With the start of a new year comes the perfect time to revisit and optimize your shipping strategy. This is particularly important for e-commerce companies, considering that of the 200 billion packages shipped last year — an estimated 10-15% were lost or damaged in transit. Beyond the immediate economic toll this takes on businesses, the impact on brand sentiment and customer loyalty presents long-term financial and reputational consequences.
Taking time to assess and update your shipping practices helps minimize these negative outcomes, ultimately improving customer experiences and contributing to your bottom line. If you aren’t a logistics expert, figuring out where — and how — you can improve can be challenging.
Getting Started: Assessing Your Shipping Practices
As a third-party logistics provider (3PL), optimizing shipping strategies is one of our specialties at Say Cargo Express. The first step we take is conducting a thorough evaluation of current practices and the associated results to pinpoint weaknesses and opportunities. Here are some questions you can ask to assess your approach:
- Compare actual shipping costs (labels, packaging, handling) to what you’re charging customers. Are you losing money on shipping or overcharging and driving customers away?
- Track delivery delays or customer complaints about late packages. Are certain carriers or shipping zones more problematic?
- Monitor reviews, surveys, and support tickets for complaints about shipping speed, costs, or damaged items. Are customers unhappy about specific issues (e.g., long wait times or unclear tracking)?
- Are you spending too much time packing orders? Are packaging sizes leading to higher dimensional weight costs?
- High return rates can signal issues like inaccurate product descriptions or poor packaging. Are returns causing you to lose money on shipping or damaged goods?
- Are your shipping options less appealing than competitors? Are you charging too much, taking too long, or not offering premium options?
- Are you manually tracking orders or calculating rates? Do you lack visibility into shipping performance?
Taking Action: Ways to Streamline Your Shipping Strategy
Once you’ve identified weaknesses, it’s time to address them. Doing so can cut costs and give your business a competitive advantage. Here are a few tips from the experts here at Say Cargo Express.
Embrace Real-Time Data for Smarter Decisions
Access to real-time data is critical, which is why Say Cargo Express equips clients with real-time visibility tools. This not only ensures transparency but also improves agility across your supply chain. By leveraging advanced tracking technologies, you can monitor shipments, identify delays and adjust logistics plans on the fly.
Streamline with Technology
Automation and AI are transforming logistics operations. From optimizing routes to managing inventory, integrating these into your shipping strategy can reduce costs and improve efficiency. Unfortunately, for those unfamiliar with these tools, they can seem overwhelming. At Say Cargo Express, we make it simple by helping businesses implement these technologies seamlessly.
Prioritize Sustainability Without Sacrificing Efficiency
Customers are increasingly prioritizing sustainable products and practices, and shipping is no exception. Balancing eco-friendly initiatives with operational efficiency can be tricky, but Say Cargo Express Makes sustainable shipping cost-effective. This includes consolidating shipments and leveraging energy-efficient transport options, which enable clients to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining reliability.
Build Resilience into Your Supply Chain
Unexpected disruptions—be it weather events or global supply chain bottlenecks—can derail your shipments. Preparing for such uncertainties is critical. Say Cargo Express specializes in flexible shipping solutions and has a nationwide network of partners, enabling us to quickly adapt our logistics plans.
Partner with the Shipping Experts
Shipping can be challenging, but we’re here to help. From advanced technology integration to reducing supply chain emissions, Say Cargo Express can guide you through optimizing your shipping strategy by providing expert insights and end-to-end support. Get in touch with our team today to get started.
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