Google entering the logistics industry ?

by Press Release on 2011-08-15

It is interesting to learn about the recently approved patent application that allows Google to track shipments electronically independent from the carriers system.

An abstract of the patent says

“A broker facilitates customer purchases from merchants. Shippers ship shipments containing the purchases from merchants to the customers. A shipper identifies a shipment using a shipment identifier. The broker uses the shipment identifier to obtain the status information for the shipment from the shipper. The broker analyzes the status information in combination with other information to calculate an estimate of the time that the shipment will arrive at the customer's address. The broker sends an electronic message, such as an email or text message, to the customer prior to the estimated shipment arrival time to inform the customer of the impending arrival. The customer can thus arrange for someone to be at the shipping address to receive the shipment at the estimated arrival time. “

Google claims that shipping information is often inaccurate which leads customers staying at home waiting for goods that never arrive.

Google obviously thinks this issue has significant pain for the customer, I am not so sure. Shippers invest significant capital in tracking goods in real time then making that information accessible to the person receiving the goods.

Unless shippers release tracking information I am not sure how Google is going to notify customers of pending delivery.

It will be interesting to see how this develops.

Nigel Lewis
CEO – Global Logistics Media