Startup Guide Issue 17 | Page 16

You have ext ens i ve exper i ence wi t h l ogi s t i cs compani es i n Paki s t an. W hat i s your opi ni on of t he l ands cape and t he gaps t hat can be f i l l ed? A t t i me s p e op l e e x p e c t a l ot mor e f r om t h e l og i s t i c s c omp a n y du e t o t h e i r u s a g e of t h e n e w on - de ma n d a p p s , b u t a r e n ' t r e a dy t o p a y f or t h e a d di t i on a l s e r v i c e . A u s u a l r i de wi t h i n t h e c i t y wou l d c os t Rs . 2 5 0 p l u s ma y b e , a n d t h e c ou r i e r c omp a n y c a n b e de l i v e r i n g f r om Ka r a c h i t o s ome c i t y a l l t h e wa y u p n or t h i n t h e s a me a mou n t , wh e r e a b i k e , t r u c k , p l a n e a n d s a me i n r e v e r s e i s i n v ol v e d, b u t t h e s a me c u s t ome r wou l d f i n d i t " t oo e x p e n s i v e " . Th e c u s t ome r n ow wa n t s a s i mi l a r e x p e r i e n c e l i k e By k e a p e r h a p s , wi t h v i s i b i l i t y , f a s t e r p r oc e s s i n g t i me s , a n d t h e y don ' t h a v e t o i n t e r a c t wi t h a c a l l c e n t e r a l l t h e t i me a n d wou l d j u s t c l i c k a b u t t on or t y p e a wa y on t h e i r s ma r t p h on e i n s t e a d. I don ’ t r e me mb e r t h e l a s t t i me I ' v e c a l l e d a r e s t a u r a n t t o or de r f ood, I j u s t c l i c k a b u t t on on t h e F oodp a n da a p p i n s t e a d a n d t a da , ma g i c ! An e x p e r i e n c e c l os e r t o t h a t p e r h a p s , wi t h f a s t e r c a s h , f a s t e r de l i v e r y , n o b l a me - g a me s a n d t r a n s p a r e n c y i s wh a t ' s r e q u i r e d. I n your opi ni on, what ar e t he chal l enges i n t hi s l ands cape? S ome l og i s t i c s c ompa ni e s wor k wi t h a g e - ol d mi nds e t a nd a t t i me s s of t wa r e a s we l l , whi c h ma k e s i t ha r de r f or t he m t o t wi s t a nd t ur n a s f a s t a s a s ma l l e r / ne we r c ompa n y woul d, but i t ' s s ome t hi ng t ha t ' s a l wa y s wor k e d f or t he m a nd i t j us t ma k e s g ood bus i ne s s s e ns e a s we l l , but t he c us t ome r wa nt s mor e . Pa y me nt me c ha ni s ms a l s o ma k e i t ha r d, s i nc e COD pr e v a i l s a nd hov e r s no l e s s t ha n 85% of a l l e - c omme r c e de l i v e r i e s , whi c h i s g r owi ng a t a pa c e of a r ound 92% y e a r on y e a r . S o t he c a s h ha ndl i ng i s a c ha l l e ng e a s we l l f or bot h t he c ompa ni e s , a s we l l a s t he pe opl e wa i t i ng f or t he c a s h t o g e t ba c k i nt o t he i r ha nds . F a s t e r r e c onc i l i a t i ons put a ddi t i ona l pr e s s ur e on t he c ompa n y s i de a s we l l whi c h woul d ha v e ot he r wi s e r ol l e d t he c a s h i n t he bus i ne s s i f r e qui r e d. A s ol i d f r a me wor k ne e ds t o be pr e pa r e d now. Thi ng s t ha t wor k e d f or t he e n v e l ope bus i ne s s ba c k i n t he da y do not wor k f or t he e - c omme r c e bus i ne s s a n y mor e . The l og i s t i c s pl a y e r s a r e r a mpi ng up now a nd ha v e t a k e n s t e ps t o c ha ng e t he wa y t hi ng s wor k , but t he s e r v i c e l e v e l s a t t i me s s t i l l s uf f e r a l ot . The t he m v s . us me nt a l i t y , whe r e c us t ome r s e r v i c e l e v e l s dr op e xt e ns i v e l y hur t t he whol e e xpe r i e nc e , he nc e t he ne e d f or a c ha ng e i n mi nds e t , put t i ng mor e t e c h i n t he pr oc e s s i ns t e a d of t hr owi ng mor e pe opl e a t i t t o r e s ol v e t he i s s ue s i s wha t ' s ne e de d.