“Where is my package?” That’s something you don’t want to say about a package that you are expecting. And it’s something that you never want to hear from a customer. So let’s look at how you can provide the best package visibility to your customer service department and your customers. If you use multiple carriers with different shipping systems for each, this can become complicated.
Shipping departments report shipping results in different ways. Some will print a package shipping record “document label” and attach it to the paperwork for an order. That works, but it means that finding the answer to “Did the package ship?” means going through paperwork, which can be time consuming even when the paperwork is filed correctly. Maybe the office staff collects the paperwork and then updates each record in the order system. That is better visibility since the shipping status can be found in the order system. But different shipping systems print different labels, and it’s easy to make a mistake when you are looking “here” for the shipping data on this label but “there” for the shipping data from another label. And hand updating tracking numbers? Definitely an area where mistakes can be made. It is so much better if the shipping system sends data directly to the order system. But using different carriers, each with its own shipping system that sends data in different ways, can present substantial challenges when making each system communicate with the order system. There has to be a better way.
This is where a multiple carrier shipping system can really make the entire shipment visibility process smoother and easier for both the company and the customer. Let’s use our CPS shipping software as an example. Whether you ship with FedEx, UPS or the Post Office, CPS provides shipping data in the same way for every carrier. If the shipping system gets data directly from and sends data directly to the order system, it’s a clear advantage when only one shipping system needs to be integrated with the order system - a clear “plus” for a multi-carrier shipping system. Even if you update shipping data manually in your order system, each shipment document label has its data in the same place for each carrier, speeding entry and minimizing mistakes. Another plus for a multi-carrier shipping system. There are other visibility advantages, too. CPS can send an email shipping notification, the CPS SHIP eLERT®, for every package that is shipped. When a company uses different carrier provided shipping systems, each carrier’s shipping email notification looks different from the other’s, and none are clearly from your company. Every CPS SHIP eLERT has the same format, and they are sent from the shipper’s email account, so the customer knows who it’s from. That’s better visibility and customer service.
Finally, with every package you ship in just one system, it’s easy to find and track a package if there is a question. With CPS, you can easily track one package or a group of packages right from the shipping history. You never have to find out which carrier was used, then go to this system or that system to track the package.
Package visibility is a big concern in today’s “I want it NOW!” world. A multiple carrier shipping system offers the smoothest path for the quick, easy shipment visibility that is expected by today’s shippers and customers. For more information about how CPS can help with this and many other aspects of today’s shipping, visit www.HarveySoft.com.
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