What Could the Future of Parcel Tracking Have in Store?

What Could the Future of Parcel Tracking Have in Store?

Not so long ago, if you ordered a product online, once it was placed you would just have to wait and assume or hope that it would arrive on time. There was no such thing as parcel tracking, especially not for consumers. Yet now if you order anything, from a second-hand chair off eBay to a new pair of shoes, you can almost watch and track the entire process unfold, from when it leaves the sender to arriving at its destination.

As more and more online retailers and eCommerce companies offer increasing parcel tracking services, it is only going to develop further as competition increases. These are a few changes we could see happen to package tracking in the future.

Smart Home Device Integration
Google Assistant and Amazon Echo (with Alexa voice service) are two of the main home smart devices currently on the market, with more bound to emerge. Through a wide variety of voice commands, these can perform a multitude of actions, from providing answers to serious and stupid questions to providing news reports and more.

Such devices are constantly updating, able to perform an increasing number of tasks. Universal parcel tracking solutions are set to be integrated to work with these devices, so that users can ask them where their deliveries are or when they will arrive, meaning they won’t even have to log on to an online account to track parcels.    

Redirected Deliveries
Currently, most online retailers and eCommerce businesses offer a wide array of delivery options, from economical options to date and even time-specific slots. This offers a lot of conveniences but one further, the realistic option could be the ability to redirect deliveries when on-route.

If someone’s plans change then rather than missing their delivery and having to either collect it from a depot or rearrange it, being able to redirect to where they will be provides added convenience. This could be anywhere, from a friend’s house to another office, a bar, even somewhere like the local park if they have to go walk the dog.

Smart Watch Tracking
Package tracking is already possible with most smartphones, either through an app or the phone’s online browser. With smartwatches growing in popularity, it makes sense that these will be one of the next devices that can be used for postage tracking. Should a consumer’s phone run out or break, this offers a great back-up option. The technology cannot be far off, as it would work in much the same way. Plus, many smartwatches have the ability to make and receive phone calls, which is ideal for keeping in touch with the delivery driver should there be an issue.

Improved Phone Parcel Tracking Abilities
As mentioned, most smartphones are already capable of worldwide parcel tracking. Should redirecting capabilities be introduced then it can be assumed that these will be controlled via smartphones and apps too.
Another potential development would be for deliveries to automatically provide updates to the customer to where they are in the process. Using landmarks, 4G signals, and online mapping technology they would be able to detect where they are and send an automated message to the customer informing them that the parcel is ten, five, or one mile away, for example.

Drones
Delivery methods look set to expand as well, with fresh innovations already being trialled and expected to eventually become commonplace in the future. This will affect global parcel tracking as well. Drone deliveries are one of the most popular expectations and these will likely be integrated with universal parcel tracking so customers can still keep tabs on their orders. Flying over houses should avoid issues such as traffic, making predicted delivery times a lot more accurate.  

Until some of these new package tracking features have been developed, there are still Whistl parcel tracking services. These can be used by large retailers, eCommerce businesses, and more to provide more transparency and delivery choice for customers.