If you have a business that deals with shipping and delivery, you will be glad to know that streamlining this process will save you both time and money, which will also give you a great reputation. Because consumers have set high standards for shipping times, it’s important to keep up with them.
Have a look at these five ways in which you can streamline the shipping and delivery process for your business.
Set Up a Smart Warehouse
A smart warehouse system that makes use of robotic technologies can save you a lot of time and manpower. Thanks to the availability of more technology, any size of business can leverage automated robotic systems. This would have cost a lot of capital a few years back, but this is not the case anymore.
The money you save from hiring manual workers can be put into buying wooden pallets for shipping purposes, with new ones measuring 48″ by 40″ priced from $11 to $12.50 per piece. Used ones will cost about half of this price while treated ones will cost roughly one dollar more. A smart warehouse will also make it easy to keep good track of your inventory, all great for your finances.
Make it Easier to Pay
When your customers have an easier time paying for the items they need, you will make more sales, which will make it possible to plan for batch shipping. When you start to ship a large volume of items, you will be able to negotiate better rates with a shipping company than you would get shipping fewer items.
Get Flat Rate Pricing
If you can negotiate a flat rate for shipping your orders, you will be better able to plan, also making it a good finance option. Find out if your shipping solution is willing to ship your goods at a commercial rate. This will be cheaper for items across all size options, and you will be able to save a lot of money over time.
With fully loaded semi-trucks weighing up to 18,000 pounds, this makes for many items for shipping if you use trucks to transport your items from the source to the shipment area. The more items you ship and the more often you do so, the easier it will be to get great rates for shipping your goods.
Designate Shipping Time
To improve your efficiency, designate a cut-off time from which when someone pays for an item, it will be shipped in the next shipping cycle. For instance, let your customers know that goods paid for by 2 PM each day will be shipped on the same day, while those paid for later will be shipped the following day.
This will allow you enough time to process and package all orders made in a day, efficiently shipping them. Since you won’t have to make repeat visits for items that are paid for later than the cut-off time you set, you will save both time and money. Plus, you’ll have a better chance of staying true to your word with no extra stress.
Outsource Fulfillment
The final tip is to outsource your fulfillment needs to a third party who you know will be well-placed to ship fast. This is a great route to take if you are dealing with too many orders at a time, getting overwhelmed in the process. Fulfillment centers can offer you great rates because they have relationships with shipping carriers who give them good prices as well as efficient service.
According to a report done in 2017 by Bloomberg, electric vehicles will make up 54% of new cars sold worldwide by the year 2040. This will enable businesses to transport their goods more efficiently and cost-effectively, something fulfillment centers are already doing currently.
Fast shipping is what most people buying items online look for, so improving your shipping times is a sure way to get more customers. Set up your shipping to work efficiently so you can focus on finances and other important aspects of your business.