Curbside Delivery

In the fast-moving world of delivery operations and management, curbside delivery has emerged as a defining factor for operational success. Customer service teams across industries are rethinking how they approach this challenge, driven by rising costs, evolving customer expectations, and the growing availability of purpose-built technology.

The shift toward data-driven delivery operations and management is not slowing down. Organizations that invest in the right tools and processes today are positioned to handle the complexities that lie ahead. Businesses looking to address this challenge are increasingly turning to delivery management software to streamline operations and reduce costs.

In this article, we break down the key aspects of curbside delivery, explore what the latest industry data reveals, and provide actionable strategies that delivery managers can implement immediately. Whether you are scaling an existing operation or building from the ground up, the insights here are designed to guide practical decision-making in 2026 and beyond.

The Current Landscape

Understanding curbside delivery starts with recognizing the interconnected nature of modern delivery operations and management. Every decision -- from scheduling to routing to communication -- impacts the end result. Businesses that take a holistic view of their operations tend to achieve better outcomes than those optimizing in isolation.

Gartner predicts that by 2027, 75% of delivery operations will use AI-driven dispatch and scheduling tools.

This shift is not limited to large enterprises. Small and mid-sized delivery businesses are finding that investing in delivery operations and management technology pays for itself quickly through reduced costs and improved customer satisfaction score. The barrier to entry has dropped, but the competitive advantage of getting it right has only increased.

For operations teams and their teams, this translates into a clear imperative: the businesses that invest in understanding and optimizing curbside delivery today will be better equipped to handle the operational pressures that lie ahead. The cost of maintaining the status quo, in terms of both direct expenses and missed opportunities, increases with each passing quarter.

Key Factors Driving Change

In a market where customer expectations continue to rise, operational efficiency is not just a cost consideration. It is a competitive differentiator. Businesses that can consistently deliver on their promises -- on time, in full, with clear communication -- earn the repeat business and referrals that drive sustainable growth.

• Visibility -- Real-time insight into every aspect of your delivery operations and management operations eliminates blind spots and enables faster, more informed decision-making.
• Automation -- Automating routine tasks like automated scheduling frees your team to focus on exceptions and high-value activities that require human judgment.
• Scalability -- Purpose-built delivery operations and management tools allow you to handle increased volume without proportionally increasing headcount or complexity.
• Customer experience -- Features like real-time tracking and proactive communication directly improve satisfaction scores and reduce inbound support queries.
• Data-driven improvement -- Every operation generates data that can be used to identify patterns, predict issues, and continuously optimize performance against key metrics like first-attempt delivery rate.

Digging deeper into the mechanics, the most successful implementations share several common characteristics. They start with clean, reliable data. They involve frontline teams in the design process. They measure what matters and iterate based on real performance, not assumptions. And they use technology as an enabler rather than a replacement for good operational thinking.

Research from Capgemini shows that 55% of consumers will switch retailers after a single poor delivery experience.

For a deeper look at related strategies, see our guide on common proof of delivery pod mistakes, which covers complementary approaches to the concepts discussed here.

Practical Approaches and Solutions

Scaling delivery operations and management operations without sacrificing quality is another common challenge. What works for 50 deliveries per day may break down at 500. The systems, processes, and tools need to scale with the business, which requires deliberate planning and the right technical foundation.

A 2025 PwC survey found that 87% of consumers expect real-time delivery updates, up from 68% in 2022.

Tools like real-time tracking complement these strategies by providing the operational visibility and control needed to execute consistently at scale.

The most practical approach is to tackle challenges incrementally. Focus first on the areas where improvement will have the greatest impact on deliveries per day, build confidence and momentum with early wins, then expand the scope. This iterative approach is both lower risk and more sustainable than attempting a wholesale transformation.

It is worth noting that the challenges associated with curbside delivery are not static. As customer expectations continue to rise and competitive pressures intensify, the bar for what constitutes adequate performance keeps moving upward. Organizations that treat operational improvement as an ongoing discipline, rather than a one-time project, are the ones that sustain their gains over time.

Related reading: 10 Advantages of Fleet Management Systems explores how these principles apply across different areas of logistics operations.

Implementation Strategies

Putting these concepts into practice requires a structured approach. The following steps have proven effective for organizations at various stages of delivery operations and management maturity, from those just starting their digital transformation to those refining already-capable operations.

1. Audit your current operations -- Map out your existing delivery operations and management workflows, identify pain points, and establish baseline metrics for first-attempt delivery rate and customer satisfaction score. This assessment provides the foundation for targeted improvement.
2. Define clear objectives -- Set specific, measurable goals for what you want to achieve. Whether it is reducing missed delivery windows by 30% or improving deliveries per day by 20%, clear targets keep the initiative focused and accountable.
3. Select the right technology -- Evaluate delivery operations and management platforms based on your specific requirements, integration needs, and growth trajectory. Prioritize solutions that offer both immediate value and long-term scalability.
4. Execute a phased rollout -- Start with a pilot group or region to validate the approach, refine processes, and build internal champions before scaling across the full operation.
5. Measure, learn, and iterate -- Establish regular review cycles to track performance against your objectives. Use the data to identify what is working, address what is not, and continuously raise the bar.

Real-world results confirm this approach. Organizations that follow structured implementation frameworks typically see meaningful improvements in deliveries per day within the first 90 days, with compounding benefits over the following quarters as processes mature and data quality improves.

You may also find value in our article on how to respond to a bad delivery driver rating, which provides additional context for implementing these strategies effectively.

Building for Scale

Building for scale means thinking about more than just volume. It means ensuring that quality, consistency, and customer experience are maintained or improved as the operation grows. The organizations that succeed at this are typically those that standardize their core processes early, invest in training, and use data to drive continuous refinement of their approach to curbside delivery.

Measurement is the foundation of sustained improvement. Without clear metrics and regular reporting, it is impossible to know whether changes are working, where the remaining gaps are, or how your performance compares to industry benchmarks. Key metrics for delivery operations and management include first-attempt delivery rate, customer satisfaction score, and deliveries per day. Tracking these consistently provides the insight needed to prioritize improvement efforts and demonstrate ROI to stakeholders.

For additional perspectives, our article on understanding product returns covers related operational strategies that many businesses find valuable.

See also: Ways to Reduce Last Mile Delivery Costs for a broader view of how these themes connect across logistics functions.

Preparing for the Future

The evidence is clear that investing in delivery operations and management capabilities delivers tangible returns. From improved on-time percentage to happier customers and more engaged teams, the benefits extend across the entire organization. The question is not whether to invest, but how to do so in the most impactful way.

Whether you are managing ten deliveries per day or ten thousand, the principles covered in this article apply. Start where you are, use data to guide your decisions, leverage technology to scale what works, and never stop looking for ways to improve. The businesses that thrive in the years ahead will be those that turn operational excellence into a genuine competitive advantage.

The operational landscape will continue to change, but the organizations that build strong foundations in delivery operations and management today are the ones best positioned to adapt. By combining clear processes, the right technology, and a commitment to data-driven improvement, you can turn curbside delivery from a challenge into a genuine competitive advantage.

Ready to see how these strategies can work for your business? Start your free trial or book a demo to see Locate2u in action.