If your company ships a significant amount of small parcel packages, it is a good idea to utilize excellent shipping distribution visibility tools. Ideally, that means real-time shipment status, as well as having location and delivery time information available to customers, suppliers and third-party logistics providers. Some parcel audit companies can help here.
There are shipping management applications that provide reliable, efficient small parcel and LTL shipment manifesting for your distribution operations. Other browser-based applications are available that support enterprise wide shipping functions, including customer service inquiries, desktop shipping requests, and small parcel and LTL shipment manifesting. There are parcel bill auditing companies that can help show you which of these applications best suit your business. You might also look into custom routing guides, which work for traditional as well as online order entry systems. These guides can help you determine preferred shipping methods and calculate shipping charges during order entry.
To gain visibility and control of your enterprise's distribution networks you may need to invest in an integrated parcel shipping system. Such a system offers a number of benefits, including: visibility and control of your small parcel shipping throughout the company; reduced transportation costs when you partner with strategic carriers like UPS and FedEx; better customer service and visibility through delivery and tracking; and better multi-leg shipments using zone skipping.
An experienced parcel auditing company can tell you how important it is to track customer orders and small parcel shipments across multiple origins for multiple carriers. You'll want to accurately link shipments to orders and order items to ensure that transportation and inventory information is instantly available to customers who request it. All shipments should be electronically monitored to reveal any unscheduled interruptions in your packages' itinerary. To ensure maximum visibility, shipment data must be closely and continuously managed regardless of the carrier being used.