Courier Integration with ERP Systems
Courier integration with an ERP system is a challenge that is faced by many businesses. Order fulfilment is a critical element of an eCommerce process and business operations. It ensures that customers know that their orders will be dispatched quickly and efficiently is one of the key factors in repeat business and customer satisfaction. Whilst many businesses pride themselves in great customer service through a quick and efficient service, a wide number require employees or dedicated dispatch teams to manually extract orders from business software and place them with a carefully selected courier service for fulfilment.
Repetitive manual processes can be costly, time-consuming and a pain that many businesses can live without. Automating the processing of orders for fulfilment can not only improve the efficiency of your dispatch processes but will also assist in maintaining high customer service levels.
Establishing seamless courier system integration with an ERP system enables the automatic synchronisation of information between business systems and applications with your selected courier service(s). In return, it provides the ability to eradicate repetitive employee administration which can significantly reduce order to dispatch times.
Common Requirements for Courier Integration with an ERP System
- Automatic placement of sales orders with the most economical or suitable courier service provider based on business rules you define
- Automatic printing of labels
- Automated identification of orders that need fulfilment
- Automate the publishing of tracking numbers to customer portals and eCommerce solution
- Automated delivery and tracking number notifications sent to customers via SMS or email
- Automated proof of delivery into business software
- Automatic creation and distribution of reports
Improving the Dispatch Process Through Automation
Providing a fast and efficient delivery service is a key priority for maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. As organisations expand, UK sales volumes naturally increase and overseas deliveries can become more frequent which can increase mistakes caused by human error. For example the manual re-keying of customer address details can result in shipping issues creating process bottle necks for other staff within the company further down the line.
To generate relevant dispatch records and delivery labels, customer address details held within business systems need to be manually re-keyed into a shipping application. Specialist Business Process Automation (BPA) and application integration tools can automate the data entry steps within the dispatch process to eradicate data entry errors and associated issues, save time, improve operational costs and enhance customer service levels.
Reducing Delivery Status Update Queries
Due to the time pressures placed on dispatch teams and employees to fulfil orders quickly and efficiently, it’s common for customer information such as email addresses and mobile phone numbers to be omitted from shipping details placed within a courier service’s web based application.
Successful ERP to courier software integration provides the ability to extract customer data, including email addresses and mobile phone numbers which enables businesses to utilise email and SMS message tracking functions offered by the selected courier service whilst automatically recording proof of delivery in to your business software.
Not only does this approach remove more employee data entry it also enables customers to track orders online reducing order status update phone calls. Removing manual data entry between business systems and courier software means that failed delivery of orders is significantly reduced, improving customer service levels.
The Benefits of ERP to Courier System Integration
- Improved order to fulfilment times and success rates
- Enhanced customer service and reduced order status requests
- Removal of data entry errors and associated issues
- Eradication of costly, bi-directional administration
- Time savings made within the warehouse
What are the main courier services businesses look to integrate?
Point and Click Courier System Integration
If you want to find out more about courier system integration or have any questions about what business process automation and application integration can do for your business download the brochure below or call us on +44 (0)330 998 8700.
