Manufacturing

Learn about how multi-carrier shipping software keeps your shipping labels compliant.

For most online shoppers, a shipping label is just a means to an end. It’s just a chart of letters, numbers, and symbols that ensure your packages make it to you. But for those in logistics and supply chain roles, shipping labels serve as crucial markers that direct packages through a complex network of carriers, services, customs, and industry requirements. Maintaining compliance with these labels can often be an intimidating task but the experts from ProShip are here to offer a supply chain technology solution that can help address this challenge – multi-carrier shipping software.

Shipping Label Compliance

Shipping labels represent a key aspect of the shipping process, which ensures the seamless movement of a package from shipper to recipient. Shipping labels include vital information such as recipient details, barcodes, tracking numbers, and carrier-specific codes. [Want to learn more about the Parts of a Shipping Label? Check out this visual!] 

Shipping labels are not a one-size-fits-all matter. Different countries, regions, and carriers have their own set of regulations and standards that must be followed – and this does not even consider more complex shipments such as hazardous materials. These types of regulatory considerations incorporate aspects such as import/export restrictions and customs documentation. Industry standards, on the other hand, address factors such as label format, barcode placement, and other technical specifications. Meeting regulatory requirements and industry standards is the only way to prevent delays, avoid costly penalties, and deliver a positive customer experience (CX).

The Role of Multi-Carrier Shipping Software

In a current shipping landscape, where efficiency and accuracy are two of the keys to gaining a competitive advantage – multi-carrier shipping software (MCSS) is an efficient solution to tackle the complexities of shipping label compliance. MCSS introduces both automation and accuracy that can help shippers not only maintain complete compliance but streamline their shipping operations. 

Picture a conductor guiding an orchestra through a complex musical composition. Multi-carrier shipping software serves as the conductor, orchestrating the execution of shipping labels across various carriers and services. By combining carriers onto a unified platform, shippers are no longer stressed with the chaos of juggling multiple systems – labels can be modified, standardized, and communicated to the appropriate carriers, all from a single user interface or API.

The strength of MCSS lies in its ability to automate the label generation process. Shipping labels are created with pinpoint accuracy and the risk of human error is minimized, ensuring that labels contain the correct information, maintain the industry standard formatting, and align with the ever-changing carrier regulations. This automated process not only saves time but cultivates consistency, effectively advancing the entire shipping process.

Another thing that shippers can be certain of is the constant state of change in shipping regulations. Carriers regularly update their requirements, and missing these updates can lead to costly mistakes. MCSS acts as a real-time single source of truth, keeping shippers’ systems informed of the latest carrier regulations. As regulations change, the shipping software will adjust label templates accordingly, protecting shipments against non-compliance. In addition, by automating label creation and validation, it reduces the likelihood of typing errors, inaccurate addresses, and mismatched formats. This not only bolsters compliance efforts but also enhances operational efficiency and boosts customer satisfaction. 

Compliance can become especially difficult in the context of international shipments, where each country imposes unique regulations and limitations. MCSS helps simplify this complexity by integrating knowledge of country-specific regulations with functionality like business rules. Advanced solutions offer the ability to create documents with any Unicode Code page, without having to purchase or install additional fonts for your servers. Some solutions can even customize the font to use for shipping documents. [Discover more about custom parcel shipping labels.] These business rules ensure that labels and accompanying documentation meet the requirements of their destination. For businesses dealing with hazardous materials, the shipping solution can note and apply the necessary labeling and documentation, mitigating potential risks.

Multi-carrier shipping software not only ensures compliance but also contributes to cost savings. By analyzing carrier options and rates, MCSS enables shippers to make informed decisions or automate that decision-making, to select the most cost-effective shipping methods. Furthermore, the software's ability to execute the creation of compliant labels prevents delays and penalties, resulting in improved cost efficiency over time. In turn, efficient shipping label management directly impacts the CX. Multi-carrier shipping software plays a critical role in enhancing the CX by enabling timely and accurate deliveries.

Soothe the Shipping Label Chaos with ProShip

Shipping label compliance remains a foundation for a successful shipping operation. Multi-carrier shipping software offers a solution that not only ensures your shipping labels will meet regulations but streamlines processes, reduces costs, and enhances the CX. And in a landscape where every shipper is vying for the upper hand, investing in a robust multi-carrier shipping solution, like ProShip, that can help establish efficient shipping label management processes is the key to maintaining a competitive advantage.

Ready to optimize your shipping label compliance processes? Discover the power of ProShip multi-carrier shipping software with industry-leading speed, flexibility, compliance and support. Contact us to learn more and see how ProShip can supercharge your supply chain.