Usman Amalare, a product operations expert and business analyst at 10Alytics, has identified poor data coordination as the core challenge in last-mile delivery across sub-Saharan Africa, not a lack of physical transport. Speaking on the role of product operations in e-commerce logistics, Amalare stated that the main obstacle for delivery platforms is not customer acquisition but managing the final two kilometres of delivery. Despite heavy venture capital investment in logistics technology over the past decade, he noted persistent issues including high order-cancellation rates, inconsistent delivery times and broken communication between merchants and carriers.
Amalare argued that simply adding more delivery fleets does not solve the problem, as the root cause lies in flawed product operations rather than infrastructure. He explained that delivery failures typically occur due to mismatches between a merchant's inventory data and a carrier's dispatch system, or discrepancies in how software and riders interpret a customer's location. Standard software development methods, he said, often treat features in isolation, while effective product operations connects end-to-end data flows and turns real-world failures into engineering fixes. In recent applications, his frameworks improved business process efficiency by 30 per cent and achieved a 90 per cent alignment between user needs and execution outcomes.
He warned that automating inefficient workflows only speeds up failure, stressing the need for accurate data, clear handoff procedures and real-time operational visibility. Next-generation systems like SupplyMind, which he developed, apply causal inference models to supply chain tools tailored for West African markets. These systems reduced order approval times by 74 per cent in pilot tests and increased disruption forecasting accuracy from 45 per cent to 71 per cent, cutting stock-out losses and emergency procurement costs. Amalare said logistics firms are shifting from growth-at-all-costs to sustainable operations, making data-driven execution critical for long-term survival.
A delivery platform's failure to sync inventory data with dispatch logic undermines even the most advanced automation efforts. For regional operators relying on real-time decisions, inaccurate data pipelines mean efficiency gains are short-lived without foundational fixes in product operations.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
