Shipping Software Return on Investment Calculator Included at Harvey Software's New Web Site

PRESS RELEASE - FORT MYERS, FL - May 25, 2010 - Today, Harvey Software Inc. introduced HarveySoft.com, its newly redesigned web site. The new web site presents more information about Harvey's flagship Computerized Parcel System (CPS™) multi-carrier shipping software in pages that are easier to understand and navigate. Using the latest web design ideas, the new site is built to make everything about solving shipping problems, from gathering facts to purchasing a CPS solution, quick and easy.

"We are excited and proud to announce our new and improved web site experience," said Bert Hamilton, Harvey Software's president and CEO. "One of the updated features and benefits you will find on the new site includes the CPS Savings Calculator to determine your potential savings using our CPS Shipping Software," Mr. Hamilton explained. "With the launch of the new HarveySoft.com, it's much easier to grasp the substantial amount of information we provide, such as the carriers and services available to a CPS user, how CPS can tie into a company's existing data, and ways that CPS can increase sales, boost customer satisfaction and loyalty, and solve a company's shipping problems. It's a lot to cover and the new web site makes the shipping system decision process substantially easier," Mr. Hamilton stated.

About Harvey Software, Inc.

Harvey Software is an established, leading developer of globally ready, eco-friendly, multiple-carrier shipping software solutions, providing businesses with shipping solutions since 1983. Harvey Software's premium shipping solution, the Computerized Parcel System (CPS™) increases profits, boosts domestic and international shipping efficiency, reduces shipping expenses and eliminates the inefficiencies of single carrier software systems. CPS is a FedEx® Compatible Solution, is UPS Ready®, USPS® certified and works with Endicia® Internet Postage. CPS can be purchased, downloaded, installed, and supported all over the Internet.

For additional information, visit http://www.HarveySoft.com.

Headed for the Bottom Line - Calculating a Shipping System's Return on Investment

Whatever your view of the current economy, it's fair to say these are challenging times. Today, there are events you cannot control that affect your business (what the Greek economy is doing to the world markets) and there are aspects that you do have power over, such as controlling your costs and making positive efforts to increase your market size and sales. That's a shipping problem that Harvey Software can help you solve.

But how do you evaluate tools to help you? As a shipping system developer for over 26 years, we have seen some great ideas, and we've seen others… When we look at new ideas for our CPS shipping software or we see new information to provide our customers and prospective customers, we want everything to relate to a company saving money and making more sales. The more we help, the more loyal our customers are - and we have many customers who have used our CPS shipping software for many years.

Recently, we developed a new tool to help companies determine their potential savings using CPS. To make this as accurate as possible, we use customer provided data and testimonials to calculate each before-and-after example. Here is what we looked at.

We evaluated the savings using the CPS Address Verification Module, CPS RateBots, and CPS Smart RateBots. Then we considered the mix of package destinations. The samples included mostly residential destinations, mostly commercial destinations, and an even split between commercial and residential. Finally, we presented the information in an easy-to-understand "savings per day" calculation. We were sure that our customers had some powerful tools in CPS, but the actual numbers surprised even us!

For a company shipping an average of 50 packages per day, the minimum was $18 per day using Address Verification by itself. The savings increased to $413 per day using Smart RateBots and the Address Verification Module together. WOW! Even using the minimum as an example, if a company ships 250 days per year, that's $4,500 in savings, straight to the bottom line. Add Smart RateBots and the savings is huge! And remember these amounts came from CPS users, so they are definitely "real world" numbers. Could savings like these help you through these times?

Want to see your potential savings? Try the CPS Savings Calculator from our home page at www.HarveySoft.com.

Make Sure Your Shipping System is Not on the Wrong Side of the Firewall

Even the fastest shipping system operators can be stopped in their tracks by something completely beyond their control. Loss of electricity? Storms? Floods? An overdue lunch hour (OK, I made that one up.)? Well, sure, but there is one thing we hear about very often that will bring shipping to a complete halt. It's the dreaded firewall update or, maybe worse, a new firewall.

We know two things. First, companies are updating their computer protection systems. Second, when a firewall is replaced or updated, the shipping system can definitely be affected. When there is a change that affects shipping, the shipping system operator may not know enough about the company's computer configuration to have any idea a system change has shut down shipping. But they do know they can no longer ship!

Often, the shipping system company's tech support gets the first call, asking why the shipping system no longer works. Since the shipping software is not the problem, these calls can sometimes be hard to diagnose. And hard to diagnose means the packages stack up.

So, if you hear the words "firewall" and "change" in the same sentence from an IT worker, right then might be the best time to remind them that the shipping department has connections to the outside world that must continue to work. Most shipping systems companies can provide the technical information needed so the new or updated firewall will allow the shipping system computer to work properly.

For our CPS shipping software, our technicians know many of the signs that show a computer equipment change has disabled the shipping system. Our techs are talented, but this type of issue will need to be solved by the shipper's IT or other computer staff.

Today, shippers want their shipping system to be fast. But, with the cyber bad guys out there, important computers like the shipping system must also be made as safe as possible. So if your shipping system just stops working, ask if there has been a firewall (or maybe anti-virus - but that's for another time) update or change. Not being able to ship is quite a shipping problem to solve and hopefully these notes will help you solve this one, too.

Use Your Shipping System Data to Make More Sales

You took the order on your web site. But after you ship the package, are you done with that order? What do you do with the information from that order and shipment to build your business? You might have your shipping system send a shipment notification email like the CPS SHIP eLERT. Customers like those and it saves you customer service costs when your customers don't have to call you for tracking information. You may follow up with your customer to be sure they got their order and are satisfied. In the future, you might also contact them by email or snail mail about specials, send them your catalogue, or send information about product you have they really like. All of these are great. What about the shipping data? Why not use your shipping data to build sales, too?

Used correctly, the data in your shipping system can definitely help. If you analyze your shipping data to discover your average cost to ship a package, then break that down by the service you use (Ground, 2 Day, etc.), you are on your way to building sales. How? Studies show a lot of web site orders are lost when the shipping cost exceeds the customer's expectation. If you can decrease or eliminate shipping cost "sticker shock", you will decrease your site's abandoned shopping carts and increase your market size.

Analyzing shipping data can be time consuming and maybe confusing. If you build a report that breaks down shipping cost, maybe by carrier and definitely by the service used, you can use these to determine average shipping costs for each service. Use "Flat Rate" shipping charges on your web site instead of calculating shipping separately for every order and you are on your way. If you calculate shipping charges based on the delivery address for every order, you charge people who are farther away more for shipping. This turns your company into a local or, best case, regional business. You created your web site to sell to a bigger market. Why kill your plan? Flat rate shipping charges establish you as a national business.

Harvey Software's CPS shipping system has an exclusive Flat Rate Shipping Charge Analysis report that provides this invaluable shipping cost data. When you charge "Flat Rate" shipping, your customers know the shipping cost immediately, which can reduce abandoned shopping carts. Your customers have a better shopping experience and you retain more sales. The CPS Flat Rate report runs in just seconds, displaying a break down and average cost for each carrier service. You can run the report for all carriers or select the carrier(s) to be included. Your company's actual shipping history and charges are used, so you know you have the best information for your company. Use Flat Rate Shipping costs to make it simpler for you and better for your customers - a combination for more sales and savings.