Future-Proof Your Logistics with Automated Shipment Tracking

We have all been there. After ordering an item from an online store, we cannot resist frequently checking for updates on when it will arrive. This instinct to stay informed is rooted in the fundamental desires of transparency and peace of mind.

In an era where information is just a click away, consumers have come to expect clear visibility into the whereabouts of their orders. Consider this: Over 9 in 10 survey respondents stated they tend to track their orders, with 43% reporting doing so on a daily basis. Two key points can then be further implied:

Point #1: For eCommerce businesses, offering robust tracking capabilities is essential to stand out in a crowded market that has so much to offer.

Point #2: This demand for clarity extends to logistics professionals and eCommerce business owners as well. For them, real-time shipment tracking is crucial to anticipate emerging shipping issues and enhance operational efficiency.

Automated shipment tracking systems have emerged as a direct response to the emerging logistics needs. Besides, with logistics technology advancing faster than ever, these solutions are becoming a common sight in the market. If you are obsessed with what lies in the future of logistics, you would definitely want to continue reading this article.

Why Automated Shipment Tracking Matters?

Imagine ordering an exciting item online and eagerly waiting for it to arrive. Automated shipment tracking acts like a real-time activity tracker, showing you exactly where your package is at all times. Since this process is automated, businesses can track their package without the burden of manual processes, making everything faster and smoother.

One common application of this technology is real-time shipment tracking via a single API. This solution is relatively easy to implement and scalable in nature, making it a favorable choice for businesses. 

At TrackingMore, we are committed to providing the best tracking API experience in the market. Our single, unified tracking API connects you to over 1,300 carriers and 80 airlines, ensuring that your orders are tracked efficiently.

What Can Automated Shipment Tracking Do?

The essence of automated shipment tracking is automation. With these tracking solutions, you track hundreds and even thousands of packages simultaneously, without the burden of human errors. You can also gather a wealth of information: Whether your package is still on the way, has been delivered, or is facing any shipping delays or exceptions.

With automation, the tracking process is system-driven, meaning that scalability is ensured for the eCommerce business. This means that you no longer have to worry about order spikes and seasonal fluctuations, as tracking information can be dealt with in waves without compromising on the quality of tracking and customer experience.

Here are the capabilities that an automated shipment tracking solution should deliver:

• Order Details and Real-Time Shipment Status
• Features for Customer Communication and Personalization, i.e., shipping notifications
• Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Projections

Not Every Business Is Equipped for Real-Time Tracking

But here’s the thing: Not all businesses have the right tools to show where your package is at every stage. A survey reveals that nearly 75% of supply chain managers lack the technology required for effective real-time tracking. It represents a significant gap in the market, which can hinder the post-purchase experience for customers.

A real-time tracking system is essential for ensuring transparency and providing customers with peace of mind. Without it, eCommerce businesses are prone to significant challenges, including a lack of proof of delivery and difficulties in managing shipment delays and exceptions. This can lead to higher operating costs and dissatisfied customers.

4 Key Benefits of Automated Shipment Tracking

Automated shipment tracking offers significant advantages for businesses by reducing human errors and labor. In this article, we share 4 key reasons why you can consider implementing an automated shipment tracking system for your business, too. 

Increased Visibility and Control

Visibility and transparency are terms we have previously mentioned and will continue to be the focus of the discussion so that you know how important they are.

Automated shipment tracking systems can centralize your shipment tracking efforts in one place. From displaying the latest order status information to providing real-time estimated times of arrival (ETAs), there is a lot to anticipate from it. Full transparency also means that you can proactively manage shipment delays and delivery exceptions.

Moreover, some tracking solutions also offer real-time notifications on package statuses. With this feature, customers can be notified via SMS, email, or mobile, further consolidating customer trust and satisfaction in the long run.

Improved Efficiency

Automated shipment tracking streamlines the entire shipping process, enabling businesses to handle more orders with less effort. The efficiency of an automated system is driven by two key factors: Speed and error reduction.

Speed:

During the holiday seasons, an eCommerce business using automated shipment tracking can quickly process thousands of orders, connecting those orders to carrier APIs in ways that are not possible with manual tracking. This rapid response time is important for maintaining customer satisfaction, especially during periods of high demand.

Error reduction:

Shipment relies on accurate tracking. With manual tracking, there might be occasions where packages are mislabelled or tracking numbers are incorrectly entered, leading to delays and returns. Automated tracking minimizes the risk of errors in these occasions, improving delivery reliability and helping to avoid unnecessary operational costs.

Also, automated processes mean that less staff is needed for manual tracking and free up staff for higher-value tasks. Overall, the difference between manual and automated shipment tracking is laid out in the table below:

Feature	Manual Shipment Tracking	Automated Shipment Tracking
Order Processing Speed	Slower due to manual entry	Faster processing with automated systems
Error Rate	Higher, prone to human error	Lower, minimizes risks of mislabelling and incorrect entries
Labor Requirements	Requires more staff for tracking	Reduces labor needs by automating processes
Customer Updates	Limited, often delayed	Real-time updates and notifications
Scalability	Difficult to scale during peak times	Easily scalable to handle spikes (e.g., holidays)
Cost Implications	Higher costs due to errors and labor	Reduced costs over time through efficiency

Table: Manual vs Automated Shipment Tracking

Reduce WISMO Calls and Support Costs

Proactive communication is facilitated by real-time tracking, helping customers stay informed about transit touchpoints, delayed orders, and lost packages. This reduces the likelihood of customers making WISMO (“Where is my order?”) calls, lowering support costs.

Certain automated shipment tracking also provides proof of delivery (POD), ensuring peace of mind for customers and better customer relationships. The importance of proof of delivery is multifaceted: Legal assurance, better dispute resolution, better delivery verification that reduces further support costs, and more.

Enhanced Last-Mile Experience

The last mile of delivery is a critical moment in the delivery process. The last mile occurs when the package arrives at the customer’s doorstep, making it one of the most personal aspects of the order delivery process.

Automated shipment tracking enhances the last-mile experience significantly. With automated shipment tracking, customers receive real-time notification about the package status, including when packages are out for delivery and alerts when they are closed.

Also, automated shipment tracking ensures that further problems at the last mile are flagged and addressed quickly, so that customer frustration can be managed effectively.

Technologies and Uses of Automated Shipment Tracking Systems

An automated shipment tracking system is an efficient way to monitor the flow of goods from one place to another. Here are the key components to it:

Tracking API

A tracking API serves as a bridge between the business and shipping carrier, facilitating carrier integration and standardized communication. When a shipment entry is created, the tracking API connects the business’ own system with that of the shipping carriers’ system. The tracking API facilitates data retrieval, including order status, location, estimated delivery time, and delays or delivery exceptions.

Depending on your own shipping needs, a multi-carrier tracking API can be more appropriate as it offers the flexibility and cost considerations that various logistics processes focus on. It is also what TrackingMore is good at as well.

GPS & Sensor Technology

GPS and sensor technology (RFID and barcoding) are also common applications of automated shipment tracking. They convey the real-time status of any package in transit. However, their applications are more specific and tailored to certain use cases, such as location tracking, condition monitoring, security and theft prevention, etc.

Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Projection

As an eCommerce owner, having the ability to estimate your delivery schedule can be useful for managing customer expectations. The Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) is projected at the early dates of the delivery, is an added feature by some tracking solutions, and provides fairly accurate delivery estimates based on previous shipment tracking data. Customers can visit the ETA, which is gauged and adjusted based on the package’s location and delivery performance.

Notably, advancements in technology have also helped shipping software narrow down to a more accurate ETA.

Choosing The Best Automated Shipment Tracking Solution For Your Business

On the other hand, the market is flooded with different automated shipment tracking solutions, which makes selecting the best one difficult. While we are inclined to suggest TrackingMore as your tracking partner, we offer a few criteria that you should consider when selecting your own automated shipment tracking solution.

Centralized Tracking

Don’t underestimate the power of centralized tracking. As businesses are managing hundreds and thousands of orders every day, a centralized tracking experience can be the differentiator between a confusing or smooth shipment tracking experience.

Centralized tracking allows businesses to access comprehensive datasets, including the status of orders, estimated delivery times, and any exceptions in one place. It eliminates the need to navigate different systems and platforms. What’s more, users can sift through filters to check on the specific delivery exceptions that need further attention.

Multi-Carrier Support

As supply chains become more global and interconnected, eCommerce companies often use different shipping carriers to fulfill international and domestic orders.

This means that relying on a single carrier, such as UPS, USPS, or FedEx, is possible, but not the most effective approach. A multi-carrier shipment tracking approach offers better flexibility and cost considerations, reducing various hassles throughout the shipping journey.

Implementation

Integration challenges can pose hurdles for tech and logistics teams. Therefore, it is important to check how well the new software pairs up with their existing system.

Scalability

As businesses grow, so do tracking needs. A scalable tracking system should be able to adapt to increased order volumes and changing business environments.

Data Security and Compliance

The automated shipment tracking solution should also adhere to data security standards and compliance regulations, especially as it interacts with third-party data. Customers should feel that their personal and financial information is safe with you.

TrackingMore Can Be a Reliable Tracking Partner

At TrackingMore, we position ourselves as a trusted partner for businesses looking to improve their shipment tracking processes. With access to 1,300 carriers and 80 airlines globally, our tracking API provides a comprehensive tracking experience from order to door, hence boosting operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

TrackingMore embraces the idea of automated shipment tracking, as our solution automatically monitors parcel deliveries from start to finish. Customers using our platform report near full transparency regarding their order statuses, thereby enhancing their post-purchase experience and building trust in your brand.

However, the highlight of our tracking solution goes beyond carrier coverage. We take pride in the diverse capabilities that we have to offer:

Seamless Shipment Tracking

With us, order management is on autopilot. Both you and customers are informed of the package’s whereabouts at every critical point of the delivery cycle. You can, indeed, expect full transparency over their order delivery process.

Ease of Integration

Selecting an integration-friendly automated shipment tracking system, like TrackingMore, can help reduce the development cycle significantly. Our solution ensures ISO 27001 compliance, a 99.9% API update, and 1-7 days fast implementation, ensuring compatibility and smooth integration to your eCommerce operations.

Customizable Features

Ultimately, order delivery should be as human as possible. With customizable features such as branded tracking pages and automated shipment notifications (via email and SMS), the automated solution can help personalize customer communication.

Final Words

To think about it, automated shipment tracking can be a secret weapon in the world of logistics and eCommerce. By using this solution, unparalleled accuracy, cost savings and an improved customer experience are up for reach.

However, it is also important to consider the compatibility and your own tracking needs when it comes to selecting the right automated shipment tracking solution. The article also introduces several factors at play, including centralized tracking, multi-carrier support, and implementation challenges.

With this being said, TrackingMore can be a great solution that facilitates automated shipment tracking while granting you all the visibility you need.

Are you ready to enhance your logistics and customer experience? Get in touch with us to start your automated shipment tracking journey at TrackingMore.