Imagine if your average retailer had a big PR campaign with a big splash announcing they were launching same-day delivery. It would likely be met with a shrug or perhaps even a "so?".
Today's "cutting-edge innovation" is just a few short days from tomorrow's table stakes in an industry as competitive and fast-changing as retail.
The real differentiator—and one that will not change anytime soon—is how efficiently and consistently you can deliver (pun intended) on the promises of new technology.
"The reality is that customers' expectations and table stakes in the industry are to offer multiple types of fulfillment models based on however a customer wants to receive a good and however they want to shop," explains Brittany Pacheco, Senior Omni Channel Manager at Office Depot.
Therein lies the challenge. The Amazons and Targets of the world have a huge amount of capital at their disposal to solve these challenges. The other 99% of retailers do not.
Yet that doesn't stop a significant portion of customers from placing the same level of expectations on all retailers they buy from.
The secret to taking on retail giants is delivery orchestration—and it's not just for enterprise retailers anymore. Let's break down the business case that's making orchestration accessible and essential for companies of all sizes.
1) Enjoy hard cost benefits beyond just rate shopping
Obviously, the most important place any business wants to see a new technology to show up is the bottom line.
For small and mid-sized businesses, every dollar spent on delivery impacts the bottom line far more acutely than it does for enterprise retailers. While giants like Walmart can absorb inefficient delivery costs, you need solutions that maximize every delivery dollar.
This isn't really possible with legacy approaches to working with delivery partners. Oftentimes, those partnerships have meant being locked into single-provider agreements or manual processes that drain resources.
The cost and impact can be severe when providers change direction or close shop. For instance, Amazon Today was a service allowing brick-and-mortar retailers to deliver products to their customers with same-day speed. With only a few months' notice at the end of 2024, Amazon Today shutdown in January 2025. Hundreds of retailers had built their forecasts around a program that existed one day and was shuttered the next.
Delivery orchestration platforms present a different approach.
You maintain control while reducing risk by connecting multiple delivery services through one management system.
Instead of having to sort through the various options available manually and having to route orders manually, AI and Machine Learning can do it for you. Advanced algorithms power these automations that can match every order with the best possible delivery partner based on rules you've set up in the back end.
But the savings go deeper than just finding the lowest rate:
- Reduced operational overhead through automation
- Optimized fleet utilization and resource allocation
- Lower cancellation rates through smart provider matching
- Minimized failed delivery attempts
These cost savings allow you to complete more effectively while maintaining healthy margins. But the benefits extend beyond immediate financial savings. Let's look at how delivery orchestration transforms daily operations and frees up your team's valuable time.
2) Give valuable time back to your team
Depending on the size of your organization, the operational impact might be even more valuable than the hard cost savings.
Because of their sprawling nature, global supply chains will always be vulnerable to international tensions, trade disruptions, and material shortages. Your internal logistics operations represent an area where direct improvements are possible.
The operational impact can't be understated, particularly for retailers operating their own fleet of delivery vehicles as was the story of the grocery chain Lunds & Byerlys.
"We were delivering our own groceries with a fleet of 19 trucks and 30 drivers, trying to hit all of Minneapolis-St. Paul," explains Jenny Pearson, Director of E-commerce at Lunds & Byerlys.
"We were restricting our own delivery capacity and constantly worried about trucks and drivers."
After making the switch to a delivery orchestration platform, the impact was immediate. The whole organization was able to serve more customers across a wider delivery area. At the same time, they eliminated the constant operational headaches that come with managing an in-house delivery fleet.
Jenny puts it plainly: "My team within corporate spends a lot less time thinking about delivery. They don't think about maintaining trucks. They don't think about drivers. They just get to do other work."
In the end, this is a huge shift of resources from logistics management back to core business functions.
Over time, this creates a multiplier effect:
- Store staff focus on customer service instead of delivery coordination
- Management teams can pursue strategic initiatives rather than troubleshooting
- IT resources can be allocated to revenue-generating projects
3) Double down on a customer-first experience
Here's where it gets interesting for smaller and mid-sized businesses. Delivery orchestration has enabled retailers to offer the same shipping speed and experience as Amazon, Target, or Walmart.
But there's one place where it will have the most impact: Customer experience.
Customers, frankly, don't care about back-end capabilities.
They want seamless delivery experiences regardless of which retailer they're shopping with. That means real-time tracking, flexible delivery windows, and consistent communication throughout the process.
Previously, only major retailers could meet these expectations, thanks to massive investments in technology and personnel. Delivery orchestration platforms have leveled the playing field.
By automating the complex task of coordinating multiple delivery providers and options, these platforms allow smaller businesses to offer the same premium delivery experience customers have come to expect from retail giants.
The impact on customer satisfaction is significant. Customers who order from your store receive professional tracking updates, accurate delivery estimates, and seamless communication. This consistent, professional experience builds trust and encourages repeat business.
Best of all, this enhanced customer experience scales efficiently. As your business grows, the platform grows with you, allowing you to add new delivery options and providers without adding proportional overhead or complexity.
Solutions like InsureShield® Connect can help retailers maintain that premium customer experience even when shipping issues occur. With 95% of claims paid and most processed within days, not weeks, you can proactively resolve customer concerns about lost, damaged, or stolen packages. This protection works across all carriers and shipping modes, allowing you to offer consistent service recovery regardless of how an order is delivered.
Your customers get the delivery experience they expect, while your team focuses on core business operations rather than delivery logistics.
The result? Smaller retailers can now compete on service quality rather than just price or selection, one of the most critical differentiators when operating in such a competitive retail landscape.
Practical considerations and next steps
While delivery orchestration platforms do streamline and simplify last-mile, success still requires taking a strategic approach.
For most companies, this means:
- Start with core capabilities that match your immediate needs
- Choose a platform that can grow with your business
- Focus on integration with existing systems
- Plan for gradual feature adoption as needs evolve
The key is choosing a platform that integrates with your existing systems while providing flexibility for future expansion.
If you're considering adopting an orchestration platform, the business case is clear:
Delivery orchestration offers cost savings and opportunities to survive and grow in a market where customer expectations keep rising. For smaller and mid-sized businesses, this can mean the ability to compete effectively with larger players without matching their resource investments.
Want to see how powerful delivery orchestration can be? Check out our interactive demos and try it out for yourself.
Ryan Caldarone
Ryan is a Sr. Digital Marketing Manager with over ten years of experience in B2B eCommerce, specializing in brand storytelling and content. Having contributed to hundreds of creative projects for SMBs and startups across the tech, energy, and fine arts sectors, Ryan brings diverse perspectives.