A recurring theme on our blog, the use of drones in logistics was once again in the news this week: Brazil took a first step, albeit on a test basis, towards applications of the technology in commercial deliveries.
The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) gave the go-ahead for the iFood meal ordering platform to use drones for food delivery. Granted to the companies Speedbird Aero and AL Drones, the agency's authorization allows tests with the delivery service in the region of Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo.
The tests should start in October, and two routes will be used: the first will go from the food court of a mall to a dispatch area for the delivery person, making it unnecessary for the delivery person to move inside the mall to pick up the food, which reduces the withdrawal time from 12 to 2 minutes. The second route is between the food court and a residential complex, 2,5 km away, reducing the delivery time from 10-15 minutes to 4 minutes.
The DLV-1 model drone weighs 9 kg and has the capacity to carry loads of up to 2 kg, reaching 32 km/h. Its flight should take place at a height of 120 meters from the ground, and for now the tests should only take place during the day.
It is important to emphasize that the drone will not completely replace the last mile transport, and the final leg must still be made by a delivery person, by bicycle, motorcycle or scooter. In this format, the drone works as a kind of transfer transport, taking the cargo to a “transit point” closer to the destination, where the delivery person will collect the cargo and complete the delivery.
In a post already published here on ILOS Insights, consultant Fernando Chalréo explains well the cost reduction in business models in which there is greater centralization in food collection points for deliveries, which is one of the advantages of dark kitchen models, for example.
Similarly, this “transit point” for drones can also contribute to the cost reduction in Last Mile transportation, as it reduces the distance to be covered by the delivery person, in addition to increasing productivity, allowing partners to carry out more deliveries in less time. On the other hand, the new modal generates costs related to the system to operate the drones, rental of spaces for landing and takeoff, in addition to all the necessary investment in technology (equipment, systems, training, certifications).
In addition to food, the commercial use of drones could soon also be used for other sectors, such as health. Still in early 2019, the Elfa group, in partnership with Sanofi and SMX Systems, carried out the first test for drug delivery by drones here in the country, as seen in the following video. Even in the United States, the first commercial delivery by drone took place exactly in partnership with Walgreens, an American pharmaceutical retailer, for home delivery of medications.
Video 1 – Grupo Elfa, in partnership with Sanofi and SMX Systems, tested the delivery of medicines by drones in 2019.
A coronavirus pandemic and social isolation boosted drone deliveries, as consultant Thatiana Nomi recently reported here. Since the first commercial trip in the United States, at the end of 2019, until today, the use of this new mode of transport has advanced a lot. However, there are security and privacy issues that need to be widely discussed for these initiatives to move forward. In addition, it is always important to emphasize that the use of drones for deliveries makes a lot of sense in situations where access is restricted, remote locations, or in cases where there is an urgent need to move the cargo quickly (as would be the case of vaccines or bags of blood).
iFood will be one of the participants of the 26th International Supply Chain Forum, which will have Digital Transformation in the Supply Chain as one of its highlights. The International Supply Chain Forum will take place from October 13th to 15th and will be 100% digital.
References:
Exam: iFood predicts drone delivery in four minutes and details operation
G1: Anac authorizes tests for delivery of products with drones
Newspaper: iFood receives approval from Anac for operation with drones
Free Access: Francana startup will operate delivery drones for iFood
Elf Group: Grupo Elfa and Sanofi carry out the first test for future deliveries using drones in Brazil
Henry Alvarenga
He has been working in consultancy for 7 years, with experience in more than 20 Demand Planning and S&OP projects, Logistics Network Design, Logistics Master Plan, Inventory Policies, Operations Strategy and Market Intelligence
