How to Achieve Visibility Throughout the Entire Shipping Process
End-to-end visibility throughout the entire shipping process improves efficiencies and builds customer loyalty.
From the time an order is placed to the time an order is shipped, visibility is crucial. And that includes visibility into the flow of inventory. In fact, according to a recently conducted shipper study, almost 60% of shippers believe that real-time visibility is a pre-requisite to onboard a carrier. Being able to control total inventory access, availability and allocation is one of the most important factors for efficient and accurate deliveries that will promote a positive Customer Experience (CX).
Utilizing you Enterprise Software Stack (ESS)
As the infrastructure of enterprise supply chain becomes increasingly complex, the ability to see across the full ESS, from end to end, is becoming increasingly important. Shipping software that can integrate directly with your Order Management System (OMS) or Warehouse Management System (WMS) can make a big difference in helping you to better utilize inventory and have access to reliable and accurate data on your inventory. Add in the right technology, and you gain a detailed picture of your entire fulfillment inventory, no matter where it’s located. [Hint: this includes all your omnichannel locations!] Integrated fulfillment across all channels can help you reduce freight charges, shipping times and warehouse expenses by leveraging the fastest, least expensive routes. And when you can deliver more orders faster, it ultimately leads to both a bigger bottom line and increased customer satisfaction.
The Relationship between Visibility and the Customer Experience (CX)
While the past 2 years have introduced an impressive growth of delivery volume, customer expectations for control over their deliveries has also increased. In a 2022 Mitto survey, 80% of respondents said they experienced at least one delivery delay and over half of consumers have canceled a delayed shipment because of a bad Customer Experience (CX). And when asked whether bad CX or a product delay is worse, 76% indicated a bad CX. And we know what a bad CX leads to, it leads to no repeat orders.
When shippers implement Multi-Carrier Shipping Software, they gain access to real-time, 360-degree visibility throughout the entire shipping process with live package status, delivery updates and electronic notifications for customers. Brands with shipping software have improved order visibility within the enterprise and instant tracking once packages leave the inventory location, whether that is a store, warehouse, or 3PL. Customers will then feel empowered to track their own packages, which in turn saves time for your shipping and customer service departments. By offering customers the opportunity to track their own shipment, shippers will save money in their customer service function. Let’s sketch out that math.
This is how much money you are spending...
- Your brand gets 20 calls a day and it takes 5 minutes per call.
- Assume $24 per hour is the cost of a fully burdened employee.
- 20 calls each taking 5 minutes per call is 1.6 hours per day.
- 1.6 hours x $24 an hour x 260 workdays per year is $9,984 per year. That sound like a great reason to better communicate the status of your customers’ shipments!
Even if a customer does call to request a status update on their order, the customer service team will be able to get their information more quickly. A comprehensive OMS and well-integrated multi-carrier shipping solution will utilize the software’s connectivity to provide the related delivery information, offering visibility and transparency to the customer. [Watch how ProShip helped e-commerce powerhouse, Mason Companies]
It is extremely important for any business, especially in the shipping industry, to have high visibility throughout their entire process. To gain a competitive advantage, implement multi-carrier shipping software, offering easy and immediate access or email status notifications on all tracking data regarding each shipment – inventory updates, when a package was sent, where it is now, and when it will be delivered.
See how ProShip can supercharge your parcel shipping strategy
Shipment visibility is just one of many features ProShip multi-carrier shipping software offers. Schedule a discovery call with one of our shipping experts to learn how ProShip integrates with your enterprise technology stack to deliver on customer delight.