A few days ago, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos announced his next bet for improve delivery service of their products. Amazon aims to revolutionize the merchandise delivery system using drones, drones that will deliver goods to their buyers in just a few minutes. Without a doubt, a true revolution in the world of eCommerce. This new shipping method, dubbed Amazon Prime Air, will not only reduce delivery times, but will also allow save resources and minimise the environmental impact of road deliveries.
In addition, it seems that other companies such as Google y UPS Google and Google are also exploring this technology. According to the Los Angeles Times, both companies have carried out tests with drones for deliveries. Google X, the department responsible for Google Glass, is working on this innovation as part of the development of Google Shopping Express, a service that allows you to receive orders on the same day, currently available in San Francisco.
The future of drone delivery
Although the drone technology makes this type of shipments possible, there are still multiple factors to consider. In the United States, the country chosen to test this technology, current legislation does not allow the massive use of drones in the airspace. Added to this are the legal limitations and trust factor by customers, who must feel confident that the package will reach their hands and not someone else's.
Jeff Bezos admitted that drone deliveries as proposed by Amazon could take years to be implemented on a large scale. However, their internal application in logistics seems closer and promises great benefits. expected benefits.
Advantages and challenges of using drones in eCommerce
The inclusion of drones in the logistics chain has important and advantages, but also faces challenges crucial issues that need to be addressed:
Advantages
- Speed in deliveries: Drones can make deliveries in minutes, avoiding traffic and optimizing direct routes.
- Costs reduction: Although the initial costs are high, the savings in fuel and vehicle maintenance can be significant in the long run.
- Environmental sustainability: Electric drones do not emit carbon during their operation, contributing to the fight against climate change.
- Accessibility to remote areas: Drones can reach hard-to-reach places, providing greater geographic coverage.
Challenges
- Complex legislation: In many countries, the use of drones is limited by regulations seeking to ensure safety in airspace.
- Technical problems: Battery, payload and range limitations must be overcome for drones to be viable for mass commercial operations.
- Privacy: The possibility of drones collecting images along their routes raises concerns about privacy.
- High initial costs: Implementing appropriate infrastructure, software and hardware requires a large initial investment.
Companies leading the development of drone deliveries
In addition to Amazon, other companies are leading the technological race in drone deliveries. Among them are:
- Matternet: This company operates drone delivery services in Silicon Valley and collaborates with hospitals to transport medical supplies in Switzerland and the United States.
- Alphabet (Google): Its Wing project already delivers products in collaboration with partners such as FedEx.
- Walmart: Although it recently faced financial challenges that led to the cancellation of several drone centers, it continues to develop this technology.
Impact on customer experience
The use of drones promises to radically transform the customer experience in eCommerce. Drones not only enable faster and more accurate deliveries, but also offer real time monitoring, which improves the transparency and the customer's sense of control.
This technology also has a controversial side, as it could negatively impact sectors such as traditional logistics and replace job roles that rely on manual deliveries.
Drones have the potential to revolutionize eCommerce deliveries, but to do so effectively will require overcoming the regulatory, technical and social challenges they currently face.