The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Last-Mile Delivery Optimisation: A Case Study of DHL Ghana

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-930-8_27How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence; Last-Mile Delivery; Operational Efficiency; Supply Chain Performance; Digital Infrastructure; Ghana

Abstract

The rapid growth of e-commerce and heightened customer expectations have intensified the importance of last-mile delivery, particularly in emerging markets like Ghana. This study investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in optimising last-mile delivery performance, focusing on DHL Ghana as a case study. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), Transaction Cost Economics (TCE), and Trust Theory, the research explores how AI-enabled optimisation affects operational efficiency, delivery performance, and customer satisfaction. Data were collected from 133 logistics managers and operational staff and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that AI-enabled optimisation has significant positive effects on both operational efficiency (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) and delivery performance (β = 0.39, p < 0.01). Operational efficiency was also found to significantly enhance delivery performance (β = 0.28, p < 0.01) and to mediate the relationship between AI adoption and performance outcomes (β = 0.13, p < 0.05). Moderation analysis revealed that digital infrastructure readiness strengthens the relationship between AI and delivery performance. However, AI adoption did not directly influence customer satisfaction, underscoring a capability–perception gap that requires trust-building and customer engagement mechanisms. The findings contribute to theory by clarifying the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which AI drives performance in last-mile logistics. In practice, the study offers guidance to logistics managers and policymakers on leveraging AI to improve efficiency, performance, and sustainability in emerging economies.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Theophilus Kofi Anyanful
AU  - Lydia Adu-Gyamfi
AU  - Animah Amaning Nyanor
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/26
TI  - The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Last-Mile Delivery Optimisation: A Case Study of DHL Ghana
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship (ICSBE 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 414
EP  - 442
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-930-8_27
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-930-8_27
ID  - Anyanful2025
ER  -