Harvey Software Parcel Shipping Blog

Correctly Documenting International Shipments for Successful, Timely Deliveries

2012-12-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

With the previously provided info regarding international customs forms in hand, what's next? Well, more information is needed, of course. It is the government, after all! But without the correct information for customs, your packages can be stuck en route or even returned. That’s expensive and does not make your international customers smile. Our CPS Shipping Software is a multi-carrier shipping system that records this important international shipping data as well as the ability to print shipping labels and customs forms.

To complete your commercial invoice and certificate of origin forms, here are some of the items that may be needed and should always be available when shipping international packages. In addition to the value and description of your products, you should also have information about your federal id number, the country of origin of the goods you are shipping and the terms of sale.

For the commercial package carriers, you will need to provide information details about the products contained in your packages so you can provide the commercial invoice and NAFTA or non-NAFTA certificate of origin. For the USPS, for the 2976A form, you will need to decide how you want non-deliveries treated. The USPS has two customs forms, the 2976/CN22 and the 2976A/CP72. Why two designations for each form? I have never seen an explanation for that, but you may see any of these form numbers referred to by the USPS. The good news is the CPS(TM) shipping software supports both the 2976 and 2976A forms for the USPS and the Commercial Invoice and Certificate of Origin for CPS supported carriers. A good, not too complicated explanation of when each form is needed is at https://www.usps.com/ship/customs-forms.htm.

And, like most infomercials or TV product commercials, but wait – there’s more! A Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) is another form that may need to be provided. "May need" because shipment value is part of its requirements. Starting July 2, 2008, the Census Bureau requires mandatory filing of export information through the Automated Export System (AES) or through the AESDirect for all shipments where a Shipper’s Export Declaration (SED) is required. For more information, visit this web site: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/.

Next time, we'll wrap up this international shipping information, and put a bow on it just in time for holiday shipping! If streamlining your international shipping is on your shipping department “to do” list, then check out our Web site for additional information about CPS. Visit www.HarveySoft.com.

International Shipping Tips – Part 2

2012-11-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

With international shipping comes customs forms creation. Maybe you do this through your shipping software, maybe you create your own forms, or you might use an online system or some other way to do this. Without the correct forms, your packages will not be delivered, so this is important. Customs forms have to meet certain specs and need to contain specific information, since most customs data must also be presented to customs electronically. This information includes a description of the goods in the shipment, their value, its classification (a merchandise sale, gift, documents only, etc.), and accurate customs Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff codes so that your packages clear customs without delays.

Since “Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff codes” are unfamiliar terms for some, below is information about the Schedule B codes from the US Census Bureau, plus some information about Harmonized Tariff codes. You can get additional information about these codes at the US Census Bureau website: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/.

Millions of trade transactions occur each year. These transactions are classified under approximately 8,000 categories of products leaving the United States and every exported item is assigned a unique 10-digit identification code. For example, concentrated frozen apple juice is assigned a 10-digit identifier that is in a broader category that is assigned a 6-digit identifier for apple juice. The 6-digit identifier for apple juice is in another broader category assigned a 4-digit identifier for fruit juices, vegetable juices, etc. The 4-digit identifier is in another broader category assigned a 2-digit identifier for Preparations of Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts etc. When you export goods, it may take some studying to learn which of these codes are the right codes for your product(s).

What's the difference between the Schedule B codes (for exports) and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes (for imports)? All of the import and export codes used by the United States are based on the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) - http://www.usitc.gov/tariff_affairs/. The HTS assigns 6-digit codes for general categories. Countries that use the HTS are allowed to define commodities at a more detailed level than 6-digits, but all definitions must be within that 6-digit framework. The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes, like the example for concentrated frozen apple juice. Export codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).

The USPS uses forms called 2976 or 2976A to record and print this information. UPS and FedEx use a commercial invoice. Regardless of which form or carrier is used, your products must be properly documented or your package will sit at customs until clarification is provided. With the requirements for electronic upload of customs information, customs form creation is being tied more and more to the shipping system. Our CPS Shipping Software creates and prints the necessary customs forms; so as a multi-carrier shipping system, CPS users have one easy system for international shipping and documentation.

We'll get into more about international customs forms in an upcoming post. For more information about CPS, visit www.HarveySoft.com.

International Shipping Tips for USPS, FedEx and UPS

2012-09-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

If your company is looking across our country’s borders to expand your business, a fundamental question is “How do I get the orders delivered to these international customers?” With the special regulations and additional expense of international shipping compared to domestic, getting this right is key. So understanding the international shipping process is the cornerstone to making this new business profitable and worthwhile.

Let’s look at the additional documents needed when shipping internationally. There are two (2) sets of information needed so your packages are delivered properly. One is for the carrier; the other is for customs. And this is where a multi-carrier shipping system can really help. I’ll use our CPS Shipping Software as an example.

Let's start with the most important items for the carriers. First, and it may sound obvious, but you need to know what country you are shipping to. Actually, you need to know how the carrier refers to the destination country. For example, let's use Ireland. If you are shipping with UPS, the country can be Republic of Ireland or just Ireland. For FedEx, you can only use Republic of Ireland. For USPS using Endicia, you can only use Ireland. Use the wrong one and you will not even get a shipping label. Our CPS shipping software helps with a “pull-down” country listing to assist you.

Next is international paperwork. This includes Commercial Invoices, Certificates of Origin, USPS Customs Forms and SED filings. The carrier needs to know how the international paperwork is being handled or your package can be delayed clearing customs. Each customs form has a specific layout. A shipping system like CPS that really supports international shipping can collect the data and print the correct forms in the approved format.

Using a shipping system that simplifies the shipping, shipping label, and international forms creation processes goes a long way to making international orders easy, freeing you to grow your business outside our borders.

International shipping is definitely not for the uninformed. There will be several more posts on this subject to follow over the next few weeks, including more detailed information about some of the items in the customs forms, such as the Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff codes and other items. So stay tuned.

To see more about CPS, visit www.HarveySoft.com.

An Easy Way to Emphasize Great Service and Reinforce Your Brand

2012-09-07T10:18:00.015-04:00

“Your order is on the way.”

You received the order, you have the products in stock, and now they are on the way to your customer. So what do you think your customers expect next? If they are like most, it’s "Is my order on the way and when do I get it? Show me!" Isn’t that what everyone wants to know? And when you notify your customers with timely, accurate information about their order, you also reinforce your brand. What is the best way to do this and show your customers great service?

Shipping notifications underline your commitment to outstanding service and, when delivered correctly, emphasize your brand. A terrific way to show your customers you are giving them a great experience is to send them a timely email to let them know their package is on the way. Today's best order systems may have this feature, the carrier provided shipping systems might be able to help, and high-quality third-party shipping systems have this as an optional or (better yet) standard feature.

For example, the CPS shipping software includes the SHIP eLERT(R) that sends email shipping notices right out of CPS using your company's own email address. You don't need Outlook, Outlook Express, etc., for this. Since each SHIP eLERT comes from you instead of the carrier or another party, there is no doubt about who your customer is doing business with.

There are many more advantages to a multi-carrier shipping system than just timely shipping notifications, so consider this one point. If you use a carrier's dedicated shipping system and send the shipment notification from their system, take a look at that notification. First, it's not from your company, it's from the carrier. Also, notice how far into the notification you have to go before it's clear the notification is from your company. With the CPS shipping software, you use your company’s email address. There is no doubt the shipment notification is immediately identified as coming from your company with the information they expect to see about delivery of their order. Great service keeps customers coming back. When it’s also a better process for your company, you have the best win-win situation.

Great service keeps customers, and showing customers know how well you are serving them is a great way to encourage repeat business. For information about CPS, visit our web site at www.HarveySoft.com.

Building Your Sales with Flat Rate and Free Shipping Offers

2012-08-31T10:30:00.004-04:00

Part 2 - (continued from last week)

Forecasts say that online sales will grow by 15% or more this year, even in the current economy. What are the best ways for you to get your share? Reducing cart abandonment as much as possible will definitely help, as will encouraging shoppers to fill their carts. As you plan for your busy season, your shipping system can provide invaluable information to you can make your final price right for your customers. The idea is to make them click "Buy" instead of "Bye".

Shipping cost “sticker shock” is a huge contributor to abandoned shopping carts. For the same order, do you charge different amounts for shipping depending on the package destination? That makes your price different according to where your customer lives. If you visit the local outlet of a national store, they don’t ask for your ZIP code before you get the price - all customers pay the same amount. Maybe that’s a little different situation from a web store, but the point is clear - no one likes to know they are paying more than someone else for the same item. And unexpected, unanticipated shipping costs are a key factor that creates abandoned shopping carts.

“Flat rate” shipping offers, strategically mixed with "free" shipping offers, combat this problem. A number of experts and Internet entrepreneurs have found that it is very important to display shipping charges before “check out” to avoid shopping cart abandonment. So how can this be implemented?

Free shipping is very easy to calculate. Figuring out the right amount for flat-rate shipping takes a little more effort. If you are lucky enough to have your company’s actual carrier rates in your shipping system, this, combined with historical reporting directly from the shipping system, puts you on your way. Some shipping systems go a step further. As an example, the CPS Shipping Software can use actual carrier rates, including contract specific rates that even reflect the fuel surcharge, to provide the most accurate rate shopping and reporting. The CPS Flat Rate Shipping Charge Calculator report shows average shipping cost per package and average shipping cost per pound. These costs are also then reported by next day, 2 day, 3 day, ground and international services. With just a few mouse clicks you can keep tabs on your shipping costs for any period of time, by carrier and service, to accurately manage your flat rate shipping offer. This data also lets you know your costs to provide free shipping offers, too. You could crunch the numbers out of your carrier bills, but who has the time? To just "Click" and see them is so much easier. Monitor your costs at least monthly and make adjustments for changes you see in average charges.

When you look at customer satisfaction and shopping cart abandonment issues, the conclusion might be that free shipping is the only way to go. But this may not be the best approach for a couple of reasons, especially for the bottom line. Using flat rate shipping charges for low volume orders, then using free shipping as an incentive to increase the order amount are effective ways to increase sales, decrease shopping cart abandonment and increase your return customer rate. You can also offer free shipping for special times of the year like the holidays when competition is hot for consumer dollars. When implemented strategically, shipping offers lead to increased sales and profits.

Use a shipping history reporting tool like CPS Flat Rate Shipping Charge Calculator to monitor your average shipping costs and you can successfully implement and maintain flat-rate and/or free shipping offers. Quick, easily available reporting from the CPS multi-carrier shipping system lets you make sure you are accurately consider the shipping cost when using either offer.

For more information about CPS, visit www.HarveySoft.com.

Using Your Shipping System to Take Your Sales Message Nationally, Even Internationally

2012-08-23T12:13:00.012-04:00

Is one of your goals to be a national or even international seller? Is this the message you give shoppers at your web site? If you have not yet established flat rate shipping charges for your orders, you could be sending the wrong message. This is an ideal time of year to look at how you are charging for shipping and making sure to deliver the best message to maximize your sales. If you charge for shipping based on the shipping cost for individual orders, your closest customers get your best price, turning your national ambitions into a local or maybe regional business. And everyone wants the biggest possible potential customer base.

It’s well established that unexpectedly high shipping costs are a major contributor to abandoned shopping carts. If you calculate shipping costs per order instead of using flat rate shipping prices (or even free shipping for promotional seasons), you run the risk of causing shipping cost “sticker shock”, and there’s another abandoned cart. So how do you get around this?

Consider developing flat rate shipping cost offers for ground service and do the same for expedited (air) service. With flat rate shipping offers, you tell your shoppers the cost of shipping “up front” so they can fill their carts with confidence, ready to click the “Buy Now” button. Flat rate shipping offers can also simplify the work needed to maintain shipping prices that are displayed on your web site, another welcome benefit. This takes some work and thought to develop, then monitor on a weekly/ monthly basis to determine if adjustments are needed. But there is a great reward - more filled carts and more sales.

A related topic is international sales. International sales can be a business builder, but many see international shipping, with its complexities and regulations, to be a substantial barrier. Commercial invoices, US Postal Service forms and other required international paperwork and regulations (some backed with stiff penalties) mean you need to become an expert in shipping your products overseas.

What do flat rate shipping and international shipping have in common? Each of these can be made easier with the right shipping system. Harvey Software’s CPS Shipping Software helps with each task. The CPS Flat Rate Shipping Charge Calculator provides instantaneous access to the shipping data needed to establish and monitor your pricing for flat rate shipping. And CPS supports international shipping, including customs forms, international rates and shipping labels. The right multi-carrier shipping system can definitely help increase your sales.

Next time, part 2 – more about discovering the right "flat rate" price to charge for your shipping. To find out more about CPS now, visit www.HarveySoft.com.

What's Next When You Suspect Theft in Your Shipping Department?

2012-08-17T11:00:00.002-04:00

How often do you check to see if your packages are delivered to the right address? Of if they even make it onto the carrier trucks. And if this is not happening, what to do next?

Re-labeling packages, shipping packages that don't belong to your company, changing addresses, deleting packages - all of these can happen and have happened. You might have years of trusted service from a key employee, you check references, do background checks, put systems in place, but something doesn't seem right. You seem to have too many orders that need to be reshipped. Or your shipping costs seem high according your shipping budget forecast of shipping X number of boxes that weigh Y pounds. This kind of problem can be hard to pin down, even when you see the "red flags" that you are sure mean you have a problem. Here's where a shipping system might help you.

In the CPS shipping software, you have quick access to your shipping history data so you can search and analyze your shipping information. For example, after recently noticing something "wasn't right" with their shipping, one CPS shipper extracted their shipping data, looked for patterns that did not match their normal shipping, and discovered there was no order ID information with some of their shipping records. More research into these records zeroed in on the problem and helped find the employee responsible. In another instance, shipments of already processed and labeled packages were voided, then the addresses were altered at the time of shipping. Even though the shipments were deleted in CPS, the labels with illicit addresses were already printed and the package given to the carriers for delivery. With a special setting, CPS wrote the data for every voided package to a file for monitoring. Following this trail of voided packages then led back to the person who was scamming the company. These are examples of looking at the problem "after the fact".

To stop a problem before it happens, one way is to use a data lookup to read the shipping data into CPS, then prevent the shipping system operator from changing or voiding the address in the shipping system. In CPS, there is a setting so if the shipper tries to edit the shipping address fields, a window pops up requiring a password in order to make any change.

It's hardly ever possible to watch what happens to every package in your shipping department. Tools in your shipping system like these in CPS give you the power and information to stop these problems if they occur, or even before they occur.

To find out more about the CPS multi-carrier shipping system, visit our web site at www.HarveySoft.com.

Back Up Your Shipping System and Cover Your A$$ets

2012-08-10T10:30:00.001-04:00

Backing up computer data is BOR-ING. Even thinking about backing up computer data is boring. But a good backup for a critical business system such as a multi-carrier shipping system can be a business-saver. That's why I wanted a "get your attention" headline. The worst thing you can hear (or say) at the start of your shipping day is "Uh Oh", followed by "Do we have a backup?" Suddenly the computer backup is not so boring.

Computers can fail without warning and at any time. So what can you do? Buying a good computer, using a capable Uninterruptible Power Supply (with voltage regulation), always using the computer’s "Shut Down" feature when you turn it off and not bumping (or intentionally smacking) the computer are at the top of the list. But, in spite of everything you can do, computers fail. With their mechanical and electronic parts, it's not "IF", it's just "WHEN". So what's the best plan to keep you shipping?

Setting up a reliable backup may be easier than you think. The standard options are to backup your data to another computer at your site (a "local" backup), backup your data to a remote location using your network, or use an online service (you might see ads for Carbonite.com and Symantec online backup services). There are programs designed to automate backing up, or you could even use the Windows Explorer to copy files from one computer to another for safekeeping. Whatever you decide, there are solutions out there to help keep your data safe.

For your shipping system, look for a program that helps you safeguard your data. Our CPS shipping software includes a built-in backup utility to save those important shipping system programs and data. This built-in backup works every time a CPS session is ended, providing additional peace of mind.

Since we concentrate on shipping systems and our multi-carrier CPS shipping software in particular, we know there are choices. You could use an Internet-based shipping system that only needs a browser to work, but many of the browser-based systems work too slowly for volume shippers. That's why we're looking at backup basics for a shipping system like CPS that runs on your own computers.

Keep in mind you can lose data directly, like computer failure, as well as indirectly, such as a power failure, files that are deleted accidentally (or otherwise, but that’s another blog), plus other factors. A current backup can save the day. And we strongly suggest using a battery backup for the shipping computer. If you have a problem, have a system in place that can save the day. Use these tips and be ready.

For more information about CPS, visit our web site at http://www.HarveySoft.com/.

Making the Most of Carrier/USPS Hybrid Services

2012-08-03T12:31:00.005-04:00

This might become the year of the hybrid delivery services. What is a “hybrid” service? No, it’s not a package delivered only by an electric car. The hybrid services are those that involve pickup and billing by the carrier while using the US Postal Service for final delivery. The rates can be attractive, especially for lower weight packages that are being shipped to residential addresses. But how do these services work and how are they different from the other carrier services?

Generally, there is a contract with the carrier for the hybrid services. The contract might include information about when and how the packages will be picked up, what package weights can be shipped, obviously your rates for the hybrid service, plus other aspects of the service as it applies to your business. In addition to the contract terms, be sure to find out where your packages will go after they leave your door. The carrier aggregates packages shipped with the hybrid service then transports them to the post office location that will make the final delivery. How far a package has to travel during the aggregation process can affect the ultimate delivery time. How long it takes for package delivery can definitely affect your customers’ satisfaction with your company. Also, check the carrier’s liability for these packages. It may be a lower coverage limit than their standard delivery services or there might not be any package insurance available at all.

After you are satisfied that the service will be beneficial for your company, the next step is to decide on the shipping system that will work best for the hybrid service. To use the hybrid services to their best advantage, a multiple carrier shipping software system really makes the difference. Here is how this works in the CPS shipping software.

Since CPS provides the ability to ship with multiple carriers, including hybrid services for both FedEx and UPS, you are able to take advantage of the RateBot feature in CPS to ensure that the most efficient and economical choice is made automatically according to business rules you create. CPS also maintains the rates for the carriers and services used for shipping. This means you can use the hybrid service any time you want it, plus you can use “best rate and service” shopping tools so that CPS can make the best selection automatically. You can instantly ship any package with any carrier or service, so you control your shipping process including how much you pay for each package. Adding this aspect to the hybrid services puts you firmly in charge of your shipping, which is important more than ever today where EVERY dollar counts.

Consider all of these aspects when you are investigating the hybrid delivery services and you can come out ahead with every package. For more information about our shipping software solutions, visit http://www.HarveySoft.com/.

New FedEx Capabilities Highlight Latest Update for CPS Shipping Software

2012-05-18T10:41:00.012-04:00

The latest update for the CPS Shipping Software marks the first major update for CPS to support new technology from a carrier. This update lets CPS support FedEx Web Services package processing. This update increases package processing speed and opens new services and service options for CPS users.

Speed has always been a priority for processing all packages, including FedEx shipments, in the CPS shipping software. While incorporating this new FedEx technology into CPS, the programming group made a fast shipping system even faster with this update – a feat that took considerable ingenuity. Speed is not all that’s been added. This update includes a variety of new features and capabilities that enhance FedEx shipping, including: FedEx SmartPost® service now available and supported as a CPS Premium Module option; the special setup to print FedEx Express labels is no longer required - the Windows print system with appropriate Windows printer driver can be used to print FedEx Express, Ground, Home Delivery and SmartPost labels; the Signature release option for international shipments is more conveniently consolidated into Signature Confirmation options; the Hold At Location service for Canada is added; support for the FedEx Priority Alert service is added; Payment of Duty/Tax by Receiver for international shipping now validates the FedEx account number, if entered; and multi-piece FedEx Standard Ground shipping to Canada is supported. That’s a lot to add!

The FedEx SmartPost service is a FedEx/USPS “hybrid” service targeting low weight residential delivery. By supporting SmartPost and other “hybrid” delivery services, CPS continues to present shippers with the best, most cost effective shipping options for all of their packages. The number of companies looking for the best and least expensive alternative ways to ship lighter packages, especially to residential addresses, is growing and CPS puts its users in the driver's seat.

With increased shipping speed, expanded services, enhanced international shipping options and numerous other improvements, we think you will be more than pleased with what CPS now offers in providing the latest shipping technology in a multi-carrier shipping system.

For more information about CPS, visit www.HarveySoft.com

Low Cost Custom Auto Part Shipping

2012-04-13T15:41:00.009-04:00

Classic cars are a huge passion to many Americans. Have you ever wanted something your car didn't come with or to make your special car look a certain way? The search for custom parts and even replacement parts just got easier with the internet. Now many of those parts vendors have pretty cool websites like CHEVYMALL (http://www.chevymall.com/) or West Coast Corvettes (http://www.westcoastcorvette.com/) where you can find almost any part that your heart desires. Now getting those parts that the customers purchase to them easy and fast is where our CPS Shipping Software comes in.

This is a competitive market and margins are thin. Any advantage you can get by reducing shipping costs to you and your customers helps increase those profits. It could also mean the gain of a sale by your shipping costs being cheaper than your fellow competition. This is where multi-carrier shipping software pays off - by comparing carrier rates for every package quickly and easily. The Computerized Parcel System (CPS) will rate shop between major carriers - FedEx, UPS, USPS and even the hybrid services.

That is not all the CPS Shipping Software does. One important thing that online vendors need is branding. CPS has an email notification system that helps small websites build its brand into loyal, long-time parts customers which is essential for your company. Another key point is that CPS speeds up the processing of orders cutting down the amount of time it takes per shipping package turning the company into like a well tuned car.

This is just one example of how multi-carrier shipping software can help with an online parts vendor's business. Shift your business into high gear and checkout http://www.HarveySoft.com/ today.

Cars photographed were provided by Classic Cars of Florida (http://www.ccofl.com/).

Profiles of Multi-Carrier Shipping System Users: Small Online Retailer

2012-03-23T18:00:00.001-04:00

In many ways, the small online store has taken the place of the family-owned small corner store. Some of the best shopping websites are actually based around a store that used to operate strictly locally. A crafter may sell handmade items from a brick and mortar storefront and the addition of a website makes those products available around the world. Others websites evolved from online auctioning that got big enough to go independent from the auction website. Online stores are often owned and operated within a family, while others become family-like with a tight-knit operation and everyone pitching in to achieve the business’ goals.

Of course, the definition of “small” lends itself to many definitions. There can be anywhere from one to a couple of dozen employees. Sometimes that store produces the items it sells and sometimes it operates as a middleman between the manufacturer and the consumer. Often, these stores choose a specific theme and niche to focus on their market. The key factor that these stores have in common is that they are advertising online, selling online, and delivering products to their customers directly. Every service available in large online megastores is also expected of this small retailer, including a shipping system that ships their packages quickly with package visibility for their customers.

In the shipping department specifically, small online retailers typically ship up to a hundred packages a day. This retailer needs to be able to ship anywhere in the world, since each order is valuable and happy customers who receive their order in a timely manner are essential to build the brand and spread the word about the website. After orders are received and payment collected, getting those orders out the door is the highest priority. This is one reason why multi-carrier shipping software is so essential for this small retailer – the shipping department needs to know the best way to send a package in the time frame needed. A good multi-carrier shipping system obtains that information instantly and accurately. In addition, the right shipping software will connect to shopping cart and order management systems to make sure data is entered only once.

The web is a great equalizer, allowing an attractive, efficient, informative website for a small retailer to look and work as well as the largest online sellers. Modern shopping cart software makes this marketing possible and that online storefront is accessible to anyone with a computer. After great marketing gets the order, the final step is the right multi-carrier shipping system to allow those same small retailers to get competitive shipping rates to around the world. With connectivity to their order data, fast parcel processing, and features to increase customer satisfaction, Harvey Software’s CPS shipping software is a great shipping option for the small online retailer.

Series Introduction: Shipping System Profiles

2012-01-27T10:30:00.007-05:00

A batch of orders arrives, and employees work quickly to get those packages out the door. Other tasks are moved to the back burner until these orders are shipped. Those customers will be happy customers when they receive their packages on time and (hopefully!) this process is repeated regularly. When you ship enough, it’s easy to see that the only items changing on each package are the name, address, and weight. Multi-carrier shipping software helps organize this repetitive process plus offer the BEST rate for each package that goes out. This allows carrier competition to work for shippers.

There are three goals of all business software:

1. Increase Productivity
2. Reduce Costs
3. Simplify Organizational Processes

All three of these goals are achieved in the shipping department by using multi carrier shipping software. Increased productivity comes from reducing the workload required for each package. Reduced costs come from rate shopping between parcel carriers for every package. Simplified organizational processes are realized when you connect the shipping system with other business applications, making data portable and easily available to all functions of the organization.

Using dedicated shipping software will achieve these goals for all types and sizes of companies. For a small online vendor or local crafter, every employee wears multiple hats. You want the shipping process to be quick for each package so that you can spend your time on other work. For a large online vendor, you want to be able to utilize barcode order entry and ship each package with one or two keystrokes or mouse clicks. For a food vendor, you want to be able to choose from multiple express services at a glance to get the products from “fresh” to table as quickly as possible. For a fulfillment company, you want to be able to ship using multiple customer account numbers with multiple carriers and lower the charge per package to the minimal amount necessary. All of these specific needs relate directly to the three main goals above. Every feature of a shipping system should reach back to those goals and make work easier for the company using the system.

All of the above company profiles have differing volumes and shipping needs, but believe it or not, all can benefit by using the right shipping system. Harvey Software’s CPS shipping software is the versatile solution that covers all of the bases. CPS features are customizable to allow a shipper to create the order entry process they need, increasing the productivity of every employee involved in shipping. Rate optimization features and up to date carrier communication allows carrier competition to keep shipping costs as low as possible. Customer data can be read from and completed information written to any ODBC compliant accounting or order management system, allowing customer service to have visibility into shipping services used, tracking numbers, and shipping costs.

Over the next ten weeks, we’re going to profile different types of businesses that can take advantage of a multi-carrier shipping system. As we highlight each of those shipping profiles, you will learn why a multi-carrier shipping system can improve the shipping process in almost any type or size of business. Look for specific ways that shipping software like Harvey Software’s CPS can accomplish those three goals that every business desires. To see more information now, visit our website at www.HarveySoft.com or call us at 1-800-231-0296.

Who Works for Who? Is Your Shipping System Working for You, or Are You Working For Your Shipping System?

2012-01-13T10:30:00.004-05:00

In the movie Cast Away, the opening sequence times a package from Seattle, WA. to St. Petersburg, Russia. Tom Hanks’ character Chuck travels to Russia to analyze the package in which he placed a stopwatch before sending it to himself. He shows the FedEx employees in Russia the timer. Thirty-two hours from Seattle to St. Petersburg – 9000 miles. Forty-one hours from the warehouse to the destination – 4 miles. He certainly found the source of the problem. And then he begins working every job in the facility in order to improve efficiency. Though the audience never sees the results of his efforts, it’s easy to assume that things got better soon after Chuck’s visit.

How many shipping systems out there are “good enough?” How many employees are doing what’s basically a workaround solution but needs improving? Make sure that your shipping software is not a bottleneck to your shipping process. If it takes more than a minute to go from reference number to label printing, there are likely ways to improve upon that process. Make sure that data entry and write-backs are happening automatically. Make sure that your employees are aware of procedures for international packages, packages that need insurance, and packages that require return labels. And definitely make sure that you are getting the best rates possible from the carriers, for every package you send.

I spoke with one of our current customers who recently switched over to using our CPS multi-carrier shipping software, and I was surprised to hear that he was doing his own rate shopping between carriers before he began using our software. He did have shipping software hooked up to his order management system to pull data from, but that shipping system only showed rates for one carrier. He is smart enough to know that the carriers were already competing with one another, and he would systematically check another carrier’s website for their rates, for each package he sent. His determination to save money for his business is admirable. At the same time, he was spending an incredible amount of time looking up rates by hand, a process that can be completely automated. We were able to set him up with a shipping system to compare FedEx, UPS, and USPS rates simultaneously, and he was even able to set up custom business rules that allowed the system to select the lowest rate automatically for the services he prefers.

Harvey Software’s CPS shipping software can do all that’s spoken about above and more. With the flexibility of this multi-carrier shipping software, the application possibilities are endless. Contact us today at 1-800-231-0296 or visit www.HarveySoft.com for more information.

Multi-Carrier Shipping Software Stays Current with Carrier Changes in the New Year

2012-01-06T10:30:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year from all of us at Harvey Software! We would like to congratulate all on a successful holiday shopping season. Online sales from November 1st through December 18th were over $35 billion, the equivalent of every American spending more than $100 online. This represents 15% growth from 2010 figures, compared to 4% or less among brick and mortar stores. This year’s growth outpaced last year’s growth by a full percentage point and online shopping continues to be the highest growth sector in the retail economy.

Now that the New Year has begun, it’s important to know the changes passed along by the carriers. If you are a CPS shipping software customer, you have likely updated your software already and see the 2012 shipping rates for each shipment. If the rates look slightly higher, it’s because they are. Both FedEx and UPS raised rates for most services, with the average increase hovering around 5-6%. This, however, comes with a January DECREASE in the fuel surcharge. Although predicting oil prices is a speculator’s business, recent unrest in the Middle East has caused oil prices to creep up past $100 per barrel again. Since this is 5-10% higher than it was in mid-December, you can expect to see the fuel surcharge rise in the coming months.

Major changes are coming to the United States Postal Service regarding international shipments. New federal laws are tentatively scheduled to take effect on January 22nd, 2012 requiring electronic submission of customs documents PRIOR to shipping Express Mail and Priority Mail International (EMI and PMI). Right now it appears this will impact international shippers who print their own international customs documents. We are currently working with the Post Office on this issue since it directly affects shippers who use CPS shipping software for international mail manifesting. We will provide updated information about this as we work with the Post Office on this issue. For companies using international USPS services but do not use a manifest, CPS allows the use of an Internet postage service such as Endicia, which will correctly handle international shipping documents. A major advantage of CPS vs. carrier shipping systems is the versatility that allows CPS users to change shipping methods without an overhaul of an entire shipping system.

We continue to stay in contact with the USPS regarding changes to their services. They have many potential changes in the upcoming year. Watch for new updates that will be announced through this blog as well as through our other communication channels.

With so many carrier changes, CPS shipping software customers continue to be able to select competing carrier services for each and every package. We look forward to providing our customers with our software services and unparalleled customer support. For more information, please visit www.HarveySoft.com.

Harvey Software's Multi-Carrier Shipping System Receives Its 2012 National Carrier Updates

2011-12-30T10:30:00.010-05:00

The CPS National Carrier Updates are now available for download. These updates are essential for CPS to function properly, and will install automatically when the Daily Entry program is started next week. On or after Monday, January 2nd, 2012, the update will become critical, and users will be prompted to complete it. There is no charge for the update, and downtime is minimal, so we expect that our customers will be back to shipping just minutes after starting this update. The complete update notes can be viewed in the CPS On-Line Support directory inside the CPS for Windows folder—just find the entry for December 27th, 2011. Below we have selected a few of the updated features to display in our blog.

CPS Feature Updates

This update contains several new features that customers will be happy to see. The automatic backup path must now go to a drive other than the C: drive of the shipping computer, insuring our customers a backup separated from the location of the main program. Also, customers will be able to write-back the carrier and service used for the package using the ODBC External Link. Customers will also be able to do package archives into a .zip format in order to save hard drive space for package records. CPS for Mail Order Manager users doing batch processing can now put the M.O.M. company name into the field chosen by the CPS user. Also, if the Address Verification Module standardizes an address longer than the address field length, CPS will display a dialog box with the standardized address so the shipper can override the changes if needed.

Carrier Updates

The FedEx, SpeeDee, and UPS rates, fuel surcharges, and accessorial charges have been updated to 2012 rates. These changes install automatically when the update is installed, and users who complete the update will have all of the updated published rates.

We now support UPS Return Services, including Returns Flexible Access and Returns Exchange. We also added support for FedEx Ground “Hold At Location” services. SpeeDee customers have new options for their shipping label formats including a signature option. There are a few updates within CPS to the DYMO Endicia interface, which can be viewed within the CPS On-Line Support directory. Please note that Endicia updates its DAZzle software independently of Harvey Software, and users of both services will need to check with Endicia regarding those updates.

Perhaps the biggest change will come to those shippers using USPS Mail Manifesting for international shipments. New federal customs and export control regulations and policies require customs information to be submitted electronically to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection prior to the shipments leaving the country. This change becomes effective January 22nd, 2012, and it impacts shippers who present hard-copy permit imprint mail manifests created in CPS and/or using USPS-produced privately printed customs forms for Express Mail International (EMI) and Priority Mail International (PMI).

This change does NOT affect any shipper using DYMO Endicia Internet postage or any other form of USPS service supported in CPS or provided by any other CPS supported carriers. In fact, we recommend switching to an Internet postage service such as Endicia in order to transition from hard-copy mail manifesting. For more information regarding this transition for mail manifest users, please contact us at sales@harveysoftware.com or at 1-800-231-0296

Fuel Surcharges

Effective January 2, 2012 the UPS fuel surcharge for Domestic Air and International will decrease from 14.00% to 12.50%. The fuel surcharge for Ground will decrease from 8.50% to 8.00%. These surcharges will remain in effect through February 5, 2012.

New Years Week Holiday Hours

Harvey Software realizes that many of you have just completed a very busy time of year and you would like a breather but there is just one last task you need to complete - the National Update for 2012.

We will be closed Monday, January 2, 2012 for the holiday. On Monday, January 2, 2012 we will continue to insure our servers will be active 24/7, and our On-Line Support Internet based support will remain available. We will return to our normal hours on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

Important Notice: Starting Tuesday, December 27, 2011 through Friday, December 30, 2011 support will be for national update issues only. All other issues will be by appointment as time allows. This policy will continue on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 through Friday, January 13, 2012.

The staff of Harvey Software would like to thank you for your continued business and we wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year!

After The Season’s Selling Game, It’s Time for Post-Game Analysis

2011-12-23T10:30:00.012-05:00

After the big game, fans file out of the stadium, players retire to the locker room for ice baths and showers, and talking heads find the biggest headlines, flashiest highlights and maybe a conflict or two. But even after the game is over, the coaches’ work continues. After the post-game talks and interviews, coaches have miles of game tape to review. What went well? What did the other team do? Who are my stars, and who needs help? What do we need to fix? What can we do to make things more efficient, to improve communication, to win more?

For many businesses, the holiday shopping season is THE big game. Everyone prepares for months for one big push of sales. The best time to ask the post-game questions is when they are fresh in everyone’s mind, right after the game ends. Even if the necessary changes are not immediately put into place, the notes will be the starting point when planning for next year.

Check everything: from marketing to sales, receiving to shipping, management to first-line employees. Talk to employees—chances are, they know what their biggest headaches were, and they will be quick to tell you. Very likely behind those “headaches” you will find portions of your processes that are inefficient time-hogs. This is where attention needs to be paid, and creative ideas found for the future.

The shipping process is a frequent topic on industry blogs and websites. That’s because the transition point where your product leaves your hands and goes to your customer’s is a crucial, unforgiving part of your business. Everything has to be just right for this process to work smoothly, and what works when sales are slow can suddenly be difficult to sustain when order volume swells. Here are some specific questions to ask about your shipping process

Accuracy: Is the address correct? Are you incurring address correction/returned package charges? Do your labels print correctly? Is the correct and most efficient shipping method being chosen for every package? Is your customer receiving their package in the time promised? Is everything still accurate when volume goes up during the holidays? For most, this topic is the highest priority. When everything is accurate, things run smoothly. Mistakes are expensive and take lots of extra time to figure out.

Speed: How long does each order take, from picking to packing to staging? How many orders are going through per hour? Is there a particular bottleneck to your system? And, how long does it take information to get from shipping to customer service and accounting? Chances are there are just one or two parts of the process that slow everything else down. If you focus your attention there and make improvements, the whole business will notice things running more smoothly.

Cost: Ok, so what’s the bottom line? How much did shipping cost us this year? How much employee time is spent on processing those outbound shipements? And, most importantly, how much did we profit? Are there places we can reduce costs without sacrificing accuracy or speed? Could we save money on the shipping costs from the carriers? Are there other carrier options that I haven’t considered before? CPS shipping software users can ask the question-how much more would I have to spend if I was using only one carrier to ship my packages? Both accuracy and speed can impact cost as well, but check out your shipping reports. Taking a strategic look at your shipping spend can offer a lot of insight into your customers’ behavior as well as give you an idea of what to negotiate with your carrier representatives.

After auditing your business’s operation, did you find any places where your software was the culprit? CPS shipping software from Harvey Software provides an accurate, fast, and cost effective solution for your multi-carrier shipping system needs. The software pays for itself with just moderate monthly volume, and many other benefits makes it a no-brainer. This blog contains many informative posts regarding specific CPS features that can improve your business processes. Of course, you can always find out more about CPS shipping software at http://www.HarveySoft.com, or call us at 1-800-231-0296.

National Carrier Updates for Harvey Software’s CPS Multi-Carrier Shipping System

2011-12-16T10:30:00.009-05:00

Believe it or not, in just one short week, we will have another successful holiday season behind us. This year is forecast to be the biggest shopping season ever for online retailers. A popular idea this year was offering weekly specials in the two weeks following Thanksgiving, which allowed retailers and shippers alike to spread the volume of orders over a week rather than being focused on a single, Cyber Monday type promotion. This also highlights the flexibility of online shopping, which more and more consumers are flocking to for their holiday gift-giving.

This is the busiest week of the year for a number of our customers which also means the carriers are carrying their peak volumes. This past Monday, FedEx reported its highest volume ever shipped: 17 million packages. UPS workers are working considerable overtime to make sure packages get to their destination at their guaranteed delivery times. USPS expects this coming Monday to be its busiest delivery day this year. At these peak shipping times having a multi-carrier shipping system is incredibly beneficial. You save time, you save money, and you are able to maintain useful records on shipping data that can help you save on shipping next year, too. If you are NOT using multi-carrier shipping software, check out HarveySoft.com for more info.

So it’s about time to start looking forward to next year. Harvey Software releases its National Carrier Updates for its CPS shipping software customers each year between Christmas and New Year’s. The annual CPS shipping software updates assure compliance with each carrier’s rates and services. This compliance is essential for CPS to accurately report shipping rates, and this accuracy ensures that our customers are able to choose the best shipping service for every package, an essential advantage of a multi-carrier shipping system.

The CPS 2012 National Carrier Updates will be available for download beginning on Tuesday, December 27th, 2011. It will be an optional download for one week. On or after January 2nd, 2012, the update will become critical and essential in order for CPS to function. Please make plans accordingly to allow your shipping stations time to be properly updated. Downtime is minimal and your shipping stations will be up and running again in no time. For the latest information about the update and the corresponding notes that go with it, please find the On-Line Support Menu in the CPS for Windows folder. Click on “Notices and Updates”, and you will have access to the most up-to-date information.

Many other 3rd party shipping software developers charge extra for updates, but Harvey Software includes them in our regular service agreement price. Other than running the update there is no other action you need to take.

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season and we look forward to serving you in the new year.

Here Are Holiday Shipping Deadlines: Your Multi-Carrier Shipping System Can Help You Profit From the Carriers Competing For Your Business

2011-12-09T10:30:00.002-05:00

Holiday shopping is already at the front of everyone’s mind. If you are a last minute brick and mortar shopper, then your deadline is Dec. 24th at 11:59pm (if they’re even open that late!).  But with online shopping, you do have to do a little bit of pre-planning to make sure your friends and family get their gifts on time. Below are several deadlines the carriers set for guaranteed delivery. As your business makes final plans for that last push, remember to account for these deadlines in the promises you make to your customer. And also remember, this information is provided automatically in CPS shipping software: CPS RateBots, Smart RateBots, and the Best Way Calculator work together to instantly show this information for every package.

FedEx
FedEx Ground® Dec. 16th
FedEx Express Saver® Dec. 20th
FedEx 2Day® Dec. 21st (Dec. 22nd with Saturday Surcharge)
FedEx Overnight® Dec. 22nd (Dec. 23rd with Saturday Surcharge)

UPS
UPS Ground® Dec. 15-22nd
UPS 3 Day Select® Dec. 20th
UPS 2nd Day Air® Dec. 22nd (must be labeled for Saturday)
UPS Next Day Air® Dec. 23rd (must be labeled for Saturday)

USPS
Parcel Post® Dec. 15th
First Class Mail® Dec. 20th
Priority Mail® Dec. 21st
Express Mail® Dec. 22nd

Note that UPS provides an overall window for their ground service deadlines, which varies based on origin and destination. FedEx makes a hard guarantee on the 16th, but would also have delivery guarantees for later dates based on origin and destination.

CPS shipping software tells users the exact arrival date available for every package for both UPS and FedEx. Consider utilizing the full features like Smart RateBots, which automatically chooses the best method based on both delivery time and cost. By taking advantages of these available features, businesses can reduce shipping costs, save time, and add to their profits in this importance time of the year. For more information, please visit www.HarveySoft.com.

What's Next When You Suspect Theft in Your Shipping Department?

2011-12-02T10:30:00.004-05:00

How often do you check to see if your packages are delivered to the right address? Of if they even make it onto the carrier trucks. And if this is not happening, what to do next?

Re-labeling packages, shipping packages that don't belong to your company, changing addresses, deleting packages - all of these can happen and have happened. You might have years of trusted service from a key employee, you check references, do background checks, put systems in place, but something doesn't seem right. You seem to have too many orders that need to be reshipped. Or your shipping costs seem high according your shipping budget forecast of shipping X number of boxes that weigh Y pounds. This kind of problem can be hard to pin down, even when you see the "red flags" that you are sure mean you have a problem. Here's where multi-carrier shipping software might help you.

In the CPS(TM) shipping software, you have quick access to your shipping history data so you can search and analyze your shipping information. For example, after recently noticing something wasn't right with their shipping, one CPS shipper extracted their shipping data, looked for patterns that did not match their normal shipping, and discovered there was no order ID information with some of their shipping records. More research into these records zeroed in on the problem and helped find the employee responsible. In another instance, shipments for already processed and labeled packages were voided. The addresses were altered at the time of shipping. Even though the shipments were deleted in the CPS shipping software, the labels with illicit addresses were already printed and the package given to the carriers for delivery. With a special setting, CPS wrote the data for every voided package to a file for monitoring. Following this trail of voided packages then led back to the person who was scamming the company. These are examples of looking at the problem "after the fact".

To stop a problem before it happens, one way is to use a data lookup to read the shipping data into CPS, then prevent the shipping software operator from changing or voiding the address in the shipping system. In CPS, there is a setting so if the shipper tries to edit the shipping address fields, a window pops up requiring a password in order to make any change.

It's hardly ever possible to watch what happens to every package in your shipping department. Tools in your shipping system like these in the CPS shipping software give you the power and information to stop these problems if they occur, or even before they occur.

To find out more about the CPS multi-carrier shipping system, visit our web site at www.HarveySoft.com.

Connect Your Online Store to a Multi-Carrier Shipping System for Faster Shipping and Fewer Mistakes

2011-11-18T10:30:00.014-05:00

Last week we discussed a feature of the CPS multi-carrier shipping software to fully automate a shipping computer in a large scale enterprise application. This week, let’s cover another end of the spectrum—a small online store, perhaps run by one or two people, looking to connect their order system to a shipping system. This business profile can benefit substantially by using advanced shipping benefits such as rate shopping features, customizable tracking emails (sent directly from the store’s email address, not a carrier’s), and integration with other software necessary to run an online business.

Connecting the shipping software to the order management system (OMS) is a basic challenge faced by many store owners. Connecting the two programs speeds up the order workflow significantly and reduces potential errors when entering data between programs. The Cut’N Ship™ option in the CPS shipping software allows connection to many online order management systems. It is easy to do a quick check to see if your OMS can connect to CPS through Cut’N Ship—can you highlight the shipping data, copy it, and paste it into Notepad? If you can, then Cut’N Ship can move your data into CPS. It’s really that simple!

With an instant connection from the OMS to the shipping software, shipping can be accomplished in seconds. Choose CPS as your shipping solution, and you can feel confident that your company is getting the best possible rates for its shipments. As the business grows, CPS can connect to new order management systems, new accounting systems, etc., all without requiring a complete overhaul of the shipping department. For example, we recently helped a customer change their order management system—they kept one CPS shipping station connected to the old program as they made the transition to their new system with their other CPS shipping station. There was no disruption in shipping orders while accomplishing the transition. No other multi-carrier shipping software solution can grow with a business like CPS does.

A small business that wants to grow will need an effective way to ship, and the choice of shipping software is crucial when it comes to efficiency in getting the packages out the door to the customer. CPS shipping software has the tools to make this easier, faster, and more efficient.

Over the last several weeks, these blog posts have presented a variety of features found specifically in CPS that make it the best multi-carrier shipping software solution available. There are features that save money, features that save time, and features that make shipping with multiple carriers easier. If your business ships even a moderate volume of packages each month, the CPS solution pays for itself with the cost savings it offers. One way to think about it—after CPS pays for itself with the savings, every other CPS feature might as well be free. Harvey Software will be happy to provide you with more information on any of these features by phone (1-800-231-0296) or on our website, www.HarveySoft.com.

Multi-Carrier Shipping System Even Allows Automatic, Hands-Free Package Processing

2011-11-11T10:30:00.011-05:00

If you've been following along with the posts of the last several weeks, you know how many features of CPS shipping software are available to process shipments faster and more efficiently. This week, we touch on a natural arrival point of all of these automation features—The CPS Automator™. By reading a completed data file, CPS can automatically shop rates, optimize carriers and shipping methods, correct an address, give correct rating for a package, print the shipping label and return completed shipping data back to other business software applications. All of this can happen without an operator required to be at the shipping computer.

When the complete data for shipping a large number of carrier-compliant packages can be provided in a data file, CPS can read and ship the contents of the entire file. Since the required name, address, and weight fields import automatically into CPS, manual entry is never required. Then, with predefined RateBots set up, CPS shipping software automatically chooses the best method for every package according to your business rules. The label prints, and the shipping costs and tracking number write back (optional) into the order management system or an accounting program through an ODBC connection. No employee time is required at the shipping computer for this process—in fact, CPS runs completely in the background with no visual functions. After our multiple carrier shipping software completes the shipping labels, the boxes are ready to be staged for carrier pickup. Combined with a picking, packing and conveyor system in a warehouse, CPS can be the last stop of an automated fulfillment line.

Obviously, there are other things going on here other than shipping software. CPS doesn’t pack boxes nor does it control conveyor belts and pick-to-light systems. It DOES work as part of a fulfillment system to provide the most optimal shipping method with the carriers, and it continues to save a business money on shipping every time it is used. If automation of an entire large scale operation is your challenge, your business might consider contacting one of our solutions partners, who specialize in designing complete systems customized for your needs. CPS shipping software integrates easily with many popular systems, and our partners specialize in customizing that integration to meet your business requirements.

One might think that automation features like this come at a premium. On the contrary, this feature is included in every CPS workstation. The same program that saves a small business money when they ship 5 packages a day saves an enterprise money when they ship 5000 packages a day. No other multi-carrier shipping system grows with a business’s shipping needs the way CPS does. When your business is ready to free up hands for other work, call us about putting “The Automator” to work for you! For more information, please visit www.HarveySoft.com.

Residential or Commercial? The Right Multi-Carrier Shipping System Knows, Even If You Do Not

2011-11-04T10:30:00.008-04:00

When you spend time reading shipping forums, you will see the question come up—how can I tell whether a destination address is residential or commercial? In fact, you will see from many posts that the wrong answer to this simple little question can cost a business thousands a year in unexpected shipping charges if they aren’t careful. On one forum, incorrect address status was listed as the number one reason for discrepancies in a carrier statement as compared to expected costs.

Just ask the customer if their address is residential or commercial, right? Sure, you can ask. Of course, some customers are aware of higher charges for residential delivery and will just mark their suburban, white-picket-fenced house as a business thinking they will pay less for shipping. And they will, but you won’t! Or if they run a business out of their home, they might incorrectly assume this makes their address commercial. But unfortunately for shippers, inaccuracy on the customers’ checkout form does not mean you can go back and charge their credit card later for the difference in shipping costs. Plus, not only is there a higher surcharge for residential delivery to begin with, there are potential penalties when addresses are repeatedly classified incorrectly. The result is money lost in the shipping department, which means money lost from your company’s bottom line.

One way to attack this problem is checking the address right when the package is shipped. The CPS multi-carrier shipping system with its Address Verification Module (AVM™) reports the residential/commercial status for every package as soon as the address is entered. The AVM checks addresses against the USPS master database of all addresses, so not only is the commercial/residential status confirmed, the address is checked to make sure it exists and is accurate. When CPS knows the correct status of an address, the surcharges are included in in the rating.

The true power of a multi-carrier shipping system lies in the combination of features like AVM and Smart RateBots (see last week’s post) that let you make quick, smart shipping choices from the major carriers. You get a true comparison of rates between UPS, FedEx, and USPS as soon as an address is entered with a system which can even select that best rate automatically. For more information on the unparalleled flexibility of CPS, visit www.HarveySoft.com.

Spend Minutes Looking Up Rates For Every Package or Let a Multi-Carrier Shipping System Look For You

2011-10-28T10:30:00.022-04:00

Imagine running an online costume rental site. As much as you would like them to plan ahead, your customers frequently choose costumes at the last minute. For this year's holiday marketing campaign, you decide to advertise that every order placed by noon Wednesday will be delivered by Friday, in time for weekend parties. “Order by Wednesday, Get It By Friday!” Part of your plan involves using guaranteed two-day express delivery, but does this mean that every order that comes in by noon Wednesday has to be sent using an express service? Of course, you have to deliver to your customers in the time frame promised, but it’s possible you could be using carrier express services when ground service can achieve the same result. In fact, you could be spending as much a three times too much on unnecessary express service depending on where your package is being shipped.

Are there more important, time sensitive packages than costumes for Halloween? Medicines for hospitals and clinics, tax forms in April’s crunch time, contracts, financial forms, and legal documents are critical in their respective sectors. Many people look to the carriers’ express services as being the only option for faster delivery, but the likely reality is that they aren’t even looking at alternatives. The carriers are happy for the extra, more profitable express business, but how much carrier profit would you like your business to contribute?

The carriers’ delivery zones are easily accessed on the web. If you are willing to spend the extra time, you can use each carrier’s website to check transit times and delivery costs for each package, find the lowest rate for the service needed, and you are set. But that’s a lot of work for one package, especially since this extra work is not necessary! If multiple packages need to go out on the same day, it is likely you and your coworkers do not have the time to do this with everything else going on.

One secret is to leverage the two major parcel carriers’ guaranteed delivery commitments for ground services. The better shipping systems can absolutely help with this. Our CPS shipping software has a feature called Smart RateBots™ for shippers to take advantage of guaranteed delivery times. A Smart RateBot automatically chooses the best delivery service based on the required transit time and lowest cost. If you need it there in two days and ground service guarantees that, there is no need to pay for the more expensive two-day express service.

Let’s look at an example of how this feature can save a company money. I need to send a package from Dallas to New Orleans and it needs to be there in two days. Using the carrier websites shows that both major carriers guarantee delivery by ground service on the second day with one carrier’s price at $12.27 and the other’s at $11.03. Shipping using a two-day express service costs more than $30 to get the same package to the same place at the same time by either carrier. Also, what if I searched only one carrier website and found only the higher of the two costs? Even if I selected the ground service, I might have spent 10% more than necessary just because I didn’t check the other carrier’s website. Dallas to New Orleans is only one example—check out a zone table from your area and see what’s in range of two-day ground.

CPS Smart RateBots do all the above work in seconds, choosing the best service to use automatically. It takes longer to read the paragraph about the savings than it does to get them. To see a live video of Smart RateBots in action, click here.

It’s good to save money on shipping. It’s better to get those savings automatically every time you ship. Savings like this can really add up, and CPS shipping software more than pays for itself because of it. To find out more about Smart RateBots and CPS, the best multi-carrier shipping software, please visit us at www.HarveySoft.com.

ODBC Connection Means Your Software Connects to a Multi-Carrier Shipping System

2011-10-21T10:30:00.011-04:00

Imagine using a computer without copy and paste. How much time would it add to your daily workload if you had to retype everything each time you switched programs? It’s hard to imagine, but it would certainly be, at the very least, a huge inconvenience. But if your shipping software is not connected to your customer management, fulfillment, and accounting systems, you are doing just that - working without an automatic copy and paste system. Customer data and shipping information should be entered once. After that, what might otherwise be redundant work can often be automated with Open Database Connectivity, or ODBC.

Put simply, ODBC is how our CPS Shipping Software “talks” to order management systems and other software. Data entered into an order management program can be read electronically by CPS without the user taking any extra action. After the box is shipped, the final shipping information can be sent back to the order management program, the accounting software, etc. This is incredibly useful for Internet retailers. Extra data entry and potential mistakes are eliminated, plus the time is reduced between when an order is placed and when it is shipped.

CPS Shipping Software can be integrated with any ODBC compliant software that also has an ODBC driver for its data. Windows supplies many popular ODBC drivers, and others are available from third parties. Take for example the CPS connection to QuickBooks available using the driver from QODBC.com. After an invoice is created in QuickBooks, CPS has immediate access to the necessary shipping data to ship the package. After the shipping method is finalized and the shipping label is printed, the package tracking number and carrier charges write back automatically into QuickBooks. This provides the shipper with final customer invoice information that is available immediately after an order is shipped. Data entry is eliminated in two different parts of the fulfillment cycle, both shipping AND accounting. It’s easy to see how eliminating this extra work saves valuable time for a business at a critical time of day. Plus fewer keystrokes mean fewer mistakes.

Shipping should be an integrated process within the fulfillment cycle. The most complicated part of fulfillment should be finding the item on a shelf and putting it in a box. Your shipping software should do the rest—importing the customer data, selecting the best service, printing the label, and exporting the completed data back to an accounting program. Reduce their manual workload and you make employees more efficient and productive, so they are available for additional tasks beyond shipping. Better yet, there are just more orders for your business and they are shipping more packages. To get more information about how ODBC connections to your shipping software can improve your business’s productivity, please visit www.HarveySoft.com.