Overview
In the past few years, we’ve seen a lot of companies adopt a “carrier integration†model for their distribution operations. It’s not just one component of a logistics operation — carrier integrations are just one component of a logistics operation. But it’s a vital one. Distribution operations up to a certain throughput can work very well without it, as carrier requests can be manually made by operators in the field. But once orders increase, your dispatch systems start to become more disordered, especially if you’re using multiple carriers and are manually inputting data into different carriers’ systems. This may seem like an unimportant detail, but it’s actually critical to ensuring that your supply chain is running smoothly and efficiently.
Carrier integration is a vital component of a logistics operation. Carrier integration brings your fulfillment processes and your shipping data together. Carrier integration is a perfect way to streamline the dispatch side of your business so that you can continue to maintain customer satisfaction. It is a streamlined process whereby shipments can be automatically streamlined booked, then the shipping labels are printed and tracking numbers are originated and managed.
Challenges and Solutions
Carrier integration is an important part of ensuring that your supply chain stays on track, especially for large-scale retailers who use multiple carriers for their online store. It also allows you to keep track of the status of individual shipments, so you can respond quickly when something goes wrong.
The most common way to integrate carriers is through APIs (application programming interfaces). An API allows two systems to communicate with each other — in this case, the carrier system and your own order management system. You can then use these APIs to build out automated workflows that will automatically route orders between carriers based on their best estimates and deadlines.
Carrier integration tool automates your shipping processes, saving considerable time versus manually inputting multiple order details. Users will no longer have to access different portals to manually input data for different carriers.
When delivery details are accurate and tracking information is provided, then customers receive their orders and enjoy a positive retail experience. Automating the process produces a streamlined, more efficient method of connecting fulfilment and shipping.
The best way to solve that problem is by integrating all your carriers into one system so that you can manage everything from one centralized point of control.
This has a number of benefits:
1. You can create customer-specific statuses for each order, which will let you send them an email or SMS when their shipment arrives at the facility or hub where they’re being processed.
2. You can automatically track shipments so that you know where they are in transit and how long they will take to arrive at its destination (e.g., if there’s a delay).
3. You can set up automated notifications that tell customers when their shipment has arrived at its destination so they don’t have to check on it themselves.
Our integration tool is a comprehensive solution that has three suites of integration, for carrier management, marketplaces, and retail. The system creates printable shipping labels and produces real-time tracking information for all shipments. All of this is done without leaving the carrier integration system.