A strategic roadmap for DHL towards a sustainable last mile delivery solution for cities in 2030

Abstract

The e-commerce market is growing rapidly in the last decade. The growth of this industry is causing several challenges. These include a larger number of parcels delivered at service points and the CO2 emitted in the parcel delivery. Especially the last mile delivery is a CO2 intensive process. The sector is innovating to reduce their emissions, but the choices made by the consumers also have an influence on the total emitted CO2 per parcel. DHL, a domestic and international shipper, decided to take their responsibility by lowering the CO2 emitted in the transportation. They stated that all transport-related emissions need to be brought to zero by 2050. In order to create a delivery system which is safe, free of emissions and resistant to future developments in a city the current last-mile delivery system needs a critical look. A sustainable last mile delivery system that fits customer needs will be designed for 2030 to inspire DHL with a strategy for reducing their CO2 emissions in the last mile. This thesis aims to create an overview of the context DHL is operating in. In the problem analysis, this context is researched and defined. A CO2 analysis showed that delivery to a pickup point is the most environmentally friendly delivery option and besides renewing the old fleet for electric vehicles, efficiency gain can play a part in reducing CO2 emissions. In the user analysis, consumers are investigated and a customer journey is created. A target group is chosen to focus the solution on and accordingly the design statement for this project is defined: Design a parcel collecting point for high rise apartments buildings in the city centre which meets customer needs. With a traditional design approach, this design statement was solved and 4 concepts are presented. However, the presented concepts are not bold enough for the context of 2030. Another iteration in this design process is done and a different design approach showed how more value can be created for cities and citizens through the design of a new parcel locker station. This locker station is fitting customer needs and convinces important stakeholders. A plan for implementation is worked out in a roadmap, which gives a step by step approach for DHL on how the concept can be realised. The design of this Powerhouse is validated through co-creation sessions with residents, which resulted in a modular design of the Powerhouse that fits a variety of urban locations in the context of 2030.