Leveraging technology can make delivery impressive as we approach what may be a disappointing peak season.
Online retailers are facing significant challenges this peak season. According to the most recent IMRG statistics, the UK eCommerce sector will not experience the rapid growth that is commonly anticipated surrounding Christmas and Black Friday. So, in these challenging circumstances, how can retailers continue to control costs? Delivery is a significant cost component, and leveraging technology is an excellent approach to ensure the most cost-efficient process.
Manual processes, like labelling, can be automated using a single template that works for various carriers. This improves accuracy and reduces failed deliveries. Control is critical when dealing with a large volume of shipments, especially as we approach peak. Anything that slows down your shipment production pace, creates bottlenecks and ultimately costs you money. Increasing efficiency by automating label generation, using predetermined rules, gives you the capacity to ship more orders and become more competitive.
Online retailers should use technology to their advantage, especially if something goes wrong. For example, as highlighted above in the labelling process, delivery management software can instantly produce a carrier-approved shipping label for each carrier you operate within a matter of seconds. By eliminating delivery bottlenecks and controlling any issues, faster deployment saves you time and resources. It puts you in control of an automated operation that runs in the background and ensures responsiveness and accuracy for each and every delivery.
When it comes to shipping costs, carrier fees are a significant expense for every retailer. One of the many disadvantages of depending on a single carrier, as many do, is the inability to negotiate cheaper rates. Being able to add new carriers swiftly and cost-effectively, as well as switch volume between them, provides you with a negotiating edge. When a provider knows you can easily switch, they are more inclined to give you better prices. Furthermore, a lack of carrier flexibility might impede your growth initiatives because your customers expect a variety of delivery methods and speeds. Having flexible and personalised delivery alternatives at checkout, such as expedited shipping, click and collect, and collection point pickup, converts more shoppers, especially in today’s market where scheduled delivery and personalised options are becoming increasingly popular.
In fact, 86% of UK buyers prefer it when retailers provide a selection of delivery alternatives. As a result, businesses must expand and eventually integrate carrier selection in order to offer a variety of delivery alternatives in a unified and efficient manner. Retailers may integrate with various carriers using a single API and avoid one-time charges by using a carrier management platform. Using a rules engine based delivery management platform to control carrier selection for rates management reduces unnecessary carrier fees and eliminates the ongoing cost of direct carrier integration maintenance.
Retailers can control all carrier data, via one true viewpoint, with the use of a delivery management platform by integrating your eCommerce store, warehouse management system, and customer systems via the cloud. This means retailers can control the customer experience by providing up-to-date shipping updates to their customers using real-time tracking information that enables customer service teams to respond quickly and accurately to any “Where is my order?” inquiries that may arise. This frees up developers’ time and cost.
Ultimately, engaging with a platform that automates carrier selection and combines eCommerce shopping sites and customer systems can help manage an increase in orders as peak season rapidly approaches. The main goal is to get purchases into your customers hands as quickly, economically, and painlessly as possible and technology enables this while ensuring your customers are well-informed, have a positive shopping and delivery experience, and far more inclined to purchase again.
By Gavin Murphy, CMO Scurri
