Tag: #delivery

Deliveroo launches drone deliveries in Dublin

Deliveroo, the on-demand delivery platform, has today launched drone deliveries in Dublin, Ireland.  Through a new partnership with Manna, an established global drone delivery operator, the service is designed to support Deliveroo’s continuous mission to improve the customer experience.
The innovative service is based in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, with Deliveroo conducting a test phase over the coming weeks. Deliveroo will use the initial weeks to assess how drones can help serve suburban and harder to reach locations, with the ultimate aim of unlocking new customers through super-fast deliveries, complementing its extensive rider network.
Over the coming days, customers in a 3km radius of Blanchardstown will be able to order from leading local restaurants including Musashi, WOWBurger, Boojum and Elephant & Castle – flown to customers in as little as three minutes*. Deliveroo is aiming to expand the service to more restaurants and launch grocery and retail deliveries within the next six months.
In new imagery and a video released by Deliveroo today, a teal drone is seen making one of the first deliveries to a customer, with sushi from Musashi in tow. Whether it’s sushi for lunch, a Friday treat or a family gathering, the ambition is for Deliveroo’s drones to ensure orders arrive at peak freshness.
By bypassing road traffic, drone deliveries can significantly cut wait times and reduce emissions, offering a faster and more sustainable alternative to traditional delivery methods, particularly suited to suburban locations where Deliveroo is looking to increase its presence. The objective is also for Deliveroo drone deliveries to support participating merchants in growing their sales by appealing to and reaching new customers, complementing Deliveroo’s existing delivery network.
Drones will be deployed from Manna’s local delivery hub, flying at speeds of up to 80 km/h with a flight time of as little as three minutes. Upon arrival, the drone hovers and gently lowers the food to the ground via a secure, biodegradable tether, ensuring a seamless and contact-free delivery experience.
Deliveroo is excited by the prospect of expanding the service to its other markets, subject to the benefits to consumer experience, following the launch in Ireland, alongside regulatory evolution in other markets. The company welcomes the UK Government’s £20 million investment to advance commercial drone operations and bring this technology closer to reality for UK consumers.
Carlo Mocci, Chief Business Officer at Deliveroo said: “Our mission is to bring local neighbourhood favourites to as many people’s doors as possible, and constantly raise the bar on the experience and service we provide – so I’m thrilled to launch drone deliveries in Dublin today. 
“We’re excited to explore how drones can help us reach new customers, complementing our existing rider model and if successful, the prospect of expanding drone deliveries across Ireland and into other markets.”
Bobby Healy, CEO and Founder of Manna Air Delivery said: “Air delivery is fast, clean, and safe, offering a new avenue for local businesses to reach more consumers. Manna Air Delivery is proud to partner with Deliveroo, a platform trusted by top local restaurants and eateries, to bring this innovative delivery experience to customers.”
Bill Lang, owner of Musashi said: “We have been serving up authentic sushi for years but never thought we’d see it in the sky, delivered to peoples’ doorsteps by drone. Musashi is delighted to extend our partnership with Deliveroo to drone deliveries, helping us to reach even more customers in the Blanchardstown area.”
Manna, which has already completed over 170,000 delivery flights in Dublin 15 and holds full regulatory approvals, will operate the drones. Each drone is equipped with advanced safety features, including backup systems and a parachute, and is continuously monitored by a dedicated dispatcher throughout its flight.
Eligible customers within the correct radius will need to validate their address via the app before it confirms a suitable pin location for a safe drop off, typically a driveway, front or back garden. Once an order is placed, they will be able to track the delivery as usual and will be notified when the drone is nearby so they can receive the order.

Just Eat Drives Technology Advancements to Level Up Its Customer Experience

Just Eat, Ireland’s leading on-demand food delivery platform, has today announced it will be rolling out its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistant to empower everyday convenience. The programme will provide consumers with even more innovative ways to order on Just Eat. The AI Assistant was first tested in the UK in 2023, and is now being rolled out in Ireland, among other markets over the coming months.

With the roll-out of Just Eat’s new AI Assistant, consumers will now be able to search and place their orders through text ordering and receive personalised recommendations. This includes helping consumers discover new restaurants and meals, creating a more efficient and seamless selection process on the Just Eat platform.

Beyond enhancing the selection process for food, groceries, and non-food items, the AI Assistant also enhances customer support. It can summarise reviews, highlight key details about restaurants and stores, and tailor suggestions based on customer preferences. Additionally, it helps direct users to further support when needed. As Just Eat continues to expand and refine this service, the goal is to leverage consumer feedback to improve the experience, introduce new features, and optimise before rolling out more widely.

Amanda Roche-Kelly, Managing Director, Just Eat Ireland said, “As a technology-led company, we are constantly looking for ways to drive innovation within the food delivery sector. We are wholly committed to investing in emerging technology that allows us to not only continuously deliver a positive experience to our customers, but also to improve engagement with our restaurant partners through the platform.”

“While Just Eat has leveraged AI to support various facets of its business for some time, leveraging it to enhance the way we deliver services, makes perfect sense. By offering Irish consumers more choice and convenience, be that in terms of food takeaways or grocery and convenience items, this helps us maintain a best-in-class user experience, which benefits everyone, including our extensive network of restaurant and grocery partners.”

Just Eat Expands Drone Delivery Footprint

Just Eat is committed to implementing innovative solutions to deliver a positive customer experience, and the launch of Just Eat’s AI Assistant comes as the company announces an extension of its partnership with Manna Drone Delivery to roll out the use of drones for deliveries in Ireland. The company previously worked with Manna as part of a pilot in Galway in 2021.

Starting in Ireland, with plans to roll the partnership out in other markets across Europe, this service provides a new delivery option for customers, enabling them to receive their orders from participating partners via drones, which will be deployed from local delivery hubs operated by Manna. Once the food has been loaded onto the drone, customers will receive their orders in as little as three minutes.

The aim of this partnership is to improve operational efficiency during peak times, giving customers flexibility and convenience in how they receive their order, helping to drive a more efficient customer experience.

This partnership marks a significant step forward in revolutionising food delivery in Ireland, combining Just Eat’s commitment to convenience and Manna’s cutting-edge drone technology to offer faster, more innovative service to customers.

“At Boojum, we’re always looking for innovative ways to enhance our customer experience and to stay ahead of the curve and integrating Manna Drone Delivery with Just Eat encapsulates that. Speed, convenience, and quality are at the heart of what we do, and this partnership allows us to bring our fresh, bold flavours to customers in a whole new way. We’re excited to be at the forefront of this concept and can’t wait for more of our customers to experience their favourite Boojum meals delivered by drone,” commented Rob Powell, Head of Operations at Boojum.

What to Look for in a Custom Manufacturing Partner

If you want to start a business that sells physical products, you need to find a supplier or a custom manufacturing partner. A custom manufacturing partner is a company that engineers and produces products for clients. These companies and their clients design products together, so finding the right custom manufacturing partner is important. A large amount of collaboration is guaranteed, so it’s important to find a partner you can work comfortably with. This post will tell you about the qualities you need to look for in a custom manufacturing partner.

Tailored Manufacturing

You need to find a manufacturing partner that’s able to manufacture products that are tailored to your needs and specifications. According to this manufacturer, exceptional quality and adaptable production are also important.  Something to note about tailored manufacturing is that while many companies claim to offer it, not all do. You need to be confident that the products your partner produces for you are entirely unique and not just slightly altered versions of products they either sell themselves or produce for other companies. Having your own unique products is important in business, as otherwise, nobody is going to want to buy them.

Quality Products

Quality products are arguably just as important as tailored manufacturing. No matter what type of product you are selling, it needs to be made out of sturdy, reliable, high-quality materials. Consumers have a lot of choices today. If the things you are selling are not worth the money you are charging for them, consumers will have no trouble finding an alternative company to buy from. There is no shortage of businesses in the modern world. No matter what your niche is, there will be somebody else selling the same thing as you. High-quality products are therefore very important and can make you stand out.


Responsive Support

You never know what kind of problems you are going to encounter in business. If you have issues with your business’s products, you need to be able to get in touch with your supplier or manufacturing partner and resolve them immediately. However, if the company you buy your products from does not have responsive customer support, they are not going to be able to help you. You therefore need to make sure that your business partner is one with a supportive customer service desk that is able to respond to and resolve queries quickly and efficiently.

Delivery Times

Finally, try to find a customer manufacturing partner who is able to produce products quickly and get them shipped out to you in a timely manner. The last thing you need is for your supplier to have slow turnaround and delivery times. When you first get in touch with a customer manufacturer, make sure that you ask them about how long it takes them to produce products and get them shipped out to their customers. If your chosen partner’s warehouse or factory is in close proximity to your business, you can pick things up yourself rather than paying for delivery.

Custom manufacturing partners save you the hassle of having to produce products in-house. Use the guidance given here to find a partner that’s right for you. Make sure that in addition to following this post’s advice, you take a look at your chosen manufacturer’s reviews. Their reviews will tell you a lot about them.   

 

Asda delivery driver praised for going the extra mile

Jason Bonny, a delivery driver from Asda, Portadown, demonstrated exceptional customer service and dedication to his job by assisting a wheelchair user with putting away her shopping while out on his rounds.

Going about his day on an ordinary delivery shift, Jason encountered an address that wasn’t on his usual route. Approaching the front door, he noticed the house had been renovated for disability access and was greeted by the home delivery customer, who was a wheelchair user.

Jason said hello to the customer and indicated he would carry the shopping into the house for her, he then began to unpack the groceries and put the items away in the cupboards to save the customer from doing so, much to their delight.

Jason commented:

“I just followed my instinct, I explained to the customer that there was no rush and that I could take the time as helping people is just part of my job. I enjoy my job at Asda for different reasons, however, working in customer service has given me the opportunity to make a positive impact on somebody else’s day and there is nothing more rewarding than that. Kindness costs nothing!”

The customer was so pleased with Jason’s assistance that she contacted Asda Portadown, praising Jason as a credit to the company and that her positive experience would encourage her to use Asda’s delivery service again.

Kate Oakes, General Store Manager at Asda Portadown said:

“Jason is a remarkable employee and always goes above and beyond for all customers. His dedication to making every customer feel valued is a testament to his hard work and commitment. We’re privileged to work with him, thank you, Jason!”

Innovative delivery management platform Scurri launches new European headquarters in Wexford

Next generation delivery management software company Scurri, has today, officially launched its new state of the art European headquarters. The Wexford born multi-million euro platform has opened a brand new operational base for over 100 workers with plans to recruit for 40 new roles across Sales, Marketing, Support and Engineering over the next 24 months. Based in the heart of Wexford Town (on Selskar Street), Scurri is an innovative delivery management platform that connects and optimises the entire online ordering, shipping and delivery process for retailers.

Following the company’s launch in 2010, hugely successful enterprise Scurri has grown its global footprint, processing over €10.5 billion worth of shipments worldwide in 2023 alone. To date, it has raised €15.3 million in investment through Gresham House, ACT & Episode, Enterprise Ireland and private angel investors.

Scurri’s new headquarters will support both the planned expansion and staff across the UK and Europe. The company has become a leading player in the delivery management software space across Ireland, the UK and now Europe, supporting notable European eCommerce retailers.

The new state of the art headquarters designed by Wexford architect Dermot Troy, is based around enhancing team collaboration. Its unique design features a modern central spine and a cutting edge glass interface which aims to encourage employees to build meaningful connections, while maintaining openness with the wider Wexford community. Other key features include an on-site gym, canteen, rooftop terrace and ‘chill and connect’ rooms for staff. Surri’s central location also ensures employees can walk everywhere as part of the company’s wider mission to scale sustainably whilst enabling workers to perform at their best and helping to build those all important social connections.

Another highlight of the new headquarters is its ‘Art in the Lobby’ initiative, which invites local artists to showcase their creations each month. Scurri is also an avid supporter of the South East tech community, recently sponsoring and hosting the re-launch of the Wexford Tech Meetup.

With a continued focus on innovation, research and development, Scurri also recently launched ‘Scurri Track Plus’ to cater for an increase in demand for post purchase experience software. This, along with Scurri Connect for delivery management, gives retailers control over their end-to-end customer delivery experience.

Speaking about the launch of its new headquarters which will act as its global base, Rory O’Connor, CEO and founder of Scurri said: “The opening of the office is another milestone in Scurri’s journey, which gets more and more exciting every day – particularly as Scurri has just completed a very successful 2024 trading period with over 100 million deliveries powered by Scurri technology. As we remain firmly focused on expansion and growth in 2024, it’s very important to create a business base that gives our team the best quality of life possible, and Wexford provides the ideal location to make that work-life balance easier to achieve. We’re very proud to have opened our new HQ in our hometown of Wexford”

Speaking at the launch AnnaMarie Turley, Manager, Entrepreneurship and High Potential Start-Ups with Enterprise Ireland said: “Enterprise Ireland is proud to have a long, fruitful relationship with the team at Scurri and we are delighted to see these remarkable headquarters officially opened today.  We look forward to working with Scurri on its ambitious expansion plans into the future as it builds a truly global brand from the heart of Wexford Town.”

Adding Food Delivery As An Option? Here’s How To Make That Fly

Food delivery is growing in popularity among both customers and businesses due to the increasing demand for convenience. Providing this service can lead to higher sales, broader customer reach, and improved customer loyalty. But before you jump into offering food delivery services, there are some important considerations to make sure you get it right. From choosing the right delivery partner to setting up processes that ensure your food arrives in perfect condition every time, there are many steps involved in making a successful launch. In this article, we will discuss how to set up a successful food delivery business so that you can start taking orders as soon as possible!

Assessing the Viability of Food Delivery

Before you decide to offer food delivery services, it’s important to assess the viability of such an endeavor in your local area. Consider factors like market demand, competition, and cost. Analyzing these aspects can help you determine whether offering delivery is a viable option for your business or not. A lot of businesses have had success with delivery, but make sure to do your research and ensure that it’s right for you. You want to make sure you don’t waste your time and money setting up something that won’t be profitable in the end.

Conducting Market Research and Identifying Demand

Once you’ve decided to move forward with offering a food delivery service, it’s time to conduct proper market research. This is an important step in order to understand customer preferences and make sure your product meets their expectations. Talk to potential customers, analyze data from competitors, and take the time to really get to know what they want. You can also use social media platforms to survey customers and get an idea of what they would look for in a food delivery service.

In addition, you should also explore available delivery partners and research pricing models that are competitive in the market. This will help you come up with an attractive offer for customers and ensure that your service is cost-effective.

Finding the Best Online Food Ordering System

Now that you’ve done your market research and identified demand, it’s time to find the best online food ordering system for your business. There are a variety of platforms available, from restaurant-specific services to comprehensive delivery networks. When trying to find the best online food ordering systems for business, consider factors such as features, pricing models, and customer service options when selecting an online food ordering system. You want to make sure it meets all of your needs and provides a reliable service for customers. When selecting a platform, make sure to also consider online payment options as well as any additional fees that may be associated with the service.

Creating a User-Friendly Delivery System

Once you have identified demand and chosen appropriate delivery partners, it’s time to put together an effective system for fulfilling orders. This includes setting up delivery preferences, determining the best times for pickups, and establishing a system for tracking orders. To ensure your customers receive their orders on time, make sure you have enough staff available to handle the demand. Don’t forget to factor in packaging and order accuracy when designing your delivery process.

On the other hand, make sure your website or app is user-friendly and allows customers to easily place orders. Users should be able to customize their orders and include special instructions if necessary. You should also include a tracking system so customers can keep an eye on their order status in real-time.

Making Sure Your Food Arrives In Perfect Condition

To ensure a successful launch, it’s crucial to make sure the food is always delivered in perfect condition. Properly package and insulate all orders for stable temperature during delivery. 

It’s also important to provide detailed instructions on reheating foods if needed. For example, when ordering pizza, make sure to include instructions on how long the pizza should be reheated in order for it to stay fresh. Also, if you’re offering delivery of alcoholic beverages make sure to include clear disclaimers and age verification processes. Having a well-thought-out process for food delivery can go a long way in improving customer satisfaction, so make sure to take the time to get it right.

Prioritizing Customer Service and Feedback

Offer customers the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience in order to further enhance the delivery process. This could include anything from how quickly orders were delivered to food quality. Also, ensure that your website or app offers good customer support options such as an FAQ page or live chat feature. You can also give customers the opportunity to submit complaints or suggestions in order to make sure their feedback is heard.

Overall, setting up a successful food delivery business requires careful planning and research. From assessing the viability of such an endeavor to finding the best online ordering system and making sure your food arrives in perfect condition every time, there are many steps involved. Additionally, it’s important to prioritize customer service and feedback so that customers have a positive experience with your product or service. With these considerations in mind, you can be on track for launching a successful food delivery business!

What are the Stages of Delivery for a New Software Product?

Establishing a new product in today’s economic climate is a challenging task, to say the least. Many businesses are on the back foot, as a result of considerable falls in consumer expenditure – itself a result of rising costs across the board.

But even in times of relative strife, economically speaking, there are some industries that remain resilient. Tech is one such industry, as new technological achievements keep even the smallest of start-ups competitive. In order to make the most of this truth, it is crucial to understand the steps inherent to establishing the presence of a software product. If you are intending to invest in new software, what do you need to know about the process?

Concept

Products do not emerge from tech companies fully formed. Software development is a long and iterative process, that begins with the concept stage. This is a real bare-bones stage, in which the idea for a software product is teased out through a number of key questions – which can be as simple as “what should our product do?”

The concept for the product may be born of a new technological capability, and a wish to race to market with this capability. Alternatively, it may be an attempt to plug a lucrative gap in the market, or to meet a specific need. Either way, it is vital to understand the scope of the project early, and define clear goals for what success looks like in that regard. Nailing down a central concept keeps the project focused, and gives form to the product early.

Legal

In this early stage, it is especially important to keep abreast of legal aspects and concerns. Expert counsel is advised to oversee the various legal requirements a given software product might demand, particularly where user data is collected and recorded as part of the product’s function. Licensing is also a key part of this equation, where software products typically involve the usage and incorporation of third-party tools as part of their infrastructure.

Design and Development

Speaking of which, with your concept finalised, the next step in the process is to design and develop the product itself. As indicated earlier, this is an iterative process – one which requires multiple ‘passes’ and adjustments to both design and expectations in order to effectively reach a finished product.

There are multiple angles to consider here, too. Not only do back-end processes need to be designed and tested, but front-end user experience (UX) needs to be optimised. A key part of this process is user testing, or quality assurance (QA) – a process best known in the videogame industry where new titles are exhaustively tested for bugs and experience feedback.

Launch

As the product approaches completion, launch dates beckon. However, the testing process is never truly complete, and even in launch larger pools of testers can be engaged to make final touches to the product. It is not unusual for developers to launch a beta version of their product, either for free or at a reduced price to interested parties, in order to gather valuable user feedback and implement changes ahead of the launch proper.

ST Engineering, Sumitomo and Skyports Join Forces to Use Unmanned Aircraft for Heavy Lift Shore-to-Ship Parcel Delivery

ST Engineering, Sumitomo Corporation and Skyports today announced the formation of a consortium to provide Unmanned Aircraft (UA) services for heavy-lift shore-to-ship parcel delivery in Singapore.

Each consortium member will exploit their respective operational and technological capabilities to expand the use of autonomous UA for the deliveries of maritime essentials to vessels at anchorage. During a nine-month pilot programme, the consortium will engage key customers for maritime UA deliveries, with the goal of establishing a UA delivery network capable of carrying parcel payloads of 10kg.

ST Engineering will provide the UA technology using its end-to-end solution – DroNet; Skyports will jointly conduct the Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight operations with ST Engineering; while Sumitomo Corporation will provide go-to-market support, including their own fleet of vessels.

As a leading unmanned systems participant in Singapore, ST Engineering has been testing and developing autonomous solutions to enable BVLOS UA operations for shore-to-ship delivery in close collaboration with regulators and industry partners. Through funding support from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’ (CAAS) Call-for-Proposals, the Group recently completed the initial development of an UA system for shore-to-ship parcel delivery based on its in-house DroNet solution.

Compared to the traditional form of delivery by boats, UA operations can significantly slash response time and speed up turnaround for shore-to-ship delivery, in addition to reducing logistics costs. Replacing launch boat delivery with UA also helps to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the maritime industry’s overall efforts to operate sustainably.

Sanjay Suresh, Head of Business Development & Operations APAC at Skyports, said, “As home to one of the busiest ports in the world, Singapore is the ideal setting in which to demonstrate to customers the potential for unmanned aircraft to transform maritime logistics by moving essential supplies such as heavy shipping components and tools in a more cost-effective and sustainable way. Together with ST Engineering and Sumitomo Corporation, Skyports is excited to play a key role with our expertise in BVLOS unmanned aircraft operations in the continued expansion of our collective capabilities in the maritime sector.”

Teong Soo Soon, VP & Head of UA Systems at ST Engineering, said, “UA Systems have evolved rapidly in recent years to emerge as safe and robust alternatives to traditionally labour- and time-intensive missions. We are excited to be partnering Sumitomo Corporation and Skyports in the pilot launch of unmanned services for shore-to-ship parcel delivery after spending close to two years of R&D efforts to develop the solution. We look forward to being a strong enabler for customers which wish to leverage unmanned technology to inject higher efficiency and sustainability into their operations.”

Ichiro Tatara, GM, Commercial Aviation Department at Sumitomo, said, “UA systems are a potential infrastructure enabling sustainable transportation. We are very excited to launch a pilot programme for shore-to-ship parcel delivery together with ST Engineering and Skyports, and we believe this partnering is a great team and provides sustainable and efficient service to vessels in Singapore.”

ST Engineering is showcasing its UA systems and other aerospace capabilities at the Aviation cluster of the ST Engineering Pavilion (G01) from 15 – 18 February at Singapore Airshow 2022.

Skyports – Drone Deliveries Take Flight in First-of-its-Kind Trial in Ireland

Testing last-mile drone delivery of goods between Shannon Airport to Foynes Port begins

Last week, FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), and the world’s largest express transportation company, in collaboration with Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) Air, announced the completion of its first scheduled drone last-mile delivery flight in Ireland. The delivery marks the launch of a trial service delivering goods from FMCI, based at Shannon Airport, County Clare, to Foynes Port, County Limerick, Ireland’s second-largest port operator and largest bulk port company.

The drone deliveries were conducted by Skyports, a world-leading operator of cargo drone deliveries, on behalf of the FMCI Air consortium which also includes Avtrain, Shannon Group and FMCI.

The delivery of the first FedEx Express package in Ireland via drone demonstrates the benefits of drone delivery for last-mile service and the commitment by FedEx to exploring the latest innovations in last-mile delivery.

The delivery is part of a month-long trial which will see a number of test flights conducted in the Mid-West region, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) between Shannon Airport and Foynes Port, with deliveries anticipated to be made in under 13 minutes. Clare County and Limerick City and County Council have shown their support for the project, highlighting the role that the councils are playing and leading from an innovation perspective.

Mike Roche, Operations Managing Director, FedEx Express Ireland, said: “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to deliver the world to our customers’ doorsteps and I’m delighted that this drone delivery trial is underway and an example of how we, as an industry, continue to explore new technology to help meet our customers’ evolving delivery needs.”

Julie Garland on behalf of the FMCI Air Consortium, said “The calibre of the partners involved in this trial ensures its success. To test the incorporation of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone freight deliveries into global supply chain logistics is the future happening now. The location of this trial from the FMCI base adjacent to Shannon Airport, in controlled airspace, with full air traffic control services demonstrates the integration of manned aircraft operations with simultaneous vertiport drone operations becoming the norm and paving the way for Advanced Air Mobility.”  

More information about FedEx technology and innovation is available at fedex.com/technology.