Make Sure Your Shipping System Software Is Not Trapped By Your Anti-Virus Protection

People around the world are trying to stop your shipping computer, and your other computers, too, from working correctly. That's a fact. And if your shipping system computer gets hacked, it's a real problem for everyone. But sometimes, the cure can cause a problem.

When you update your computer anti-virus system, most of the time the update gives you the latest protection files with information about the viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, rootkits, etc., so your anti-virus program knows what to look for. But sometimes the update includes new software for the anti-virus program itself, not just new protection files. It's that kind of update that can affect your shipping system. To work correctly with different carriers, a multiple carrier shipping system needs to connect to the outside world. Anti-virus programs carefully monitor these connections, and the conflict happens when the new anti-virus software no longer allows the shipping software to have the access it needs.

If your shipping system was working yesterday and suddenly doesn't work today and your Internet connection is still good, check to see if there was an anti-virus program update (or maybe a firewall change - see blog of May 13, 2010). If you call the shipping system company's tech support first, since the shipping software is not the source of the problem there is not much the technician can do to help. Of course, that does not stop packages from stacking up.

If you verify there was a change in the program, most shipping systems companies can provide the technical information needed so the updated anti-virus program can be set up to allow the shipping system computer to work properly again. For our CPS shipping software, our technicians are talented and know many of the signs that point to this kind of change that disables the shipping system, but you may need your IT or other computer staff to help solve this. One other suggestion to keep your shipping computer working its best - restart it everyday. This lets it start fresh every day so it can work as well as possible.

Certainly you want your shipping system to be fast, but you have to protect yourself against the threats that can affect your shipping and your business. So use the protection programs and if your shipping system stops working, check to see if your received an anti-virus program update or change. It's a lot easier to solve this type of issue compared to the real problems that a hacker halfway around the world (or just down the street) can cause.

For more information about how CPS can solve your shipping problems, see www.HarveySoft.com for details.

Evaluate your potential savings with CPS. Try the CPS Savings Calculator from our home page at www.HarveySoft.com.

Multiple Carrier Shipping Software Achieves MAC Certification Supporting a Long List of USPS Services

PRESS RELEASE - FORT MYERS, FL - June 14, 2010 - Harvey Software announced today that its Computerized Parcel System (CPS) shipping software has again successfully completed the latest US Postal Service MAC™ certification process. MAC certification from the US Postal Service® evaluates USPS® manifest mailing products and determines that the manifest system accurately lists and calculates postage according to USPS standards. The CPS shipping solution is MAC certified for a long list of domestic and international mailing and package services.

"Processing packages in volume with the post office presents problems for many shippers. We are determined to solve that problem," said Bob Sansone, Harvey Software's Director of Sales. "For companies shipping at least 200 pieces or 50 pounds every day with the post office, manifesting might be your fastest package processing choice, but a manifest system can be expensive. We are proud that our CPS shipping software has now qualified for MAC certification for 10 years so we can provide a really capable manifest system that everyone can afford," explained Mr. Bob Sansone. "The post office looks more and more attractive to small package shippers as an alterative to the other US carriers, especially for residential shipments since the USPS has no residential delivery surcharge. CPS lets shippers use both levels of post office Commercial price discounts, so shippers can compare rates using the lowest post office prices for which they qualify. Whether you use a manifest, apply stamps, use a meter or use Internet postage, CPS lets you choose how you ship with the post office. With fewer than 20 companies listed by the USPS with MAC certification, we are glad we can give shippers a great choice for their US Postal Service shipping," Mr. Sansone concluded.

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.

Shipping 101 – Basic Tips that Can Save You with Each Package You Ship

Research the best shipping options. Use Ground service when its delivery is guaranteed by the day you need it. A shipping system like CPS can help with its Smart RateBot automatic rate shopping for the best price when delivery is needed by a certain date. If you regularly ship more than one package at a time to a domestic address, you may qualify for the carrier's shipment rate instead of the per package rate.

If you ship to Canada, include looking at the carrier ground services going there, too, not just the express services. If you ship to other international destinations, compare services and the delivery time. Every carrier has its own selection of international services you can use. Be sure to check requirements, weight limits and what's needed for international shipment documentation. The CPS shipping system leads you through preparing the needed international shipping invoice forms.

Keep up with what causes the carriers to charge extra fees and be sure you use those services and options only when you really need them. Shipping systems like CPS let you use the alternate insurance companies that can save a bundle on packages with declared value. To minimize address correction fees, check the address to be sure it's correct or even exists. The CPS Address Verification Module (AVM) will automatically check every address which can really slash your address correction fees.

The carriers' guaranteed services are very reliable, but check the actual delivery time against the promised delivery and you might have packages that qualify for service refunds. There are restrictions and time limits, so follow up promptly if you do this.

Look for the best prices and negotiate. You get a discount on many post office services when you use Internet postage. When you start to ship in volume, you may be able to negotiate with your carrier(s) for rate discounts and other benefits. Then, use rate comparison tools like RateBots in the CPS shipping software to be sure you get the best rate for every package.

Boost your customer service by emailing shipping notifications. With CPS, the Ship eLert shipping email is sent directly from your shipping computer using an email account from your company. There is no doubt in the customer's mind about who is sending the package, so you're providing great customer service and getting brand recognition. A happy customer is a returning buyer.

Check with the carriers to see what kind of packaging, labels and other supplies or shipping equipment they will provide. When you receive free packaging or boxes, a discounted price on a shipping printer or scale, or maybe shipping labels, the savings go right to your bottom line.

Whenever you ship on your account number, check that you get your discounts, any benefits you are due from the carrier, etc. Normally you need to follow up on billing questions pretty fast. A shipping system like CPS will provide daily reports to help you easily check your carrier bills.

These sound almost elementary (it is, after all, Hints 101) and you can really save when you pay attention to these tips. Check out http://www.HarveySoft.com to see other ways CPS can solve your shipping problems.

How Green Shipping Make $$ for Your Business

More often than it's comfortable to say, when I hear "green" I always think I'm about to hear ideas that may be good for the environment, even great, but ideas that many companies just can't afford to implement today. Plus, a number of these do not pack any payback for the company. Where are some green ideas that can also create green ($$) for your company? Here are some green shipping ideas you can implement, and our CPS shipping software can help. These ideas can bring both types of "green" to your company, and that can be a real problem solver.

1. Use a carrier's Ground service whenever possible:

Studies tell us that Ground service is better for the environment than air service. It also costs less. To use Ground service whenever possible can take some planning and your shipping system can help. Let's say you promise delivery within 2 days (or next day or within 3 days), our CPS shipping software includes the Smart RateBot, which automatically chooses Ground service whenever Ground will meet the delivery commitment date. That's a double green payback for your company right there.

2. Use packaging that's appropriate for the item to be shipped:

This includes using the right size box, or maybe changing the packaging, such as refrigerated packaging for perishables, which means you don't need express delivery and your product stays fresh. Once again, if you can use Ground service, you are ahead. Using the right size box instead of a box that's too big gives you the best shot at avoiding additional dimensional weight charges. Good packaging is another smart green choice.

3. Send package tracking info by email:

Since every extra email and phone call takes resources, send your customers their tracking information when you ship their package. You'll really reduce the "back and forth" that happens when your customers have to contact you for package information, then you have to email them the information they requested or spend time on the phone. Every email and phone call you can save reduces your company's effect on the environment and solves both customer service and company resource issues.

4. Streamline your package processing steps:

Analyze each step needed to get an order packed and out the door, including the speed of the shipping system itself. These days, many workers wear multiple hats, so using a proven shipping system like CPS, which can process a package in seconds, can free up a shipping system operator for other duties, too. Fast shipping has other benefits. When packages can be shipped quickly, you can fill more orders, even those you receive later in the day. Fast shipping creates very satisfied customers, and they will remember and be back for more. Just like trees and oil, your employees are also a scarce resource so treat them accordingly.

5. Keep track of energy use inside the company:

That printer that stays on overnight when no one is in the office, the light that's not turned off, the computers that are constantly on, even over the weekend - add up the cost of this energy use and you can have a pretty impressive yearly number. When everyone pitches in to monitor just the items in their area, you can make some great green savings and maybe add some years of life to equipment, too.

And while you're at it, if you have your own delivery vehicles, check their tire pressure regularly. Some of these ideas can bring big savings right away. For others, it's the accumulated effect that pays off. So when you think green, think about the green you can save and green will start to make a lot of sense.

For more ideas visit Harvey Software's Green Shipping Resources by clicking here...

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.