Tag: RapidX

How to Organise Shipping for a UK Subscription Box Service

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UK subscription box services have been around for a while, but they only really started gaining traction in recent years. With brands like Dollar Shave Club, Craft Gin Club and BirchBox leading the way, now anyone can get started in this exciting industry.

If you have a great idea for a UK subscription box business, you might be wondering how best to organise the shipping process.

The good news is that modern technology makes it easy with online software that does much of the work for you. But there’s still a lot to consider before you start promoting your subscription box options.

Keep reading for everything you need to know.

Get the Right Software

At one time, organising orders and deliveries meant relying on extensive paper files and bewildering physical spreadsheets. Thanks to automation and the internet, however, many of your business’s processes can now be done online.

To start your subscription service, you’ll need a platform that can keep track of customer information, shipping carriers, and orders. But this is just scratching the surface. The more services you can get bundled in one program, the better.

SmartConsign’s delivery management services make organising lots of orders and deliveries simple with label printing, bulk batch processing, and more.

SmartConsign RapidX Batch Processing Screen

Choose the Best Carriers

When you’re sending physical goods to customers, providing the right shipping options is key.

Your customers may prefer to have the Royal Mail service deliver their orders, or they might prefer international carriers like UPS or DHL. Most of the time, they’ll want the most affordable shipping method possible. So having options is key.

SmartConsign works with just about every major carrier in the UK and offers prepaid shipping options. You can even access key shipping features through its mobile app.

Get the Right Packaging

When it comes to selling subscription boxes, you don’t want the box itself to be an afterthought. From choosing the right size to finding a shape that will hold your items secure, packaging is a critical part of your business.

You especially don’t want to send boxes that are too large, or you’ll waste money on packing materials and shipping fees. Shop around and experiment to find the ideal type of packaging for your products.

Engineer the Best Presentation

One of the most important moments for your customer is when they open your subscription box for the first time.

Make sure the moment isn’t spoiled for them by packing items securely and setting up each parcel for a great first impression.

Start Your UK Subscription Box Business With SmartConsign

And there you have it: everything you need to know about organising shipping for your very own subscription box brand.

Managing deliveries is probably the single most complicated part of running a subscription box business. Fortunately, with a platform like SmartConsign, it doesn’t have to be.

Request a demo to see how our software can simplify your subscription box service options.

How to Choose the Best Shipping Software

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The global logistics industry is predicted to be worth $12 bn by 2027. With so much stock moving between retailers and customers, you need to be sure your shipping is working well.

Choosing the right shipping software is one way to help managed costs and your logistics. But with different options available, how do you choose the right software for your business?

Read on to learn what questions to ask when choosing shipping logistics software.

Does the Shipping Software Do the Basics Well?

At its most basic, logistics software needs to improve your productivity and efficiency. It’s designed to save money and keep your customers satisfied.

It’ll perform plenty of functions, such as warehouse functions like picking, and even transportation.

So ask yourself these questions when you’re looking at software.

Don’t be afraid to look at a package of solutions, rather than a single model you use for every client.

Can It Provide Analytics of Data?

More data passing through electronic systems give better opportunities to analyse such information. Having software that uses analytic tools gives you better insights through regular reports.

It’s all part of the ‘Big Data’ revolution. 90% of the world’s data was generated in the last two years.

Your software can harness the power of Big Data to help you grow your business. The software can spot patterns faster than human operators. So your reports might start providing solutions to problems instead of just highlighting the issue.

These recommendations can help your business make better, and faster, decisions about the entire business process.

Does It Offer Integration?

You can choose between plenty of stand-alone software solutions. But because of the moving parts involved with shipping logistics, you may need more.

You’ll need either one suite that covers all functions. Or you’ll need a series of stand-alone solutions that integrate. Alternatively, you’ll need your solution to integrate with those of your partners.

The software needs to extract data from the process in order to make decisions. Maybe it needs to change the warehouse dispatches to keep stock levels up. Or it might slow down to build stock levels / speed up to reduce stock?

Will This Software Address Pain Points?

Introducing new software can introduce its own problems. You don’t want to cause issues if it’s not necessary.

So you need to be sure that you know exactly what problems the software is going to solve. By evaluating where your current pain points are, you’ll be better able to choose the right solution for you.

If you’re looking for the cheapest way to ship, you need software that excels at that. But if stock management is more of an issue, that’s where your new software needs to place its focus.

Now You Can Choose the Best Shipping Logistics Software

The world of shipping logistics doesn’t need to produce headaches. By evaluating exactly what problems you need to solve, you can find the right software for you.

If you’re looking for a partner to help solve your shipping problems, then why not get in touch? We can discuss how to get you moving today.

SmartConsign integrates with all major carriers and sales platforms:

Carrier Management Systems: Why Fast Is Never Fast Enough

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It is rare for an online consumer to know which carrier will be delivering their package to the door. They typically only notice when the package fails to arrive. However, regardless of the customer delivery experience, the retailer is held to account because they are responsible for choosing the carrier. The issue retailers face is how to fulfill consumers’ delivery expectations fast and still make a profit.

The obvious solution is to automate the process – but not all systems are created equal. With so many moving parts in the shipping process getting complete clarity of a parcel’s journey can be challenging. So how fast do carrier management systems (CMS) need to be in order to drive efficiencies where it matters most? In this article, we look at the key attributes of modern CMS’s that are designed to accelerate shipping processes.

Faster Delivery

Post pandemic consumer online shopping is predicted to continue to grow. Overall good news for businesses but bad news when customer expectations for low to zero shipping are considered. The combined impact poses a risk to profitability that few retailers can afford to ignore.

There are of course a number of ways businesses can lower shipping costs from packaging, shipment type, weight, and more. All can help cover the costs, but it’s only part of the solution.

Effective application of cloud-based carrier management software can also contribute to scaling efficiencies in the delivery process. They allow seamless access to valuable data for every order from a single touchpoint. They also integrate with all major carriers and sales channels making it easier for the business to manage the overall operation.

They enable faster delivery options by providing data tracking and monitoring of every stage of the journey in real-time. In truth, when backend systems work together, the operation runs faster.

Faster Bulk Consignment Processing

For retailers who are generating 100,000+ consignments a month, the challenge is multi-faceted. Meeting carrier collection times the same day or night for example is just one crucial aspect of delivering the customer promise. Often when processing large volumes of data, anomalies occur that add further delays in the process.

Advanced CMS’s like SmartConsign RapidX is designed to process high volumes of labels and trouble-shoot anomalies faster. This allows businesses to scale faster as well as offering them more flexibility and control.

Faster Carrier Rate Shopping

Conceivably, one of the most useful attributes of a modern CMS is the ease and speed of access to multiple carrier rates. A powerful feature, allowing fast discovery of the best rates and effortless management of carrier performance.

Once carriers are integrated into the delivery system it automatically scours carrier data to find the best deals for the order. The data is delivered instantly saving the business valuable turnaround time.

Faster Customer Service

We know retaining customers is exponentially less expensive than finding new ones. It’s also much better for brand reputation. A bad delivery experience can have major repercussions on driving repeat business or brand reputation.

Cloud-based multi-carrier management systems can help improve customer service in a number of ways. Firstly, they help provide complete clarity of the delivery process from a single touch-point. They also provide detailed real-time tracking information, that the team can use to manage customer queries faster.

Best of all, carrier management system integrations connect retailers with all the important data they need to ensure successful fast delivery. They also provide valuable insights that can be used for product development as well as enabling faster response to customer queries.

Is your CMS fast enough?

With over 10 years’ experience in the SaaS space, SmartConsign is one of the longest-running providers of smart shipping software. The company is constantly innovating it’s CMS solution to help businesses remain relevant to the growing need for faster delivery.

The company’s latest innovation SmartConsign RapidX is a first in the sector and is 10X faster than any other CMS.

If you’re ready to find out how we can accelerate your parcel delivery services, contact us today for a demo.

 

SmartConsign RapidX throw down gauntlet to retailers’ current batch processing applications

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Manchester, UK [02/06/2020] – SmartConsign is challenging all subscription-based retailers who are generating 100,000+ consignments per batch to test SmartConsign RapidX a new fast batch processing application against their current CMS system for free. The new application can generate thousands of labels in less than 60 minutes faster than any other carrier management system (CMS).

Developed with subscription-based retailers’ needs in mind, SmartConsign RapidX delivers productivity efficiencies, faster processing, real-time information, and advanced troubleshooting capabilities. The application addresses many of the most common problems subscription-based retailers experience when batch processing high order volumes with time window constraints. 

“Less optimal processing speed and multiple order rejection due to anomalies within large data files are just some of the major issues SmartConsign RapidX is built to resolve,” says Robin Seymour, SmartConsign CEO

SmartConsign RapidX is a fast-scalable solution with built-in error detection capabilities that allow for immediate correction without interrupting production. With the application delivering 10X more shipments, SmartConsign RapidX is set to be more than a match for any reputable CMS.

“Companies already using the application have been able to push back cut-off times and are able to process 10X more shipments,” says Robin Seymour

SmartConsign expertise is built on more than 10 years of enabling businesses to simplify the parcel shipping process. This new application is part of the company’s broader SaaS solution, which offers a flexible mix of desktop and mobile-based applications. 

For further information or if you would like to test SmartConsign RapidX for free, please contact sales@smartconsign.io

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Editors Notes

  • SmartConsign is the first true cloud SaaS solution designed in 2010. Unlike competitor systems, the company has built their carrier management system from the ground up to create a technology-driven and dynamic operation management service. As an independent piece of software, the system is tailored to suit business needs. The company works with some of the industry’s most esteemed parcel companies including FedEx, TNT, Parcelforce, UKMail, and Yodel. 

 

  • SmartConsign is used by over 300 companies across the nation including retailers, distribution warehouses, resellers, couriers, and carriers. SmartConsign shipping logistics software offers full visibility of shipping operations and seamless integration with in-house systems without hardware installations.

 

  • SmartConsign is one of a range of innovative products designed by CloudStuff Ltd, a provider of services to the UK logistics, parcels, and retail sectors. 

 

  • SmartConsign is accessible via desktop and mobile. The Mobile App launched in October 2019 allows logistics professionals to control, manage and track parcel deliveries from their smartphones

 

  • SmartConsign RapidX is a fast batch processing application that generates 100,000+ labels in less than 60 minutes faster than any other equivalent system in the market

Press Release: Manchester tech company SmartConsign launches parcel delivery app to beat the last mile

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27 Jun 2019, Manchester, UK: SmartConsign Manchester tech company responds to the last-mile logistics challenge by launching a mobile shipping app version of their popular SaaS (Software as a Service) parcel delivery system, bringing the full suite of features together in an accessible, secure platform. The app is free for all SmartConsign clients, enabling managers from all parts of the client organization to handle their delivery logistics instantly.

Seamless Parcel Delivery

SmartConsign is one of the early pioneers of Software as a Service (SaaS) and since launch, the company has been on a mission to simplify the parcel shipping process. Today SmartConsign works with many of the world’s leading parcel companies and more than 300 warehouses, retailers and couriers across the UK. The app is the natural next step for SmartConsign, in response to parcel companies’ need for better solutions to address last-mile logistics challenges.

“We understand business as much as we understand tech, and we know that the best product in the world will count for nothing if you don’t deliver it to customers exactly where and when they ask for it, said Robin Seymour, SmartConsign Director/Co-Founder. “The SmartConsign app covers every single mile of that journey and turns the stress of logistics into the security of knowing every base has been covered.”

The SmartConsign app is available today offering an app-based dashboard that allows users to track shipments and manage tickets on the go. Users can expect to receive additional app updates over the coming months, as the team integrates all the features of the software to cover every aspect of the parcel delivery process.

An E-Commerce Delivery Solution for Every Business

Ideal for businesses of any size, from an SME to a corporation, the app integrates easily with all major e-commerce platforms, and shopping carts like Linnworks, Veeqo, eBay, Amazon, Shopify and more. The app is designed for use by any manager from the back-office to the warehouse.

Managers can easily access the app’s user-friendly dashboard wherever they are, to check the status of shipments and manage tickets across their operation and carriers. Keeping all actors in the parcel delivery chain connected is all part of SmartConsign on-going mission to help drive efficiencies by providing clarity in the process.

The SmartConsign app is now available in the App Store and Google Play and is free to download.

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