last-mile

The final leg of any process — the step that carries the work from the maker's workshop to the world. In logistics, the last mile accounts for 53% of total delivery costs despite being the shortest distance, because it faces the world's mess: real addresses, real traffic, real people (Wikipedia: Last mile (transportation)), read 2026-06-18).

The term migrated from telecommunications (connecting individual homes to the main network) to supply chains to software. Wherever it appears, it names the same pattern: the last step is disproportionately expensive because it is the only step that touches the outside.