Intelligent route optimization key to helping shippers achieve ESG goals

Environmental Protection Agency research concluded that the transportation sector produces more greenhouse gases than any other sector in the United States at 29%. Making matters worse, e-commerce shopping, which came to prominence during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, is keeping shippers on their toes and pushing carriers to complete deliveries with greater efficiency.

In fact, it’s reported that Americans spent $78 billion shopping online in March alone, topping off 2021’s first quarter with a 39% year-over-year increase in e-commerce sales worth $199 billion. 

But U.S. consumers are becoming more conscious of their environmental impact; 48% say they would definitely or probably change their consumption habits to reduce environmental harm. 

Sustainability dominates talking points among industry leaders, too, but the reality is that only 49% of all companies have corporate supply chain sustainability goals, while another 35% have no such objectives, according to an MIT study. The rest were unsure.

Demand for greater sustainability will continue to grow this decade, but planning alone won’t shrink a company’s carbon footprint — incorporating the right technology ultimately boosts sustainability while delivering savings. Dynamic scheduling, route optimization and load-pooling could reduce CO2 emissions by 30%, congestion by 30% and delivery cost by 25%. 

Enter FarEye, with its Intelligent Delivery Management Platform that’s equipping enterprises for a low-cost, sustainable future through route optimization. 

“Environmental resources cannot continue to be used at the rate at which they’re being consumed,” said Gaurav Srivastava, FarEye chief technology officer and co-founder. “FarEye is a solutions provider that helps enterprises meet consumer demand at scale, but does so through environmentally friendly means.” 

FarEye’s Intelligent Delivery Management Platform goes beyond what’s expected of typical delivery SaaS platforms by adhering to sustainability goals, including reducing carbon emissions and optimizing sustainability impact of packaging improvements made by retailers.

Simply put, the platform reduces the number of miles driven annually, which ultimately reduces yearly carbon dioxide emissions. So far the platform’s packaging and route optimization has helped its 150-plus customers eliminate 21,334 metric tons of carbon emissions each year, with the potential to achieve even more savings as the number of deliveries increases.

“With 84% of supply chain leaders planning to invest in climate change and mitigation efforts, reducing carbon emissions is on top of the list,” said CEO Kushal Nahata in a recent press release. “As an organization committed to driving change and making enterprises more sustainable, we focus on delivery operations that offer ample efficiency improvement.”

But how exactly does FarEye reduce carbon emissions? The Intelligent Delivery Management Platform achieves savings through planning next-day routes in advance, improving routes with usage of loop optimization, maximizing vehicle utilization and reducing vehicle idling time. Its algorithms also increase first-attempt deliveries, reduce expedited deliveries and optimize returns with fewer trips.

FarEye also provides traceability through the entire supply chain, first mile to last. Enterprises achieve operational visibility across the supply chain by viewing their sustainability impact across multiple modes of transportation.

The platform leverages millions of data points to predict the shipment journey and improve delivery experience. 

The centrality of FarEye’s all-in-one platform allows every stakeholder to benefit from real-time communication and collaboration as ambiguity is removed from each conversation. 

Increased first-attempt deliveries help drivers reap greater fuel savings, and consumers remain up to date with precision shipment status and accurate delivery instruction requests.

“If route optimization or driver efficiency is increased even by just 10% … it will tremendously reduce one’s carbon footprint,” Srivastava said. “FarEye not only reduces extra miles driven but also saves companies time and boosts the overall consumer experience.”

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