{"id":17963,"date":"2016-11-18T14:06:54","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T19:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/just-one-more-mile-to-go\/"},"modified":"2016-11-18T14:13:39","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T19:13:39","slug":"just-one-more-mile-to-go","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/just-one-more-mile-to-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Just one more mile to go\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marathoners say the race doesn\u2019t start until the last 10km: that\u2019s when our bodies (trying to look good here since I couldn\u2019t ever reach that point) have basically consumed our carb deposits and we have no energy left to run. Likewise, in logistics, a huge burden is put on what the industry refers to as the \u201clast-mile\u201d.<\/p>\n

The last-mile is, more generally, the last leg of the supply chain, which, experts say, accounts for 28% of total cost to move goods [i]. Why\u2019s that? Well, first it\u2019s in this stage that products are generally unbundled, taken from inside containers or pallets, and individualized in their own packages. Second, last-mile deliveries involve either moving in urban areas, and facing congestion or safety issues and restrictions, or in remote ones, where paved roads are non-existent or which may have suffered from disasters. Finally, this is generally the sole point of contact between supplier and consumer and where a lot of friction may occur as companies face inquiries and requests on how products should be delivered (\u201cdon\u2019t ring the doorbell\u201d is an example some of us may relate to). [ii]<\/p>\n

A historic problem in logistics, therefore, the last-mile has faced even more challenges with the growth of e-commerce. As Rick Rover, Senior Vice President of Operations for Streamlite, an Atlanta-based shipping solutions company, puts it: \u201cThe supply chain\u2019s been extended [because] of changes in consumer buying patterns. As people turn to the Web to purchase lighter-weight, less-expensive goods, and do so more frequently, the supply chain extends right to the mailbox.\u201d [i]<\/p>\n

Mercedes-Benz, the luxury auto-maker we all dream about, has decided to act on this front. The company partnered with American drone manufacturer, Matternet, to create a concept car they call the Vision Van. Here\u2019s a picture of this beauty so you all can better visualize what I\u2019m talking about:<\/p>\n

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The first feature that stands out on the vans are the rooftops, which serve as a launch and landing pad for Matternet\u2019s M2 drones, autonomous air vehicles that can pick up and carry a package of 4.4 pounds across 12 miles of sky on a single battery charge. [iii]<\/p>\n

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But the evolutions are countless, spanning from the design to the software that organizes deliveries:<\/p>\n