For many eCommerce professionals and small businessowners, the early days of shipping are often defined by a "make itwork" mentality. You might be hand-writing labels, eyeballing packageweights, and manually updating tracking numbers across differentplatforms. As your business grows, however, these manual processes can quicklyturn into a source of wasted time, higher costs, and frustrated customers.
The key to long-term success isn’t just working harder; it’sbuilding a shipping workflow that is simple enough to manage today butrobust enough to scale tomorrow. Here is how you can set up a simplifiedshipping workflow that grows with your business.
Accuracy is the backbone of cost-effective shipping.Before you can automate your workflow, you need to ensure the data you’refeeding into your system is correct. One of the most overlooked yet essentialtools for any online store is an accurate shipping scale.
Unlike consumer kitchen or bathroom scales, dedicatedshipping scales are designed for precision and often include featureslike tare functions and detachable displays.
It is also important to use an accurate tape measure torecord the dimensions of your packaging, measuring along the outside of thepackaging.
By accurately measuring your packages, you avoid thesurprise fees and delays that come from underestimating weight anddimensions. This precision not only protects your bottom line but also ensuresthat when you eventually automate your product and packaging information, thatinformation is as accurate as possible.
In today’s retail landscape, most professionals sellacross multiple channels, from Shopify and Etsy to Amazon and even in-personpoint-of-sale (POS) locations. Managing these orders in isolation is arecipe for logistical clutter.
A simplified workflow starts by integrating all your saleschannels into a single centralized hub. ClickShip’s platform allows for easyorder importing and mapping, giving you the power to manage every orderfrom every marketplace in one place. Whether you are fulfilling an online orderor supporting an in-store pickup, having a unified view allows you to offerconsistent, reliable shipping services across your entire business.
One of the biggest time-sinks in eCommerce logistics is themanual search for the best shipping quote. Opening multiple carrierwebsites to compare prices for every single order is simply not scalable.
To simplify this, you need a multi-carrier rating system.ClickShip’s platform automatically provides discounted, real-time rates forboth parcel and pallet shipping from North America’s most trusted carriers.This eliminates the need for manual searching and ensures you are alwaysgetting the most cost-effective option.
Furthermore, by integrating real-time rates at yourcheckout, you allow your customers to select the shipping service that bestfits their needs and budget, saving you time and enhancing their shoppingexperience.
As your order volume increases, where your product isbecomes just as important as how it’s being shipped. Manual inventorymanagement is prone to human error, leading to misplaced stock andincorrect shipments.
This is where integrating an Inventory Management System(IMS) becomes vital. ClickShip IMS addresses common pain points likeimproper stock forecasting and manual receiving errors. With features like:
Automated Receiving and Putaway: Minimizes manualdata entry and ensures items are placed in the right digital warehouselocations.
Digital Warehouse Mapping: Provides real-timevisibility into inventory levels across all your channels.
Low Stock Notifications: Ensures you never miss asale due to an unexpected stockout.
By connecting your inventory directly to your shippingworkflow, you create a seamless transition from the moment an item isreceived to the moment it leaves your warehouse.
The final step in a truly scalable workflow is setting upsmart automations whenever possible. As you grow, you will start to noticepatterns in your shipping: certain items always go in certain boxes, or ordersover a specific value always require a signature.
ClickShip offers a suite of advanced tools toautomate these tasks:
Shipping Rules: These allow you to automatefulfillment tasks based on specific criteria, reducing the need for constantmanual intervention.
Smart Packaging: This technology helps determine themost efficient packaging for an order, saving on dimensional weight costs.
OneSKU Multi-Box: This feature simplifies the processof shipping a single product that requires multiple boxes.
A simplified shipping workflow is about removing friction.By investing in accurate tools, consolidating your channels, and embracingautomation through platforms like ClickShip, you aren't just shippingfaster, you’re building a foundation for growth.
Whether you are a small business owner just starting out oran eCommerce professional ready to take the next step, ClickShip providesthe tools and discounted rates you need to keep your logistics organizedand optimized at every stage.