Today's on-demand
solutions allow the integration of shipping
carriers into an existing web store
thereby giving the ability to display
real-time rates and allowing buyers
the ability to track their packages
within a few hours of placement of their
order. Buyers are also empowered to
compare the shipping prices and choose
the best service suited for their requirement.
This helps enhancing the overall user
experience and reduces costs that would
otherwise be associated with buyer queries
on status of shipments.
The integration of your
online store with shipping carriers
occurs at two levels: buyer interface
and warehouse shipping department. The
buyer interface level gives your customers
the ability to view real-time rates
of the major carriers and be able to
select the best option suited for their
requirements. The warehouse shipping
department integration with shipping
carriers is important, since it reduces
the time taken to process an order per
customer. The integration of shipping
carrier database at the warehouse with
the ecommerce database along with implementation
of bar coding enables the processing
of the order and printing of the labels
to be completed quickly. This also leads
to a faster order fulfillment system
with minimal human errors. Buyers can
also begin to track shipment within
hours of placing the order, thereby
avoiding phone inquiries about order
status.