Business

Strategies for integrating delivery drones into supply chains

Louise D. Cormier 2 years ago 2 min read

Supply chain operations can be transformed by drone technology. Delivery drones automate last-mile fulfillment, transport lightweight but high-value cargo quickly across long distances, and reach remote areas lacking transport infrastructure. A comprehensive assessment of use cases, well-crafted operating protocols, stakeholder alignment, and mitigation of adoption barriers are all essential for drone integration.

Identify high-value delivery use cases

Drones offer the most direct value in the time-sensitive delivery of lightweight but critical items such as pharmaceuticals, medical samples, spare parts, documents, etc. They bypass road congestion to transport cargo significantly faster, cheaper, and greener over distances of 10-20 km than delivery vans. Longer drone routes above 200 km for inter-warehouse transport of high-value supplies or into remote territories lacking ground infrastructure also show promise. Determine which routes improve costs and service metrics by using drones.

Smoothly integrated supply chain management requires the development of tailored operating protocols aligned with ground logistics. Pre-programmed autonomous flight plans for common routes should include contingencies for risks like weather disruption. Refueling or battery-swapping protocols must enable quick turnarounds. Separating unmanned aircraft from manned aircraft and people, avoiding collisions, implementing descent alarms, terminating flights remotely, and vetting drivers are safety procedures to follow. Compliance considerations around noise, visual line of sight, night flights, etc. Ownership models for drone delivery fleets need to be considered. Having an in-house fleet requires capital outlay, but allows greater control. Partnering with drone delivery startups allows quicker deployment and risk sharing but has less flexibility. A hybrid model of owning drones for core routes while contracting external drone providers for on-demand needs is possible.

Evaluate infrastructure and bandwidth needs

Delivering via drones requires investments into base stations for housing, maintenance, and take-off/landing. Sufficient backup drone capacity enables quick replacements of damaged units to maintain service reliability. It is essential to provide real-time tracking and video feeds through upgraded networks and bandwidth. On-ground resources like loading personnel, pilots, charging stations, and security also need provisioning. Companies must size infrastructure to suit projected demand and use cases. Integrated drone delivery systems must be integrated with order databases, ERPs, and warehouse management systems. Flight plans, battery status, cargo information, etc. should auto-sync with central enterprise IT systems. Drone operations must be linked to ground logistics dashboards. Handovers, scheduling, dispatching, and monitoring are all optimized.

Expectations of customers must be in line with upper management expectations for drones. There must be a sense of enterprise readiness. Operations personnel need training to plan drone missions, load cargo and manage contingencies confidently. It is important to inform a customer about service benefits and limitations. Adoption is smooth with change management. To develop expertise in drone technology, engineers must design reliable flight plans. It also conducts inspections, repairs, maintenance, and safety assessments. Companies need to reskill existing employees or partner with drone services firms to secure talent for this specialized capability.