About The Challenge
The Sydney Coordination Office in partnership with the Transport Digital Accelerator have identified Last Mile Freight as a space that is ripe for innovation.
In the rapidly growing e-commerce industry speed of delivery has become a key competitive advantage. With customers buying more than ever online and expecting ever faster fulfillment, we are experiencing never-before-seen volumes of deliveries into the already crowded Sydney CBD.
Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) account for 12% of traffic in the Sydney CBD and improving the efficiency with which these and other Last Mile Freight methods are operated could reduce congestion, lower the cost of freight and improve the customer experience.
The Sydney Coordination Office has worked diligently for the last four years to manage freight impacts during major public and private projects impacting the CBD. This has also sought to encourage businesses to prepare for the future. During this period, various initiatives have been taken to mitigate the impacts of changes occurring in the CBD and on the network.
In parallel the Transport Digital Accelerator has undergone an intensive eight week Human-Centred Design research programme and as a result, developed the problem statements for this Innovation Challenge.
We are looking to support the development of innovative solutions to help improve the efficiency of Last Mile Freight deliveries in the Sydney CBD. Solutions should also attempt to address the problem statements that we have identified as the major issues currently impacting Last Mile Freight. These problem statements are outlined below.
What is Last Mile Freight?
Last Mile Freight is the delivery of goods from a transport hub such as a warehouse to the final receiver, the destination usually being a private home or business address. Fast delivery is a key competitive advantage for retailers which means operators are looking to continually increase the speed of last mile deliveries.
Problem Statements
Transport for NSW outlined the following problem statments the solution needed to address, with the focus being on positively influencing the behaviour of the driver’s of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs)
How might we reduce the number of kilometers travelled by LCVs in the CBD?
How might we reduce the number of trips that LCVs make in and out of the CBD?
How can we Create awareness of the bigger transport picture?
Maximise positive behaviours?
Make deliveries more efficient?
Encourage greater end to end collaboration?
How might we build a system that allows the government to monitor how freight is delivered in the CBD? So that we have a deeper understanding of how to improve freight movements going forward for government and delivery operators.
Resources
Innovation Forum Video Recording - Last Mile Freight Innovation Forum, March 27, 2019
Innovation Forum Presentation - Last MIle Freight Innovation Forum, March 27, 2019
Information Session Presentation - Last Mile Freight Information Session, May 8, 2019
Information Session Video Recording - Last Mile Freight Information Session, May 8, 2019
Past Key Challenge Dates
Launch Event and Applications Open - Wednesday 8 May, 2019
Industry Collaboration Event - Monday 20 May, 2019
Applications Close - Sunday 16 June 2019 @ 11:59pm
Finalists for Pitch Day are Notified - by Friday 21 June, 2019
Pitch Day Event - Wednesday 3 July, 2019
Customer Trials Start - 2020