TOP 10 WAYS

Every Large Organization Can Save on Expedited Documents and Parcels By Adam Lewenberg

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here are many ways to reduce the costs associated with how expedited documents and parcels are shipped, and they are not necessarily the traditional ways that have defined the industry. The main savings focus has always been around contract negotiation and invoice auditing. These are great services, but there is a larger savings opportunity that most organizations miss, and it is managing desktop users at the point of shipment. This means having the right tools, information, education, and support for your users to make the right decisions each time they ship an item. Where we see the biggest savings is not in the production shipping rooms, with expert shippers and automated systems. It is with

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JULY-AUGUST 2021 | MailingSystemsTechnology.com

the hundreds or thousands of employees sending overnight letters and small parcels, using free, carrier-provided tools, without any company-wide support, with limited education on best practices or ability to make the best decisions. In many organizations, this makes up the majority of the spend, which could be in the millions of dollars per year. In this article, we are going to focus on the top 10 ways that you can reduce costs and streamline this shipping process that can have a big impact on your bottom line.

1.

Stop Using Free, Carrier-Provided Systems Most companies use free systems provided by the carriers to make it easier for you to ship on their network. Examples include

UPS CampusShip, UPS.com, and FedEx. com. The issues with these platforms are that they are designed to make it difficult for you to see all your shipping options in one place. They can also make it almost impossible for you to move to another carrier (due to the change management process), giving you less leverage in contract negotiations. Finally, as you read the points below, you will see how limiting these systems can be at the point of shipment. It is recommended that you have a multi-carrier platform that can make the best shipping decisions and provide you the most leverage.

2.

Comparing Air vs. Ground Services Most companies send the majority of their desktop-generated items as next-