The Next Evolution of Last-Mile Delivery: Integrating Logistics Orchestration with Secure Access

FarEye and Amazon Key have formed a partnership through an integration that combines Amazon Key’s secure access hardware with FarEye’s Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven delivery orchestration platform to give drivers streamlined digital access at the point of delivery. This can reduce costly failed last-mile deliveries caused by access problems at gated communities and multi-unit buildings. According to data provided by FarEye, 5% to 10% of packages in the United States fail on the first delivery attempt, costing carriers an average of US$17.78 per failure in re-routing and customer service costs. The new solution uses a device integrated with Amazon Key that connects to FarEye’s driver app, verifying the driver’s Global Positioning System (GPS) location and shipment authorization for a specific address before granting temporary access. Once verified, the driver can tap a button in the app to automatically unlock a gate or controlled entry, eliminating the need for recipient codes or phone calls at the door.

Before this collaboration, drivers arriving at secured buildings without gate codes or access credentials often had to mark the stop as a failed delivery because they typically only have 1 to 2 minutes allocated per drop. This problem is especially expensive for shippers of perishables, such as HelloFresh. Amazon Key is already installed in over half of the country's multi-unit buildings with secure access systems, giving the combined solution a large installed base from day one. It covers about 70% of gated communities nationally, which significantly broadens the potential impact on access-related failure rates. FarEye and Amazon plan to expand this joint offering into Canada and Europe, and have begun conversations with prospective customers in those regions. The collaboration aligns with FarEye’s broader strategy to use AI to improve the efficiency and reliability of the final leg of product delivery, turning a historically high-cost, failure-prone segment into a more predictable and customer-friendly experience.

Amazon Key isn't the only combined logistics-plus-access service provider in the country's last-mile delivery market. Retail giant Walmart has its "Walmart InHome." It uses Walmart’s own drivers and its own smart-lock hardware to deliver groceries and household items directly into customers’ homes or garages. It combines route planning, employee assignment, and in-home access (via cameras, locks, and garage openers) into one managed service rather than just providing access tech. Similarly, retailers including Macy’s, Best Buy, Bloomingdale’s, and PetSmart have experimented with variants of in-home or in-garage delivery. They typically combine their delivery operations with controlled access via smart locks or garage solutions. In addition, some Third-Party Logistics (3PL) and last-mile providers are beginning to plug into cloud access systems (such as smart garages or building access apps) so that their own delivery software can trigger door or gate events as part of the workflow. These are typically custom or regional deployments today, but they signal a direction where access-control vendors and logistics software co-deliver an integrated “deliver + unlock” service rather than remaining in separate stacks.

Over in Asia, and especially in China, the pattern is pretty similar, but the players are more fragmented across ecosystems. Rather than an Amazon Key-like open program, e-commerce platforms like Alibaba (Cainiao), JD.com, and Meituan typically bundle logistics and access through proprietary locker networks and smart parcel cabinets in residential compounds. They also typically have building-level integrations with property managers. In markets like Japan and South Korea, the focus has been on more dense parcel locker networks, building mailroom automation, and secure unattended drop points than on in-home access. There are pilots and point solutions where local carriers integrate with building access technologies such as smart intercoms, property apps in high-end condominiums.

To move closer to the value proposition of Amazon Key and Walmart InHome, emerging players need to think beyond simple smart-lock integrations. The real advantage comes from fusing secure access, highly reliable logistics execution, and a strong safety layer into a single and coherent service. That means treating “unlocking the door” as an orchestrated step in the delivery workflow, not just a convenience feature. With that mindset, several strategic moves can help new entrants close the gap:

• Design a Close-Knitted Last-Mile and Access Workflow: There is a need to develop delivery flows where route planning, driver authorization, and door unlock events are part of one unified job and not separate apps the driver has to juggle.
• Own End-to-End Trust: Vendors should also look toward investing heavily in visible trust mechanisms. This includes live or recorded video of entry, detailed audit logs, and clear notifications for end users. They need to make it easy for customers to revoke access, limit delivery zones, and see exactly who entered, when, and for how long.
• Standardize on an Ideal Technology Stack: In order to compare with Amazon Key, there is a need to start with a certified list of smart lock and cameras vendors to minimize operational complexity and failures in the early stages or while the implementation is being scaled up.
• Partner with Ecosystem Players: There is also a need to work together with property managers or logistics providers to pre-install compatible access hardware and contractually enable “trusted delivery” to residential/office units or universities.