How Courier Companies Can Reduce Failed Deliveries Using Technology

Failed deliveries are one of the biggest cost drivers in the courier industry. They waste fuel, delay clients, reduce driver productivity, and damage SLA performance. The good news: modern courier technology — like MM Courier — can reduce failed deliveries by 40–70% when implemented correctly.

Why Failed Deliveries Happen

Most failed deliveries occur for predictable reasons:

• Customer not home
• Incorrect or incomplete address
• Driver can't access complex or estate
• No phone number or unreachable recipient
• Poor route planning causing delays
• Driver attempts but forgets to record POD or exception scans

Most of these can be prevented with the right tools in place.

1. Enforce Scan Compliance With a Mobile Scanning App

Giving drivers a mobile scanning tool dramatically improves data accuracy. A good system should allow drivers to:

• Scan parcels at door
• Capture sign-on-glass signatures
• Take POD photos
• Record failed attempt reasons (DEX scans)

This eliminates vague notes like “nobody home” — and gives dispatch accurate information in real time.

Platforms like MM Courier already support POD photos, exception scans, and per-parcel events, making this simple to deploy.

2. Use Automated Address Validation

Invalid or incomplete addresses cause thousands of failed deliveries per month. Courier software can prevent these issues by:

• Validating addresses on import
• Flagging missing unit/complex numbers
• Auto-correcting known locations
• Providing Google-powered address suggestions

This ensures parcels reach the right destination the first time.

3. Optimise Routes Automatically

Manual route planning leads to delays, longer distances, and unmet SLAs. Intelligent routing helps drivers:

• Deliver in the fastest possible order
• Avoid traffic and road closures
• Reduce fuel usage
• Attempt more deliveries per trip

This is why Pakisa Express Logistics uses route optimisation to improve delivery density and ensure drivers follow the most efficient path.

4. Capture Real-Time Proof of Attempt

Failed deliveries are often disputed by clients. The solution: real-time, timestamped exception scanning.

A proper system should capture:

• GPS location of failed attempt
• Reason code (DEX03, DEX07, DEX08)
• Photo evidence of access point (e.g., locked gate)
• Automated notification to client/customer

MM Courier already supports the FedEx exception scan formats (DEX03, DEX07, DEX08), making it ideal for partner integrations.

5. Improve Communication With Recipients

Simple automation reduces delivery failures drastically:

• SMS before delivery
• Live tracking link
• Call-on-approach functionality
• Alternative delivery options if the customer isn't home

This reduces “nobody home” failed attempts by sending the customer reminders.

6. Use Driver Performance Reporting

Drivers that frequently mis-scan, skip deliveries, or register unnecessary failed attempts can cost businesses thousands per month.

Courier ERPs allow managers to track:

• Failed delivery rate
• Scan compliance
• POD quality
• Number of attempts per parcel

Clear reporting helps operations teams coach drivers and improve reliability across the board.

7. Analyse Failed Delivery Patterns

Once scanned and documented, operational teams can identify patterns:

• Specific suburbs with access restrictions
• Clients with poor address data
• Certain drivers needing training
• Times of day with higher failure rates

This leads to smarter decisions and fewer repeat failures.

Technology Helps Couriers Deliver More Successfully

By combining scanning discipline, route optimisation, POD capture, exception recording, and strong reporting, courier companies can drastically reduce failed deliveries.

MM Courier was designed with these needs in mind and is already used by logistics teams such as Pakisa Express Logistics to reduce operational waste and improve delivery accuracy.