This week, we take a closer look at a powerful time-saving feature of the CPS™ multi-carrier shipping software: CPS RateBots™. At their core, RateBots take decisions made on carrier services and rapidly apply those decisions to every package you choose. You can create as many RateBots as needed, each customizable for which carrier(s) and service(s) to use, then apply the shipping savings with only a few keystrokes for each package.
Each RateBot is a customizable set of rules that the CPS shipping software follows to select the best carrier and rates. Instead of the shipping system operator being offered many shipping choices for every package, a RateBot automatically shops from a list of carriers and services defined by you. If a shipper wants to use ONLY overnight services, a RateBot can be created for that. Or maybe, if overnight shipping is never needed, just set up a RateBot to exclude those options.
RateBots provide value to a business by reducing the user input necessary for each package, which reduces the time spent on the computer for each package. Let’s look at an example of how a retailer could utilize RateBots:
An online retailer decides to offer its customers three levels of shipping services: overnight, two-day, and ground. The manager sets up three RateBots corresponding with those choices. Since this is a multi-carrier shipping system, in the overnight RateBot, he uses the standard overnight service from each of the two major US package carriers. Similarly, in the two-day RateBot, he selects the standard two-day service from those same carriers. For the ground service, he selects the standard ground service for those two carriers plus the First-Class and Priority Mail from the USPS. The shipping system operator then enters the appropriate RateBot for each package according to their order management program and the RateBot does the rest, choosing the best service for each package. Add address verification to determine if a shipping address has a commercial or residential status (special post on this topic coming soon!) and up-to-date accurate rating is shown for every package. Plus, when CPS and the order management system are set up to exchange data, it is even possible to have RateBots’ shipping codes imported into CPS directly from the order management system.
By setting up RateBots appropriate for a business’s wishes, CPS automatically chooses the service with the lowest cost without any selection or decision needed by the shipping system operator. RateBots reduce the number of dialogue window decisions that open for each package, which reduces employees' time needed per shipment. The savings achieved from selecting the best carrier service are added to the shipping employees’ increased productivity for a double return. In an increasingly competitive retail climate, the increased productivity available with CPS and RateBots can give your business an edge. For more information on RateBots and CPS shipping software, visit www.HarveySoft.com today.
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