Supply chains remain under pressure in 2026: Fluctuating demand and limited resources continue to present retailers, manufacturers and logistics service providers with new challenges. At the same time, global trade policies are driving up costs. Nevertheless, end customers expect reliable deliveries, regardless of what happens behind the scenes. In large-item logistics, the reliable management of complex processes is therefore crucial to the success of the last mile.
When predictability becomes the real service
A refrigerator is ordered. The delivery time slot is confirmed, the delivery team is scheduled, and the customer has kept the afternoon free. At first glance, it is a routine delivery.
However, between order receipt and delivery, numerous factors can affect planning, including short-term peaks in orders, staff absences, roadworks, traffic disruptions and weather-related restrictions. In addition, there are seasonal peaks around Black Friday, promotional weeks and the Christmas season. According to Deloitte, transforming supply chains to make them more resilient is one of the retail industry’s key strategic priorities: Two-thirds of the executives surveyed plan to redesign their supply chains and make them more resilient to disruptions.
Retailers and manufacturers therefore face a key challenge. End customers expect stability, while operating conditions are becoming increasingly dynamic. For a resilient last mile, it is therefore essential to remain capable of responding effectively even when conditions change and to meet delivery commitments as reliably as possible.
Why large items require a different approach
Many mechanisms used in traditional parcel logistics cannot simply be transferred to large-item logistics. An additional parcel delivery vehicle can take on another route at short notice, but a heavy side-by-side refrigerator being delivered to the fourth floor of a building without a lift is a different matter. Vehicle capacities, 2-man handling, installation services and time slots must all be precisely coordinated.
When a new appliance is delivered, an old appliance is taken away and a connection service is also provided, several process steps interact and cannot simply be rescheduled at short notice. Disruptions in large-item logistics can therefore have a greater impact on overall route planning than in other logistics segments. In this context, resilience primarily means maintaining sufficient flexibility without losing sight of cost efficiency.
Flexible capacities instead of rigid utilisation
For many years, maximum utilisation was considered a key target for logistics networks. Under stable market conditions, this approach is understandable. However, the more volatile demand and operating conditions become, the more important the ability to respond to change becomes.
A practical example: During a promotional week, the order volume for large electrical appliances in a particular region doubles at short notice. Vehicles, teams and time slots come under pressure. Those who base their capacities solely on average volumes quickly reach their limits. Resilient networks therefore deliberately allow for flexibility, for example through:
- additional vehicle capacity for peak periods,
- scalable resources from partners,
- regional backup structures,
- and flexible deployment planning with 2-man handling teams.
The challenge is to maintain these reserves cost-effectively without creating permanent excess capacity. Resilience is therefore not about maximising resources, but about managing them intelligently.
Escalation processes: Structure for exceptional situations
But what happens when a disruption actually occurs? In many companies, standard processes are defined in detail. What happens when these standards no longer work, however, is less frequently defined. Yet this is precisely where the resilience of logistics processes becomes apparent.
Disruptions can always occur: A vehicle may break down. A major traffic route may be closed at short notice. An installation team may be unable to complete a job as planned. The key question is then how quickly the organisation can respond to the change. Resilient organisations therefore have clear escalation mechanisms in place. In addition to defined decision-making processes and transparent responsibilities, these include alternative route scenarios and fast communication processes.
The earlier deviations are identified, the greater the scope for action. Above all, a rapid response is crucial to maintaining service quality.
Partner management as a stabilising factor
The performance of a network does not end at the boundaries of an individual company. Particularly in large-item logistics, many services are provided in cooperation with regional partners, service providers and delivery networks. However, such a network is only as resilient as its weakest link. Shared quality standards, transparent KPIs and clear communication structures are therefore all the more important. Peak periods in particular demonstrate how resilient these partnerships really are: When order volumes increase significantly within just a few days, information, capacities and processes must work together seamlessly.
For retailers and manufacturers working with Hermes Einrichtungs Service (HES), the monthly HES Quality and Performance Report provides exactly this foundation, with individually configurable KPIs covering volumes, lead times and adherence to delivery dates, providing a basis for targeted optimisation rather than general assessments.
Peak management begins long before the peak
Hardly any peak scenario comes as a surprise. Black Friday and the Christmas season are known well in advance, as are seasonal changes in product ranges. Nevertheless, delivery networks regularly come under pressure. The reason often lies in the preparation.
For resilient companies, peak periods are therefore a predictable part of their processes. This includes volume forecasts, coordinated capacity planning, additional route capacity, prepared escalation scenarios and close monitoring of relevant KPIs. In this case, peak volumes are not managed at short notice. Instead, well-planned peak management helps ensure in advance that exceptional volumes do not lead to exceptional problems.
Transparency as a building block of resilience
One factor that is often underestimated in resilient systems is the quality of information. If those responsible know in real time where each vehicle is, which stops are at risk or where capacity bottlenecks are emerging, they can intervene earlier and prioritise more effectively. HES digitally connects dispatch and customer communication processes for this purpose, with live tracking for end customers via myhes.de, proactive notifications via SMS and email, as well as the AI-supported Hermine chat and voice bot. Hermine is also available around the clock to answer questions. Transparency is not simply a convenience feature. It is a prerequisite for escalation processes to work effectively.
Conclusion: A resilient last mile is built on adaptability
An HES study shows that 84 percent of end customers want to choose their delivery day and time slot themselves, while 76 percent expect to receive a timely notification before delivery. 73 percent would like live shipment tracking. These expectations remain the same regardless of whether a region is experiencing a promotional week, a capacity bottleneck or a traffic disruption. For recipients, only one question ultimately matters: Will the delivery arrive as announced?
This is precisely why resilience is increasingly becoming a quality characteristic of logistics networks, ensuring that disruptions remain manageable and that systems continue to operate reliably even under changing conditions.
