NUMBER 2 / ARTICLE 3 / 2020
Online tool for booking express shipments
A range of online tools exist for sending packages, documents and pallet shipments. These can offer an insight into the various shipping options and the sender can see at a glance what is the best option for them. Pon began using such a tool in 2012, Ship it Smarter. The advantage of the tool was that the user could enter the shipping details once and be shown the various options straight away, such as the desired lead time and the associated costs. This was helpful in choosing the best option.
Choice of delivery time
At first, the main advantages were time savings and making the right choice between delivery time and cost. The user did not have to wait for answers from the transporters after contacting them by telephone or e-mail, but could see the available options right away. This meant that shipments could be booked faster than ever before and the recipient got the track & trace link from the system. In the initial phase, we also saw a shift from urgent deliveries to deliveries that were less urgent. Users chose 48-hour delivery instead of 24-hour, which was three to four times more expensive. This consideration was then put to the customer.
Analysis of various tools
In 2019 and 2020, the Logistics Solutions Centre at Pon Logistics investigated whether or not Ship it Smarter was still the best option for the Pon companies. This revealed that other tools are available that are an even better fit for the various Pon companies. Pon Logistics therefore decided to stop using Ship it Smarter as of 2021. We switched to TBB Express, with its Ship-IT-easy platform, as our new tool. Ship-IT-easy is less laborious. Rates do not have to be entered, for example, but are retrieved directly from transporters per shipment, using an interface (see image 1). In addition to reduced maintenance and manual work, we also hope this will drive down the sensitivity to error as regards pre-calculation vs. invoice.
Successful pilot
Besides this booking tool, TBB offers courier services and other solutions for urgency. Following various discussions with TBB, we have run a successful pilot with Pon Logistics Almere and are working on the further roll-out to other Pon locations.
If, after reading this article, you would like to know more about sending packages, documents and pallet shipments as effectively as possible, then please get in touch with us for more information. You can contact Jakob Peperkamp (jakob.peperkamp@pon.com) or Dennis Higler (dennis.higler@pon.com). We will be happy to discuss the various options and how we can create added value for your Pon company.
Image 1: a screenshot of the TBB portal