As an e-commerce business owner, of course you understand that fast delivery of goods greatly affects the level of customer satisfaction. If there is a tool that can read a customer’s mind, you can know when they want to receive the product before they place an order. It’s a shame that those tools don’t exist, and you can’t always live up to their expectations either. But you can satisfy them by delivering goods quickly.
To shorten the time for delivery of goods, you must make major changes to the existing supply chain. This is certainly not easy because it really depends on many factors such as courier efficiency, warehouse location, and packaging processes. Fast delivery also costs more, for example, express delivery services can provide shorter delivery times but at a higher cost.
How does e-commerce shipping work?
E-commerce delivery has several stages from receiving orders to shipping. The process flow is as follows:
- Receive and process incoming orders
- Check the availability of goods in the nearest warehouse
- Confirm the location of the order and address of the buyer
- Ordered items will be packed and prepared for shipment
- The shipping courier partner will pick up and deliver the item to the buyer’s address
Several ways to shorten the delivery time
Put the warehouse in a place close to consumers
From click-and-collect retail models to local delivery options, customers really don’t care where an item comes from as long as they get it fast.
To be successful in the future, you must be able to find warehouse locations that are close to consumers, but finding warehouses in strategic locations may not be an easy thing.
Use a trusted delivery partner
Whatever shipping service you offer, the delivery process really depends on the delivery partner. Delivery time is one of the key elements along with product and service quality that determines whether a consumer will buy a product at your place or elsewhere.
Therefore, before you choose a shipping partner, you must first ensure their track record, policies, and service commitment. Also explain the criteria and standards that you have before entering into a cooperation contract.
Finding a delivery partner can take a long time, especially if you have a lot of agendas and other important work. You can entrust this to a logistics aggregator like NimbusPost which is a one-stop platform for your logistics operational needs.
Use express delivery services
Express delivery services are the fastest way to deliver a product because the mode of transportation used is usually a train or plane. Many people are willing to pay more for express delivery services that only take one day of delivery.
Using an express delivery service shows your commitment to buyers to provide the best service and value time, this is a solution that benefits all parties.
Don’t promise impossible delivery commitments
Even if you have a strong logistics network and work with a reputable shipping service company, there is always the possibility of delivery delays. Some obstacles such as bad weather and climate, road blockades, massive demonstrations, and work strikes that make you unable to do anything. If these conditions occur, immediately determine how long the delivery delay will be and notify consumers.
Do not make any commitments unless you are able to fulfill them. That’s worse than giving the reason for the late delivery. Try using a tracking system to estimate delivery times. This system has the ability to analyze conditions and tell when your shipment will be sent with the help of artificial intelligence.
Manage inventory properly
This is a basic rule in business, don’t let you run out of stock. Running out of goods is the main reason you can’t send goods to consumers. It is very important to organize the inventory properly. You can use software to manage inventory and minimize the possibility of human error.
How to save on shipping costs?
Negotiate with several courier service companies
Negotiating with several courier service companies will help you find the right courier partner. Many companies update their policies, services, and prices every year. When you negotiate, also provide standard shipping, size and weight of the shipment, and the destination for your goods, and don’t forget to ask for a discount.
Have third party shipping insurance
Shipping insurance is very useful for protecting your shipments, especially if you have an international business and often make cross-border shipping. Most sellers purchase insurance plans provided by their shipping partners, but they are usually more expensive than insurance offered by third-party insurance companies. The difference is not too much, but can save shipping costs.
Use a shipping cost calculator
Shipping cost calculator is a useful tool for calculating total shipping costs. Some customers require detailed calculations of when and where their goods will be delivered. If you don’t have basic knowledge of logistics, a shipping cost calculator can help you reduce high shipping costs.
Use the help of a shipping aggregator
Using a shipping aggregator service can be a solution to your shipping needs. Shipping aggregator services can help find trusted courier partners and ensure your shipment is delivered on time, logistics aggregators as delivery partners can ensure everything runs smoothly.
NimbusPost has more than 20 courier partners to help you choose the delivery service that has the best price. Apart from that, NimbusPost also has a variety of other tools such as a shipping cost calculator, a shipment tracking system, and an integrated help center.
Conclusion: Find the best shipping partner today
E-commerce business is sometimes full of uncertainties and dynamics. Sometimes you can get a lot of orders (such as when approaching a holiday or a long holiday) which requires you to add stock, but sometimes you can receive a few orders below the usual. Small and medium businesses take care of everything manually. Therefore, sometimes they are less efficient when receiving lots of orders and logistics, while large businesses and e-commerce use logistics aggregator services to take care of this.
NimbusPost is a logistics aggregator that offers delivery solutions based on automation. With more than 20 courier partners ready to deliver your shipments to more than 1 million points in Indonesia according to your shipping needs.
