In addition to these difficulties, it might be difficult to tell exactly what is going on during the final leg of delivery. Packages are frequently traced up to this point, prompting some to refer to the last mile as the “black box” of delivery data.

Big data attempts at solving several of these issues. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Matthias Winkenbach, head of MIT’s Megacity Logistics Lab, discusses how last-mile analytics are generating useful data. Because of the affordable and widespread availability of fast mobile internet and GPS-enabled smartphones, as well as the proliferation of the Internet of Things via sensors and scanners, shippers can track the delivery process from start to finish – even during the last mile.

Consider this: a UPS delivery vehicle equipped with a GPS sensor makes a delivery in downtown Chicago. After parking nearby, the delivery man’s phone GPS continues to send data to the UPS center, providing an accurate estimate of how long the delivery will take. This is beneficial not only to the customer, but it also allows logistics companies to identify patterns that can be used to optimize their delivery tactics. According to Dr. Winkenbach’s data, “deliveries in big cities are almost always improved by creating multiple levels of infrastructure with smaller distribution centers spread out in several communities, or simply pre-designated parking spots in garages or lots where smaller vehicles can take packages the rest of the way.”