Shipping is one of the core activities performed by manufacturing business and although there is a multitude of solutions in the market that offer a lot of functionality, the shipping process still suffers from various challenges:
- It is difficult to get orders out the door in a timely fashion, especially in a time where customers expect fast shipping
- Shipping is expensive and information about best rates is not easy to find
- The shipping process is not integrated with your ERP system, resulting in time wasted on manual entry which is prone to errors
- Losing money on shipping to invalid addresses resulting in returned shipments
- Dealing with multiple carriers directly in their systems, making tracking deliveries and notifying your customers difficult and time consuming
All in all, your shipping processes are often not efficient and, if so, you are likely not meeting your customers’ expectations, which in turn can affect your business and profitability.
So, what is your shipping strategy?
Do you still use one carrier for your shipping needs because you have become familiar with them? Do you use disconnected systems for your manufacturing and shipping needs? Do you use multi-carrier shipping, but wish it were time and cost efficient?
It is worth looking into the benefits of a multi-carrier solution that is integrated with your ERP system.
Unified Solution–This is a huge advantage because now you have access to all your shipping carriers within your ERP system and this helps streamline your shipping process. No more wasting time switching between programs, re-entering shipping information, manually preparing documents, and dealing with data entry errors.
With a centralized system you can perform address checks, calculate shipping costs, compare carrier rates, print labels, and make payments – all with a few clicks.
Better Shipping Rates–Like with everything else in life, when you have options, you can pick the one that fits your needs. Having a multi-carrier shipping strategy means you can shop for the best rates, routes, and schedules. And since different delivery locations, package sizes, and modes of shipping will have different costs associated with them, having options allows you to keep your shipping costs as low as possible while not compromising on quality.
Different Carrier Features – All carrier networks and capacities are not created equal. Each provider has its advantages and features to fit the needs of different types of freight and customers. And when you have a list of providers to choose from, you can compare their offerings and provide your customers the best shipping rates and fastest shipping times. For example, when a customer needs prompt delivery, you can pick a carrier that can provide quick delivery without being too expensive, and when a customer wants cost efficiency you can pick a carrier that has expanded its network to your shipping zone (for example) and is offering discounted rates.
Streamline the Delivery Process – Shipping via multiple carriers gives you the flexibility to scale your shipping capacity based on seasonal changes. For example, during the high demand season for a product, you can choose expedited shipping at a higher cost and offset it by shipping other products with a low-cost carrier. Streamlining your shipping and delivery process allows you to stay competitive in the market while also saving time and money.
Recommendation
BatchMaster Software’s SAP Partner, eworkplace , offers a multi-carrier shipping application for BatchMaster ERP, which is embedded within the SAP Business One framework. The application provides a common interface for all shipping carriers, so it is easy to compare rates, generate carrier-specific shipping labels, track shipments, and keep your customers informed with real-time tracking codes and delivery notifications.
If you would like more information about EWP Ship B1, contact us today.
