Courier Management Software is Ideal for Small Courier Businesses

Courier management software is the ideal solution for small courier businesses looking to manage their clients and delivery needs. The current boom in e-commerce means that there is a huge market for the courier business. In fact, worldwide B2C e-commerce sales topped $1.2 trillion in 2013. Approximately four out of ten internet users worldwide have purchased some product online; there are therefore more than 1 billion buyers. In response to the booming e-commerce marketplace, there are all kinds of niche courier businesses coming up in addition to the regular courier business; those who accept deliveries on the customer’s behalf and then deliver them as per the customer’s requirement, those who offer ultra-fast delivery for their partner retail firms, and so on.

A small courier business faces various challenges. The company must keep track of all the delivery schedules, ensure that the delivery reaches the correct address, answer customer queries regarding deliveries, deal with problems such as a delivery vehicle breaking down en route, and so on. However, the small courier operator may not have the funds or expertise needed to develop its own software solutions in-house. This is where third party software solutions providers come in. Courier management software can provide small courier businesses with all the tools they need in order to manage their operations efficiently, minimize costs of operation, and explore new business avenues.

Advantages of Courier Software

1. Manage Operational Efficiency

a) Work Order Management: Courier management software can be customized to schedule work orders on various parameters, such as urgency, proximity, level of expertise required, etc. The courier business can manage the workflow from a central location; there is no need to have admin or operations staff in the various locations the courier company operates in.

b) Real-time Route Planning: Dispatch software can enable real-time changes or updates to delivery routes as needed, whether due to vehicle breakdowns, last-minute deliveries, employee absence etc. The software also allows for GPS tracking, which helps the courier business to keep track of its vehicles and drivers.

c) Customer Management: Courier software is the best low-cost method of ensuring accurate deliveries. The software helps organize deliveries by generating unique barcodes; these barcodes contain information including the customer’s address, and any special requirements, such as the need for careful handling due to a fragile shipment and so on. Thus, a courier business can build customer loyalty by providing on-time delivery that adheres to the customer’s specific requirements. Courier software solutions can also help a courier company to access customer data and track trends and patterns, so that workflow can be better planned. Lastly, this software assists in dealing with customer complaints by providing all the information on the specific customer at one go.

2. Lower Costs

Courier management software can help to rationalize costs by eliminating inefficiencies and unnecessary wastage. The software eliminates inefficiencies and unnecessary wastage by managing the workflow in an optimal manner, planning routes that minimize gas usage and driver overtime, and curtailing the need for office space in the various delivery locations, as operations are centralized. The use of a software solution eliminates the need for paperwork; paper and printer costs are therefore minimized. The use of electronic tracking cuts not just paper costs, but also the cost of human error.

3. Explore New Business Avenues

New software solutions are emerging which let small courier businesses connect with businesses requiring same-day delivery, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Some software solution providers are tying up with courier companies, allowing both the software provider and the courier business to expand their operations. Transport companies are reinventing themselves to provide transport solutions for people and goods.