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By Phil Sambrook | March 24, 2026
How to Improve Last-Mile Efficiency with AI-Enabled Devices
For logistics and postal leaders, the last mile has become the most critical and complex part of the entire supply chain. The pressure to improve its efficiency is immense, driven by the relentless growth of e-commerce, soaring customer expectations for speed and the high operational cost of failed deliveries.
This environment has made technology a primary focus. Our recent Elevating transportation and logistics value: The impact of Intelligent Operations study with Oxford Economics reveals that 73% of transportation and logistics decision-makers are accelerating their investment in frontline mobile technology. The critical question, however, is not whether to invest, but how to invest to achieve maximum efficiency gains.
For years, many organisations, feeling the pressure to modernise quickly, turned to consumer-grade devices. This was a costly compromise. Consumer devices fail in the field; their batteries die mid-shift, their cameras struggle to scan in low light, and they break when dropped, leading to costly downtime and constant replacement cycles.
In specialised sectors such as pharmaceutical logistics, where a lost signal can compromise an entire temperature-sensitive shipment, this compromise is not just costly; it is untenable. To truly improve efficiency, the industry needs purpose-built mobile computers.
The Modern Device: The Hub of a Connected Frontline
The first step to improving efficiency is to establish a truly connected frontline, with the modern mobile computer at the hub. Deutsche Post DHL, for example, standardised its operations by deploying Zebra's TC57 rugged touch computers across 4,500 depots. This created a uniform, manageable solution for all mail and parcel couriers. Similarly, DPD Germany equipped its 11,500 delivery drivers with next-generation TC77 mobile computers to improve efficiency, which enables their drivers to handle up to 1,000 parcel scans a day.
Mobile computer technology also serves as a catalyst for business growth. DPD Austria tripled its parcel shop network to over 1,500 locations by deploying Zebra's TC26 mobile computers, which help them process parcels faster and more efficiently.
By bringing the power of on-device AI to the point of activity, it enables a level of operational agility that cloud-only solutions cannot match. When a driver encounters an unexpected road closure, they have the intelligence in hand to adapt instantly. More powerfully, it facilitates real-time communication with the end customer, allowing a driver to arrange a new drop-off spot to prevent a failed delivery.
Leading global parcel carriers have demonstrated that this direct line of communication is a key factor in boosting first-time delivery success rates, one of the most critical KPIs in the industry. A modern enterprise mobile computer then serves as the platform to drive efficiency gains in two other critical areas: asset visibility and intelligent automation.
Enhancing Efficiency Through Superior Asset Visibility
True efficiency begins with knowing exactly where every package is at every moment. This requires superior asset visibility. While traditional devices can scan barcodes, AI-powered enterprise mobile computers excel in challenging real-world conditions.
They can read multiple, damaged, or poorly printed barcodes simultaneously from a distance. Their advanced sensors also capture RFID tags with greater speed and accuracy. This ability to capture comprehensive data in challenging environments eliminates costly supply chain ‘blind spots’ and has been shown to directly translate to faster, more accurate loading and unloading times.
Driving Productivity with Intelligent Automation
The most advanced mobile computers also become powerful tools for intelligent automation by leveraging their integrated computer vision technology. This transforms the device into a portable system for seeing and interpreting the physical world.
For example, instead of a worker spending valuable time with a tape measure, they can now simply point the device at a package. Computer vision capabilities instantly and accurately calculate its dimensions. This data can then be used for better load planning, maximising capacity utilisation on every trip and delivering measurable value.
The Italian retail and logistics provider Dimar, for example, deployed Zebra mobile computers to automate package measurement. By pointing the device at a parcel, workers instantly and accurately calculate its dimensions. The company reports this cuts the time spent on this manual task by 50%. The system then uses this data for better load planning and accelerating warehouse operations.
This technology can also be used to visually detect and document package damage at the point of pickup. The device can capture an image, recognise the damage, and automatically trigger a workflow that saves countless hours that would otherwise be spent on handling disputes and processing returns.
The same Zebra study with Oxford Economics that highlighted investment in mobile tech also found that 6 in 10 leaders plan to invest in technology to help validate their sustainability efforts; a goal directly supported by the efficiencies gained through the automation of these processes.
Building a Foundation for Efficient Operations
To improve last-mile efficiency, leaders must equip their teams with technology built for the reality of their work. A modern mobile computer is the cornerstone of a connected frontline, providing the enhanced asset visibility and intelligent automation needed to truly optimise workflows.
This commitment does more than just streamline operations; it empowers employees to be the effective, responsive problem-solvers your customers count on. When the frontline is connected and empowered with AI-driven tools, the entire organisation becomes more efficient and resilient, ready to meet today's demands and adapt to tomorrow's challenges.
