Bakgrund. E-handel ökar ständigt, och med det även frakt av ehandelsvaror. Frakten som skrivs om i den här studien syftar till den frakt som sker mellan en återförsäljare och en slutkonsument. Denna är i texten kallad last-mile delivery. Denna är identifierad som mycket kostnadsbärande för återförsäljare och därför har ansträngningar gjorts för att ta reda på vad som driver konsumentpreferenser vid frakt av ehandelsvaror. För att bredda det här fältet och den nuvarande kunskapen inom område har den här studien introducerat tidspreferensteori som underlag och adderat betalningsfördröjning som attribut vid last-mile delivery för att se vilken effekt detta har på preferenser vid fraktval. Syfte. Syftet med den här studien är att ta reda på hur en fördröjd betalning kan påverka preferenserna för olika last-mile delivery-alternativ. Överlag syftar också studien till att bredda kunskapen inom området. Detta görs alltså med introduktionen av tidspreferensteori till området. Metod. Studien är en experimentstudie med en ansluten enkät. Enkäten gjordes i tre utföranden och skickades ut i tre distinkta experimentgrupper. Därefter testades datan med ett icke-parametriskt proportionstest för att se om det fanns någon signifikant mängd svar som stödjer att en fördröjd betalning påverkar konsumentens val av last-mile delivery-alternativ. Resultat. Resultaten av studien visar att det inte finns någon koppling mellan en fördröjd betalning och ändrade konsumentbeteenden i fraktpreferenser. Överlag så valdes fraktalternativet med lägst frakt. Detta är något som går igen i flera tidigare studier där man kommit fram till att fraktkostnad och leveranshastighet är de två mest betydelsefulla aspekterna av frakten. Det enda scenariot som visade någon förändring i preferens var då produkten vid köpet var en dyr sådan. Huruvida preferensskiftet går att tillskriva den fördröjda betalningen förblir oklart, men inte osannolikt. Slutsatser. Slutsatsen till studien blir att trots tidspreferens och fördröjd betalning användes i studien så gav de inget mervärde. Resultatet blev i linje med tidigare resultat. Att tidspreferensteorin inte höll för fraktpreferenserna kan haft att göra med studiedesignen. En framtida studie hade kunnat göra ett mer ingående arbete och fokusera ännu mer på tidspreferensen för att hitta nya resultat / Background. E-commerce is ever expanding, and with it, so is last-mile delivery. Last-mile delivery is the last part of any delivery from a retailer or etailer (online retailer) to a consumer. Last-mile delivery is one of the most costly parts of the supply chain for many etailers and as such efforts have been made to understand what drives preferences for last-mile delivery. To broaden this field, this study will introduce time preference theory to the last-mile delivery and examine if delayed payment of an online purchase has any effect on the last-mile deliver preferences.  Objectives. The objectives of this study are to examine if delayed payment of online purchases has any effect on the last-mile delivery preference for consumers, as well as broaden the knowledge on last-mile delivery preferences in general. This is done with the inclusion of time preference theory as an underlying theory.  Methods. The study is carried out through the use of an experiment study with an experiment survey. The survey was made into three different versions, distributed to three different experiment groups. The data was then tested with a non-parametric proportion test with varying values of proportion to see whether there was any significant proportion of the replies that were in favor of delay of payment having any effect on the consumer preference.   Results. The results of the study showed that consumers generally choose the last-mile delivery option with the lowest delivery fee. This is in line with previous findings which concluded that delivery fee and delivery speed are the two most important factors for consumers. The only case in which consumers indicated that there was any effect of the payment delay was in the case of an expensive product. Even then it is hard to rule out that it was not something else that brought this result.   Conclusions. The concluding findings of the study is that while time preference was added as an attribute for last-mile delivery, it had little to no effect. This may have been because of the study design of this study. For future research on the topic, examining time preference in a greater depth may give different findings from this study.

The goods distribution companies are today controlled by customer needs and environmental goals. New customer needs that have arisen the past years are that the goods distribution should be ecologically sustainable and leave the lowest possible ecological footprint. There are several possible vehicle and routing concepts as well as system perspectives appropriate for product distribution. This study aims to investigate the appropriate concept that meets customer needs. KPI: s are used to measure the performance of companies. One problem with goods distribution by automobile transportation is the accessibility in the traffic that follows. Congestion, pedestrian- and one-way streets as well as to park decrease accessibility. The problem with replacing automobile vehicles with the chosen vehicle concept in this study, electric-powered cargo bikes, is that productivity risks to be degraded from a system perspective since the cargo volume is significantly smaller with an electric-powered bicycle. But the customer's framework conditions need to be followed and the goods distribution companies should also consider that environmental zones could be introduced in their municipalities. Various vehicles that are being used today worldwide to deliver goods are heavy trucks, light trucks, and bicycles. These deliveries are routed with a route optimization program. Vehicle load carriers are designed differently and therefore have different load capacities. High load capacity is an advantageous characteristic of productivity. With bicycle implementation, a reload point may be necessary if there is too long of a distance between the distribution center and the area of the recipient. This study is based on an explorative research purpose and an inductive research approach. The set questions of the study were answered mainly through qualitative research methods, but also quantitative research methods were used. The results show that an electric-powered cargo bicycle, called the Starke cycle, will be proposed to be implemented as a vehicle concept together with a movable transshipment point and a garage for the bicycles. A conclusion drawn by the study is that the customer's main need is to achieve an ecologically sustainable distribution. Suggestions for further research are to investigate more in route optimization and to investigate robotic solutions used for last mile. / Idag är det intressentbehov och ramvillkor som styr varudistributionsföretagen. Nya intressentbehov som uppkommit nu i närtid är att varudistribution ska vara ekologiskt hållbart och lämna det lägsta möjliga ekologiska fotavtrycket. Det finns flera möjliga fordons- och ruttplaneringskoncept samt systemperspektiv för varudistribution. Den här studien ämnar undersöka lämpligt koncept som tillgodoser intressentbehovet för ekologisk hållbarhet. KPI:er används för att mäta prestanda hos företag. Ett problem med distribution med bil är framkomligheten i trafiken. Trafikstockningar, enkelriktade gator och gågator samt att parkera försämrar framkomligheten. Problemet med att byta ut fossildrivna distributionsfordon till studiens valda fordonskoncept, eldrivna lastcyklar, är att produktiviteten kan försämras ur ett systemperspektiv, eftersom lastvolymen är betydligt mindre på en eldriven cykel. Men kundintressentens ramvillkor behöver följas och varudistributionsföretagen borde ta hänsyn till att miljözoner kan införas i deras kommuner. Fordon som idag globalt användas för att leverera gods är tung lastbil, lastbil och lastcykel. Dessa leveranser ruttplaneras med ett ruttoptimeringsprogram. Fordonens lastbärare är utformade olika och har därmed olika lastkapaciteter. En hög lastkapacitet är en fördelaktig egenskap för produktiviteten. Vid cykelimplementation kan en omlastningspunkt vara nödvändigt ifall avståndet mellan distributions-centralen och området med mottagarna är för långt. Studien har ett explorativt forskningssyfte och en induktiv forskningsansats. Frågeställningarna besvaras genom kvalitativa- och kvantitativa forskningsmetoder. En eldriven lastcykel, Starke cycle, föreslås implementeras som fordonskoncept. Detta tillsammans med en flyttningsbar omlastningspunkt och ett garage för cyklarna. Slutsatsen av studien är att kundintressentens främsta behov är att åstadkomma en ekologiskt hållbar distribution.

E-commerce is growing every year with the number of parcel deliveries and distribution. Home deliveries have been in Sweden for a while but popularity of this service has increased extra in 2020 when it was the year the pandemic of the corona virus took place. Consumers stayed at home for a longer period of time and chose this service both because of safety but also convenience. Many e-retailers offered free delivery, so it may be the price that also made this service attractive. Many courier companies had to adapt their operations quickly in order to deliver all these packages in time. This study will examine the role of IS and IT in streamlining the process and facilitating communication between courier companies, e-retailers and consumers. Furthermore, the process within the last mile delivery will be studied and explained in more detail and what conditions are required for this type of delivery to be successful.  The study examines three courier companies that are active in the Swedish market, but all three of them focus on different aspects that they think are important, such as the environment, speed or technology. The study was conducted with interviews of selected courier companies, the respondents came from Budbee, Bring and Postnord who worked at the operational level and had insight into the various delivery processes. To get an insight from e-commerce companies, who are the customers, Chimi eyewear was also interviewed. All respondents believe that home delivery will increase in the future, regardless of whether the pandemic continues or not. It is pointed out by all three companies that IS and IT help enormously, facilitate and streamline all parts of the process, from communications to the scanning of packages to the route optimization.  After the study, it could be stated that the increase in e-commerce directly affects courier companies but also e-commerce as consumers become increasingly knowledgeable and demanding when it comes to service, speed and technology, as consumers are constantly connected.Both of them need to think fast and adapt quickly to the situation in society and in the industry. One of the companies sees an advantage in owning their interfaces and IS systems because then they can act quickly and adapt to required developments. As society functions more and more digitally, it can be good to digitize and streamline most processes in the business. / E-handel växer för varje år med det även antal paket leveranser och distribution. Hemleveranser har funnits i Sverige ett tag med popularitet för denna tjänst har ökat extra mycket under 2020 då det var året pandemin av viruset corona ägde rum. Konsumenterna var längre tid hemma och valde denna tjänst både på grund av säkerheten men även bekvämligheten. Många e- handlare erbjöd gratis leverans så det kan hända att även priset gjorde denna tjänst attraktiv. Många budföretag var tvungna att anpassa sina verksamheten snabbt för att hinna leverera alla dessa paket. I denna studie undersöks hur stor roll IS och IT hade i att effektivisera processen och underlätta kommunikation mellan budföretagen, e-handlarna och konsumenterna. Vidare kommer processen inom last mile-leveransen studeras och förklaras närmare samt vilka förutsättningar krävs för att denna typ av leverans ska lyckas.  I studien undersöks tre budföretag som är verksamma på den svenska marknaden men alla tre lägger fokus på olika aspekter som de tycker är viktiga såsom miljö, snabbhet eller teknologi. Studien genomfördes med intervjuer av utvalda företag, respondenterna kom från Budbee, Bring och Postnord som jobbade på den operativa nivån och hade inblick i de olika leveransprocesserna. För att få en inblick från e-handelsföretag, dvs kunderna så intervjuades även Chimi eyewear. Alla respondenterna tror att hemleveransen kommer öka i framtiden oavsett om pandemin fortsätter eller inte. Det påpekas av alla tre företag att IS och IT hjälper enormt, underlättar samt effektiviserar alla delar i processen, från kommunikationer till skanningen av paket till ruttoptimeringen. Efter studien kunde det konstateras att ökningen av e-handeln direkt påverkar budföretagen men även e-handlarna då konsumenterna blir allt mer kunniga och krävande när det kommer till service, snabbhet och teknologi, då konsumenter ständigt är uppkopplade. Både, e-handlarna och budföretagen, måste numera tänka snabbt och anpassa sig snabbt till situationen i samhället och i branschen. Ett av företagen såg fördel i att äga sina gränssnitt och IS system för att då kan de agera snabbt och anpassa sig till IT-utveckling som råder. Då samhället fungerar allt mer digitalt kan det vara bra att digitalisera samt effektivisera de flesta processerna i verksamheten.

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Background: The strong growth of e-commerce and the connected last mile delivery problems as well as the increasing customer demands have driven forward delivery innovations in the past years. One of them, parcel locker networks, were developed and have been growing for several years. However, customers still seem to prefer the traditional home delivery, which is highly inefficient for last mile delivery actors. Thereby, it has to be evaluated whether customers are satisfied with the parcel locker technology and which factors determine the satisfaction.  Purpose: This study aims at evaluating the factors influencing customer satisfaction in regard to parcel lockers. Therefore, relevant constructs about satisfaction and acceptance models in the last mile context were derived from the literature. Method: In order to accomplish our purpose, a quantitative study was conducted using a questionnaire among end customers in Austria and Germany. The proposed framework and hypotheses were analysed by using structural equation modelling. Furthermore, a multigroup analysis was conducted to identify differences between sociodemographic categories.  Conclusion: The results show that perceived ease of use, perceived quality and convenience perception all have an influence on customer satisfaction in Germany and Austria. However, the direct influence of perceived ease of use and convenience perception cannot be confirmed, both constructs are entirely mediated by perceived quality. Furthermore, the multigroup analysis determined significant differences in the gender category for the path between perceived ease of use and convenience perception, in the living area category for the relationship between convenience perception and perceived quality and in the age category for perceived quality and customer satisfaction.

[pt] O termo e-commerce designa o modelo de negócio no qual as transações comerciais de compra e venda são feitas através de meios digitais. Essa variedade de comércio on-line tem aumentado significativamente no Brasil. Dados recentes revelam um crescimento de 267% no setor, cujo número de usuários do comércio eletrônico passou de 31,3 milhões em 2013 para 83,7 milhões em 2022. Quando se compara ao número de encomendas, o aumento foi de 88 milhões no ano de 2013 para 368 milhões em 2022. Esse crescimento trouxe inúmeros desafios logísticos, especialmente para alcançar a satisfação do cliente do e-commerce e sua fidelização. Com isso, a qualidade do serviço logístico no processo de distribuição de produtos no last mile ganhou relevância no processo de distribuição Business to Consumer (B2C). Corresponder a uma expectativa de compra satisfatória é um fator crítico para as empresas do e-commerce que buscam obter vantagem competitiva. Com esse propósito, a melhoria logística de distribuição desempenha um papel preponderante; entretanto, é necessário definir exatamente o que o cliente valoriza e espera desse tipo de serviço, dado que as expectativas do mercado são elevadas e boa parte das empresas não estão em condições de atender a esse padrão. Nesse contexto, este estudo de caso tem por objetivo geral identificar as expectativas de last mile delivery dos clientes de uma empresa brasileira do e-commerce B2C ao realizar uma compra, no segmento de móveis e decoração, em uma empresa que atua em todo o território nacional. A metodologia utilizada foi o estudo de caso único, os clientes responderam um survey que foi utilizado como base de dado para o desenvolvimento do trabalho e melhoria da operação, com abordagem qualitativa e empregou o método Net Promoter Score (NPS). Participaram desse estudo os clientes da empresa estudada e citada no trabalho. Quinze dias após o recebimento da mercadoria, era enviado para o cliente um questionário on-line com duas perguntas, as respostas eram analisadas sobre a expectativa relacionada ao serviço logístico, ao nível de lealdade, à satisfação e à fidelização de compras. Os resultados obtidos nesse trabalho apontam cinco fatores críticos para satisfazer a necessidade do cliente. A expectativa mais relevante para os consumidores em relação à distribuição de produtos por meio do e-commerce B2C é ter um prazo menor ofertado pela empresa relacionado a entrega, seguido de não receber produto danificado, receber produto com material de melhor qualidade, melhor atendimento e entrega dentro do prazo. Conclui-se que existe uma expectativa do consumidor intimamente associada a uma oportunidade de melhoria na logística de distribuição no e-commerce. Isso significa que a qualidade do serviço de entrega logística tem o impacto direto sobre uma experiência satisfatória para os clientes do e-commerce. O presente trabalho oferece um framework como ferramenta para a aplicação do método NPS e, consecutivamente, para a melhoria do nível de serviço e da excelência operacional nas atividades logísticas. Dessa forma, contribuir para retenção, fidelização e satisfação da experiência de compra dos clientes. / [en] The term e-commerce refers to the business model in which commercial transactions of buying and selling are conducted through digital means. This variety of online commerce has significantly increased in Brazil. Recent data reveals a growth of 267% in the sector, with the number of e-commerce users increasing from 31.3 million in 2013 to 83.7 million in 2022. When comparing the number of orders, it increased from 88 million in 2013 to 368 million in 2022. This growth has brought numerous logistical challenges, especially in achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty in e-commerce. Therefore, the quality of logistics services in the last mile distribution process has gained relevance in the Business to Consumer (B2C) distribution process. Meeting satisfactory purchase expectations is a critical factor for e-commerce companies seeking a competitive advantage. With this purpose, logistic distribution improvement plays a significant role; however, it is necessary to precisely define what the customer values and expects from this type of service, as market expectations are high, and many companies are unable to meet this standard. In this context, this case study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the last mile delivery expectations of customers of a Brazilian B2C e-commerce company when making a purchase in the furniture and decoration segment, operating nationwide. The methodology used was a single case study, customers completed a survey that was used as a database for developing the work and improving the operation, with a qualitative approach and using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) method. The clients of the company studied and mentioned in the work participated in this study. Fifteen days after receiving the merchandise, an online questionnaire with two questions was sent to the customer, the answers were analyzed regarding expectations related to the logistics service, the level of loyalty, satisfaction and purchase loyalty. The results obtained in this study point to five critical factors for meeting customer needs. The most relevant expectation for consumers regarding the distribution of products through B2C e-commerce is to have a shorter delivery time offered by the company, followed by damaged products, products with better quality materials, better customer service, and on-time delivery. It is concluded that there is a customer expectation closely linked to an opportunity for improvement in e-commerce distribution logistics. This means that the quality of the logistic delivery service directly impacts a satisfactory experience for e-commerce customers. This study suggests the application of the Framework as a tool for implementing NPS and, consequently, for improving the level of service and operational excellence in logistics activities. This can contribute to customer retention, loyalty, and satisfaction in the shopping experience.

Framväxten av e-handel har ställt höga krav på last mile-leverans, där leverans av paket till konsumenter har blivit allt viktigare och en väsentlig del av kundens köpupplevelse. I takt med att kraven på e-handel och frakt ökar, så ökar också konsumenternas krav på servicekvalitet och leveranstid. I takt med att e-handeln fortsätter att växa behövs nya lösningar som kan leverera snabbt, effektivt och hållbart till lägre kostnader. Något som diskuterats på flera ställen är autonoma leveransfordon. Ett exempel på detta är drönare, som inte har testats i så stor utsträckning. Syftet med studien är att identifiera de krav som konsumenter ställer på drönarleveranser av paket i Sverige i en tid av ökad e-handel. Således för att bidra med kunskap kring hur skräddarsydda paketleveranser av drönare kan leda till ökad kundnöjdhet. För insamling av empirin tillämpas kvalitativ metod som genomfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju konsumenter för att få en inblick i konsumentens krav. Sedan har intervju med en kvalitets- och miljöchef från DHL gjorts för en inblick i hur distributionsföretag belyser dessa krav. Studiens resultat visade att konsumenterna har en nyfiken men skeptisk inställning mot leveransdrönare och att de i allt högre utsträckning förväntar sig en mer kundanpassad leverans. Andra krav som konsumenter ställer är snabba leveranser och stark förpackning. Samtidigt vill konsumenter undvika fysisk kontakt med drönare och väljer att få paket levererat till anvisad plats. Däremot finns inget större behov att betala mer för en drönarleverans trots de högre kraven på last mile leveranserna. / The rising e-commerce has placed great demands on last mile deliveries where deliveries to consumers have become increasingly important and are an important part of the shopping experience for the customer. Consumers' demands for service quality and delivery time have risen in connection with the increased e-commerce and demand for transport. In step with the ever-increasing e-commerce, new solutions are required to be able to deliver quickly, efficiently, sustainably and at a lower cost. Something that has been discussed in several places is autonomous delivery vehicles. An example of this is drones, which have not been tested to such an extent. The purpose of the study is to identify the demands that consumers place on delivery drones of parcels in Sweden in a time of increased e-commerce. Thus to contribute with knowledge about how customized deliveries by drones can lead to increased customer satisfaction. For collecting the empirical data, a qualitative method was applied that was conducted through semi-structured interviews with seven consumers to get an insight into the consumers requirements. Furthermore an interview was conducted with a quality- and environmental manager from DHL for an insight into how these requirements are highlighted. The results of the study showed that consumers have a curious but skeptical attitude towards delivery drones and that they expect a more customized delivery. Other requirements that consumers set are fast deliveries and strong packaging. At the same time, consumers want to avoid physical contact with drones and choose to have packages delivered to a specific location. However, there is no greater demand to pay more for a drone delivery despite the higher requirements for last-mile deliveries.

This research concerns the history of how the stories—narratives—which people tell about the Port of New Orleans and its related freight transportation have impacted Port-related traffic congestion on the last mile. “Last mile” refers to the last segment of a freight journey. In the context of the Port, it is the distance between the Tchoupitoulas Street exit ramp on US 90 and the entrance/exit of the Clarence Henry Truckway. The Clarence Henry Truckway is a 3.5-mile one way in/one way out dedicated truck route behind the floodwall of the Port on Tchoupitoulas street. Its access is threatened by proposed tourism-related developments. Chapter one is an overview congestion at the Port and developments which will impact access. It gives the context of freight and logistics, economic development, congestion, and the environment. It then turns to an overview of the Port’s history and importance. Chapter two reviews urban studies and anthropology literature relative to freight. Chapter three discusses the primarily archival methodology. Chapter four discusses narrative in nine freight options: the Riverfront Expressway, freight on Decatur Street, Louisiana Avenue and other uptown arterials, extending Leake Avenue behind Audubon Park, a ship lock and channel connecting the Mississippi River with the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), the MRGO itself, replacing the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal (IHNC or “Industrial canal”) lock, New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) cars parked along Leake Avenue; and the Port’s proposed shipping container terminal at the Sinclair tract in Meraux, St. Bernard parish. Chapter five discusses the history of the Port freight narrative from organized Port dockworker labor. Chapter six covers the rise of the tourism/convention narrative. Chapter seven is about gentrification and the Port. Chapters eight and nine are a concluding discussion with policy recommendations. This research argues that community narratives are primary in the facilitation of freight transportation infrastructure, rather than economic concerns about its benefit to the Port. The histories of these narratives show that the social and political capital of the potentially affected residents was more powerful than the economic development and job creation narratives of the business community and the Port.

When a package is shipped, the customer often requires the delivery to be made within a particular time window or by a deadline. However, meeting such time requirements is difficult, and delivery companies may not always know ahead of time which customers will need a delivery. In this thesis, we present models and solution approaches for two stochastic last-mile delivery problems in which customers have delivery time constraints and customer presence is known in advance only according to a probability distribution. Our solutions can help reduce the operational costs of delivery while improving customer service. The first problem is the probabilistic traveling salesman problem with time windows (PTSPTW). In the PTSPTW, customers have both a time window and a probability of needing a delivery on any given day. The objective is to find a pre-planned route with an expected minimum cost. We present computational results that characterize the PTSPTW solutions. We provide insights for practitioners on when solving the PTSPTW is beneficial compared to solving the deterministic analogue of the problem. The second problem is the same-day delivery problem (SDDP). The SDDP is a dynamic and stochastic pick-up and delivery problem. In the SDDP, customers make delivery requests throughout the day and vehicles are dispatched from a warehouse or brick and mortar store to serve the requests. Associated with each request is a request deadline or time window. In order to make better-informed decisions, our solution approach incorporates information about future requests into routing decisions by using a sample scenario planning approach with a consensus function. We also introduce an analytical result that identifies when it is beneficial for vehicles to wait at the depot. We present a wide range of computational experiments that demonstrate the value of our approaches.

Driverless vehicles might fundamentally change the transport system in multiple ways. Reducing driver costs in mobility services could create opportunities for new mobility concepts. Research on driverless vehicles have previously concentrated on urban areas, though driverless vehicles in rural areas could have greater positive effects. Hence, the aim of the study is to see how driverless vehicles can be used in rural areas to contribute to a more sustainable transport system. Three rural mobility concepts for driverless vehicles are developed and by applying these to different case locations, the feasibility of the concepts is discussed. Interviews with local actors in Sweden were conducted to learn about general and local challenges with specific case locations. What rural mobility concept for driverless vehicles to use depends on access to public transport, distance to main roads and spatial density of travel demand. A modelling approach of a first and last mile feeder service is used to evaluate the feasibility of this mobility concept further. Model results show that driverless shuttles can feed travel demands of 100-150 passengers daily and still perform alternative tasks. Even though rural areas have general challenges, local issues also need consideration to optimize the benefits of the services. Public transport authorities are experts on local challenges and could take more responsibility in questions regarding driverless vehicles. For instance, flexibility, accessibility and equality could be improved by merging routes and shorten travel times for entire bus routes. Furthermore, other societal functions can be developed by reinvesting capital in other areas.