Helen Studley
Associate Product Manager, Shippit
As the peak season rapidly approaches, the competitive landscape in logistics and retail is more intense than ever. With consumer spending slowing down and business costs rising, seasoned retailers will be looking to drive operational efficiencies whilst investing in customer experiences. It’s not just about survival; it’s about thriving and outperforming the competition. Enter our Rules Engine, your key to optimising your shipping operations and gaining a distinct competitive advantage.
Our Rules Engine puts you in control of your shipping operations, letting you choose how, when and where carriers are allocated. Set up a rule in 3 easy steps:
Step 1: Choose which of your stores the rule will apply to;
Step 2: Input the features of the orders you’re allocating
Step 3: Choose your carrier.
Our Rules Engine isn’t just a tool; it’s your secret weapon. Here are a few ways it can help secure your competitive edge:
- Cost-Savings champion: Profitability is at the core of competition. Rules Engine can be your key to avoiding surcharges and other unnecessary costs.
Example: A carrier may charge a hefty manual handling fee for items with dimensions exceeding 110cm and weight exceeding 22kg. With Rules Engine, you can choose to automatically avoid this carrier for any parcels that exceed these limits.
- Peak performance: When it comes to delivery, some carriers may perform better in certain areas or are better suited to handling specific products (e.g. fragile items). Create rules to avoid allocating carriers to destinations where they are underperforming or orders with products that aren’t an ideal fit.
Example: Some carriers may specialise in bulky parcels and do not perform as well delivering smaller freight. Use Rules Engine to specify which carriers should not be used based on an order’s dimensions, weight, packaging or products.
- Reliable customer experiences: Your brand’s reputation depends on sharing consistently great customer experiences. Apply this knowledge to your allocation logic using Rules Engine to make sure that your carrier mix always perfectly services your customers.
Example: Carrier A might have greater coverage and be more reliable in regional areas compared to others. Using Rules Engine, you can automatically allocate all orders going to regional postcodes to Carrier A, giving your regional customers reliable, on-time delivery.
- Timing is everything: Your business hours might not be 24/7 but the internet definitely is! Ensure that orders placed late in the day or outside of hours are booked with the right service to deliver in a timely manner.
Example: Let’s say you offer a customer promise of delivery within 3 days but your usual carriers don’t operate over the weekend. You can mitigate this using Rules Engine by creating a rule where orders created later in the week (e.g. Thursdays and Fridays) are automatically upgraded to express services to meet expected delivery time frames.
- Protect your valuables: For expensive freight, certain carriers may offer greater security and peace of mind than others. Use Rules Engine to make sure that valuable freight is sent with high performing carriers.
Example: Electronics can be expensive and customers demand a flawless delivery experience when they make a pricey purchase. Use Rules Engine to create rules to control which carriers are allocated based on the order value or included product SKUs.
Our Rules Engine is your ticket to effortless shipping optimisation that will not only save you time and money but also elevate your brand above the competition.
Ready to get started? Check out our comprehensive guide to setting up your rules here.