Globalization and technology enhancements have vastly improved how we conduct business and move goods around the globe. Today, a customer based in China can order an American product and have it delivered within a week of placing the order. Businesses that offer shipping services often need to refine their processes and route plans to guarantee fast shipping and improve customer experience. Below we explore the five top tips on how shipping firms can enhance their delivery times.
Refine your internal processes
Modern shipping companies invest plenty of resources in internal processing systems. These systems handle all tasks, from transaction processing to client interactions. Internal control systems that are slow and complex lead to inefficient delivery performance and are often frustrating to both the clients and vendors. The secret to lighting fast shipping and package delivery lies in how well a company can streamline its internal processes. The only way to stay ahead of the competition is to build simple, fast, and efficient systems.
The use of carrier routes
A carrier route refers to a collection of mailing addresses that share a standard USPS code to facilitate efficient shipping and delivery of packages. Carrier routes serve any location that can receive mail, such as buildings, offices, and P.O boxes. USPS carrier routes can significantly optimize an entity’s shipping campaign. To incorporate carrier routes in your mail marketing and shipping processes, you need to apply for an address verification service.
A postal address verification (PAV) collects, standardizes, and verifies address details for viability and deliverability before the shipping begins. PAV uses a three-step verification process to ensure the safe delivery of both mails and customer packages. A carrier route guarantees great coverage, saves time for both clients and shipping agents, prevents fraud and errors in delivery, and increases return on investment or shipping companies.
Build rapport with your drivers
Your delivery team has a significant influence on how well you go about your business. While drivers may not be significantly involved in matters planning and strategy, their feedback is helpful in refining delivery performance. Your delivery team can give insights on possible traffic bottlenecks, given their knowledge of peak times and rush hour periods.
Your delivery team can provide tips on how best to handle customers who contravene delivery schedules. Firms should assign drivers to neighborhoods and streets they are more familiar with to improve delivery performance. Lastly, businesses should inquire from their delivery teams if there are any unique start/end location requests to include them in these locations in plans.
Set order priorities
Sometimes, delivery firms and shipping companies can have thousands of delivery requests on a typical day. An excellent way to streamline operations is to set order priority based on urgency and client timelines. Shipping agents should start by identifying clients or stops that must receive service depending on the order’s importance or due date.
Order priority should be set in your internal processing system’s algorithm for route optimization. You can choose from the plenty of route manager applications available online to set “high priority” and “serve by” automation rules. In the unfortunate event, your business runs into resource constraints; you can comfortably identify which orders can be pushed to another date and communicate such decisions with the client on time.
Work on customs clearance in advance
Customs clearance is unavoidable if you ship goods overseas. However, getting customs to clear your consignment can be a time-consuming affair. To avoid a long and frustrating customs clearance process, delivery firms fill out all details well in advance and declare their consignments before leaving their warehouses. Completing your parcel documentation and clearing shipping fees in advance ensures your package slips through the customs department with minimal glitches.
Bonus tips
Having to wait for package delivery is not the best feeling in the world. Delivery firms can reduce waiting anxiety by keeping their clients informed on the status of their packages, such as when the product leaves the shipping station, customs clearance, and other milestones. Lastly, if you ship goods overseas, consider having contacts in your destination countries to guide you on what to do and avoid when shipping. Visit the site below for more tips on how to streamline your delivery process.
