Descartes Blog

Despite the increasing availability of same-day and instant delivery, more than 50 percent of consumers choose delivery options based solely on price and 20 percent prefer the cheapest available home delivery option, according to a recent McKinsey study. Consequently, regular parcel delivery (delivered several days after the order) should continue to play a major role in your ecommerce strategy.

With narrowing profit margins, the basic cost-saving tactics for parcel shipping—choosing the smallest and lightest packaging, using USPS First Class Package for everything up to a pound, negotiating rates with carriers, and using an advanced postage system—may fall short. It’s time to get creative with automation strategies and delivery options with world-class parcel shipping software.

After its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on May 8^th, the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) began adopting a number of sanctions against Iran. The majority of these include the re-imposition of actions in effect prior to the JCPOA.

With the increased press exposure and new customer demands for faster and more specialized deliveries, the opportunities to leverage transportation management system (TMS) technology to elevate your business have never been greater. For many years, transportation professionals have lamented the lack of visibility and understanding of how critical and strategic transportation is to an enterprise. Now our time has come, the transportation team has visibility, alignment with strategy, and accountability.

Read our blog that covers the top methods to help optimize international shipping, and how to use shipping automation software to maximize efficiency, enhance customer service, and drive down costs.