year I was one of those that waited until the last minute to shop for the holidays and by the time I arrived at the mall, there was virtually nothing left to buy for my nieces!  I had to fight for a parking spot and was exhausted after the first half hour!

A recent prediction from e-Marketer states that online and mobile spending will increase about 15.1% year over year this November and December, showing just how quickly the Internet of Everything is enabling more e-commerce spending than ever before.

With this increase in anytime, anywhere online shopping, how are delivery companies meeting this influx in demand? How are they ensuring on-time deliveries? How are they lowering operating costs and expanding reach? Over the next few months -and coincidentally during the busiest shopping time of the year -I'll be discussing how advances in cloud and mobility are propelling the Internet of Everything and transforming the shipping industry. And this change is starting with the customer.

Connecting Customers and Packages

IoE is creating new ways for customers to send, track and monitor packages in real-time by leveraging emerging logistic tools. For example, UPS is utilizing technology that allows customers to choose to hold their package at a local UPS branch, deliver the package at a different time or even place the package on a certain doorstep at their home all from a click of a button.

This new technology is not only helping more packages arrive on time, it is enabling a new level of control for customers. A recent Logistics Matter article discussed research findings conducted by Dutch mail and parcel company PostNL that supports customer desire for more control over when packages are sent and received. When customers can have more options for sending and receiving goods, delivery companies can spread out workflow instead of adhering to strict delivery projection models.

We are just at the beginning of what's possible in an IoE-world. However, it's unfortunate that smart shipping technology won't tell me what to get my nieces for Christmas, yet...

In my next post I'll be discussing how the IoE is enabling optimized delivery routes for connected drivers. In the meantime, join the conversation,#IoE.