Welcome to Parcelconsulting
Welcome to Parcelconsulting
As trend cycles speed up and international supplier practices are called into question, many companies are localizing their supply chains. The benefits are numerous, from saving on transportation costs to happier customers who receive their orders more quickly. Business reputation is also boosted because localizing the supply chain ensures all workers are treated and compensated fairly under U.S. labor laws, and industries like farming and manufacturing are revitalized to diversify the American economy.
In particular, local delivery has been increasing in popularity, and many companies may need to leverage this last-mile portion of their supply chains in order to keep customers and revenue. Whether you have one location or many, are shipping a pair of shoes, or need a large appliance picked up, there are multiple vehicle options and partners to choose from. Parcel Consulting can connect you to the right carriers to leverage a multi-carrier delivery network and optimize your spend.
Each ecommerce company has its own set of needs, which is why there are hundreds of shipping carriers with different offerings. You have certainly heard of the major carriers—USPS, UPS and FedEx—but there are also international, regional and local operations that may be better suited to your business. There are some important criteria to consider when searching for a carrier even beyond the shipping rates.
First, you have to look at your market and where you ship to most. This will narrow down your options. Then, note your package weight minimums and maximums, including their dimensions, so you have the information on hand when comparing carriers. You’ll also want to determine what your customers will need, such as tracking information and the availability of weekend delivery. Speaking of delivery, will you need to provide a shipping minimum, and where are you located along the carrier’s pickup route?
With all of the shipping carriers available to you, it’s easy to see how one can lose track of who offers what. That is why Parcel Consulting will direct you to free or subsidized shipping software that will automatically find the best shipping rates and give you one less thing to worry about.
Back in the early days of ecommerce, businesses worked with one carrier at a time because they could negotiate better rates and maintain a more streamlined shipping process. Today, however, it is more advantageous to utilize a multi-carrier delivery network.
The main benefit of a multi-carrier network is that it is more cost effective than using one carrier the whole way. Different carriers offer different rates and features, which means you can “rate shop” to find the best option for each shipment before dispatching. Customers will also be pleased to see multiple delivery options, which can save them time and money on their end as well. Overall, the delivery experience is improved, and carriers will constantly be competing for your continued business.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has stalled many industries, but the “gig economy” of contractors delivering for services like DoorDash and Postmates is going strong. In fact, there has been an uptick in shipping activity across the board, which reveals a massive network of available delivery routes and personnel. Parcel Consulting can help you tap into that network via our software partners to provide local delivery services throughout the country.
Any business in any area already serviced by the gig economy, including Uber and Lyft, can easily add local delivery from their available retail and fulfillment locations—the foundation has been built by these contract workers. You can then build upon it with an effective 3PL/fulfillment warehouse partner strategy and quickly begin utilizing local delivery options in areas with those warehouses in place. This allows you to meet the high demand in your most popular markets, and the networks can link together to form a full bi-coastal local delivery network that will keep your costs low and your shipments fast.
Ecommerce software has been evolving over the past two decades, which is why it’s wise to revisit your solutions every few years to see if it’s worth making a switch. There may be better shopping carts, shipping software, marketplaces, CRM, point of sale system, payment processor, accounting software, and more that can help boost your business. We understand that transitioning from your tried-and-true solution is a hassle, but there is no time like the present to optimize your shipping and logistics. The silver lining of this pandemic is the extra time you’ll have to audit and improve your supply chain to prepare for the future.
Shipping software in particular has seen major strides and can be a retailer’s most valuable asset. With it, your company can integrate all sales channels into one dashboard and set business rules to automatically assign the best shipping carrier by delivery time or cost, product type or anything else on your priority list. Most of these systems connect directly to your sales channels, whether you sell on Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon or other platforms. They will also find creative new options for shipping carriers that you might have never heard of because they serve niche industries. Together, these carriers can serve every mile along your supply chain’s delivery activities.
Leveraging the expertise of Parcel Consulting can help your company solve complicated fulfillment challenges and automate shipping processes. The increased efficiency will ensure a smoother transition to the post-pandemic economy.
Parcel Consulting was started with a simple mission in mind: Connect end shippers with the best carrier and rate strategy for their needs and the best software options to streamline, automate and improve the accuracy and efficiency of the daily pick, pack, and label-printing process for their business.
We work with many different carriers and software partners, so that we can recommend the best solution based on more than a decade of actual experience with all of these providers. Most people, even those experienced in shipping and logistics, are surprised to find out how many new and innovative carriers and software options exist now.
We have been tracking, comparing and evaluating them objectively for more than 10 years and we freely share our personal review of your shipping needs by simply scheduling a phone call or video conference with one of our experienced shipping consultants. We’ve been preparing for this for more than a decade and we’re here to help.
Let’s get to work on the next generation of commerce!
