Top notch mobile connectivity a vital ‘ingredient’ to meet 30-minute delivery pledge
Beneath the efficiency of its artificial-intelligence-backed software to process orders from hungry customers, an uninterrupted mobile communication network is pivotal to ensure the overall efficiency of foodpanda’s 24-hour delivery ecosystem.
Doubtlessly, a flawless mobile network will facilitate point-to-point conveyance of food orders between customers and their choice of restaurants, and subsequently the pick-up of the ready meals and their delivery to the customers’ doorstep.
Above all else, an impeccable mobile network is also crucial to ensure riders in the vicinity of the restaurants are notified promptly, enabling them to deliver meals within 30 minutes from the time an order is made.
Such is the challenge encountered by Malaysia’s last mile online food delivery pioneer, foodpanda, which has made its presence felt in the country since 2012.
Part of the Frankfurt (Germany)-listed Delivery Hero, foodpanda currently partners with more than 18,000 restaurants across Malaysia and has a 14,000-strong rider fleet to deliver orders to the doorstep of its customers.
Geographically speaking, the global online food delivery company reaches 65% of Malaysia’s population.
Uninterrupted mobile connection
As it seeks to spread its wings nationwide, one of foodpanda’s biggest challenges lies in last mile fulfilment, notably logistics which could suffer from poor mobile network coverage and GPS (global positioning system) signal obstructions, according to foodpanda Malaysia managing director Sayantan Das. This is especially true in smaller towns or sub-urban locations.
“This poses hardship for our riders to locate the premises of our customers, thus delaying delivery time (apart from adverse traffic and weather conditions),” shares Sayantan. “Lack or weak mobile (data) reception can pose an obstacle to us in our quest to penetrate Tier-3 and Tier-4 towns.”
Moreover, an efficient mobile network will also enable the monitoring of every level of foodpanda’s operation from the acceptance of an order to the position the rider once the order has been picked up from the restaurant.
To overcome its communication hiccups, foodpanda has embarked on a bold move to further enhance its Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity via a partnership with Maxis Business.
Two vital elements of Maxis’s IoT connectivity that have proven helpful to foodpanda are (i) real-time monitoring for control and visibility, and the very fact that (ii) Maxis boasts the widest mobile internet connectivity across Malaysia and neighbouring countries.
“With a reliable internet management structure of our IoT partner, we can prevent delays both at the order processing end with our vendors (restaurants) as well as expediting pick-up and delivery of orders to customers within the shortest possible timeline,” Sayantan points out.
“The bottom line is such that speed is crucial to us. Every second matters to ensure orders arrive at the doorstep of customers warm and fresh.”
By further streamlining order flow by optimising its existing communication process, thus reducing technical lapses and glitches, foodpanda hopes to gradually bring down its 30-minute delivery commitment to as swift as 20 minutes in the near future.
For more information on Maxis’ IoT connectivity, kindly visit https://business.maxis.com.my/iot/iot-connectivity/.
