/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Supply Chain/Logistics • AS400 • Customer Experience • Parcel • Shipping Software • Technology • Varsity Logistics/ / 0 Comments

The IBM i (AS/400) Guide to Handling Increased Parcel Throughput

Learn how IBM i (AS/400) Power users can streamline their shipping operations and increase their parcel throughput with ease

Up and running since 1988, IBM i (AS/400) operating systems (now Power Systems), are a cornerstone of many businesses’ shipping operations. In fact, the AS/400 platform is used in over 100,000 companies including Fortune 500 companies that use IBM i Power systems. As these systems have stood the test of time, their reliability, scalability, and durability have remained strong, which is why they are still relevant in today’s modern business environments. IBM i (AS/400) Power systems act as a central hub for various business functions, including those related to shipping and distribution. For those in the parcel shipping industry, these systems play a critical role in managing the various aspects of daily shipping operations.


E-commerce and customer expectations have surged over the last few years. This has caused the pressure for shippers to handle increased parcel throughput to grow in tandem. As businesses find themselves grappling with the challenge of managing an increased volume of packages, they must find an efficient solution to help them navigate this quickly changing environment to remain competitive. For shippers relying on IBM i (AS/400) Power systems, there are strategies and solutions that can empower your business in tackling the ever-growing demand for efficiency. Let’s start by looking at potential challenges you may face if you fail to adapt your strategy.

The Challenges of Handling Increased Parcel Throughput

While increasing your business’s parcel throughput can point to many positives, such as business growth, improved customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage, it is not always an easy undertaking. A quick spike in orders can stretch a company’s staff and resources thin without proper planning. Operational bottlenecks and a slow down or halt in tasks due to inefficient processes can result in order processing delays, late shipments, and unfulfilled customer expectations.


As mentioned previously, there has been a substantial increase in consumer demand and expectations surrounding the delivery of their products and customer service. Because of this, there is a heavy pressure on shippers to ensure they meet order fulfillment timelines and delivery promise dates. This requires businesses to adapt their shipping operations quickly to meet high order volumes and keep their customers satisfied.


As a reliable system for over 35 years, it is no wonder that the IBM i (AS/400) Power system is one of the world’s “most popular business computing systems”. However, because it has been around for so long, it is considered a legacy system by many – mainly because of other, newer solutions that have been released since. In fact, many companies with IBM i (AS/400) Power systems still have homegrown shipping solutions that may not be as adaptable or efficient, making it hard to keep up with increased throughput demands. Because of this, it is crucial for shippers to find scalable and efficient technologies that can seamlessly grow with their operations and provide the adaptability they need to keep up with such a dynamic parcel shipping landscape.

Strategies to Handle Increased Parcel Throughput Like a Pro

While the challenges of managing increased parcel throughput are evident, there are several strategies for shippers utilizing IBM i (AS/400) Power systems to empower them to tackle these obstacles effectively.

Automating Order Processing

Order processing automation is crucial for businesses experiencing an increase in demand. Implementing the automation of tasks such as order entry, address validation, and order routing can minimize the need for manual data input. Overall, this significantly reduces the possibility of human error and allows businesses to handle increased parcel throughput with ease. When integrated into IBM i (AS/400) Power systems, order processing automation substantially improves the precision and seamlessness of order fulfillment, delivering a streamlined processing of orders and efficient dispatch of shipments.

Rate Shopping

Rate shopping is an invaluable strategy for shippers utilizing IBM i (AS/400) Power systems to efficiently handle the challenges that come with increased parcel throughput. Rate shopping technology gives shippers the ability to compare and select the best carriers and rates for each shipment, allowing them the opportunity to stay cost-effective for both their business and their customers. Incorporating rate shopping into the shipping process also guarantees a reduction of overspending on shipping costs while ensuring users can make well-informed decisions in real time, guarantee timely deliveries, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Real-Time Tracking for Customers

With the high expectations consumers hold today, real-time tracking and visibility to their orders is extremely important. Shippers can utilize their technology to provide their customers with tracking information, providing them insight into every step in the shipping process of their order. Notifications of early, on-time, or shipping delays make deliveries more convenient for consumers, as well as builds trust with the business, enhancing the overall customer experience. IBM i (AS/400) Power users can achieve this through integration with shipping software, like a multi-carrier shipping software solution, ensuring real-time tracking and visibility for their customers.

Dimensional Weighing

Incorporating dimensional weighing technology can significantly boost your company’s parcel throughput. This strategy is critical for IBM i (AS/400) Power users to integrate in order to get accurate rate calculation and cost-efficient shipping. It ensures accurate pricing based on the dimension and weight of parcels, minimizing discrepancies between manifest weight and actual weight. Not only does this technology lower shipping costs and allows businesses to handle increased parcel throughput, but it also results in substantial labor savings. [Learn more about dimensional weight pricing and unexpected shipping costs.]


The list of strategies for shippers using IBM i (AS/400) Power systems to handle increased parcel throughput goes on, but wouldn’t it be nice if there was one comprehensive platform that combined all of these strategies into one helpful solution?

Introducing: Varsity Logistics’ Multi-Carrier Shipping Software Solution

Varsity Logistics has stood as a top-tier supplier of multi-carrier shipping software for companies in need of parcel shipping capabilities for over a decade. Designed exclusively for IBM i (AS/400) Power users, our comprehensive parcel shipping suite is seamlessly integrated, hosting various top tier supply chain execution modules engineered to handle even the most intricate small package shipping.


Varsity’s ShipSoft-Parcel seamlessly integrates with ERP, legacy, and Order Entry systems running on IBM i (iSeries, Power, AS/400) systems. It delivers a unified and automated shipping solution that ultimately eliminates manual data entry and significantly reduces shipping costs for your business. This solution incorporates several technologies to apply the strategies for businesses to handle increased parcel throughput discussed above.


Within Varsity’s ShipSoft-Parcel solution, ShipSelect automates the carrier selection process based on factors such as transit time, cost, and carrier service. It chooses the optimal carrier for every shipment, following business requirements and routing guides. ShipOptimizer technology finds the ideal containerization process and accurately predicts shipping costs before processing the order. SpeedWeigh allows shippers to automatically retrieve the package weight from the scale which is pulled into the system at the time the order number is scanned. This eliminates the need for an additional get-weight barcode scan or manual entry, ultimately saving your business processing time and money.


Varsity’s multi-carrier shipping solution is a unified platform that encompasses automation, order processing, dimensional weighing, real-time tracking, and more. This all-in-one solution optimizes operations, improves efficiency, and guarantees the effective and successful management of increased parcel throughput for those operating on IBM i (iSeries, Power, AS/400) systems. To learn more about Varsity’s Parcel shipping solution, the additional execution modules, and how our software can transform your shipping operations, contact our team of shipping experts or request a demo.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Technology • Parcel • Shipping Software • Supply Chain/Logistics • Varsity Logistics/ / 0 Comments

How IBM i (AS/400) Power Users Can Reduce Shipping Errors and Overcharges with Automated Auditing

Learn how to automate the once time-consuming process of uncovering errors and overcharges in your shipping process

From inaccurate charges to overlooked errors, the numerous ways your parcel and freight shipping invoices can quietly drain your company’s finances are as widespread as they are costly. All it takes is a simple miscalculated surcharge, an incorrect shipping address, or an unnoticed billing error before you are hemorrhaging money that could have been invested elsewhere in your business.


Regardless of the reason for your increased shipping costs, often times they aren’t identified until after the fact. Fortunately, today’s methods of auditing shipping charges have improved significantly due to automated intelligent audit software provided via some multi-carrier shipping platforms. For companies utilizing IBM I (AS/400) Power systems, using a tool like this can revolutionize the way businesses audit parcel and freight shipping invoices, ensuring precision and substantial cost savings.


Let’s take a look at a few ways companies can perform these audits.

In the Beginning: The Manual Audit

Manual auditing has been the traditional approach and common way to start evaluating parcel and freight shipping invoices. However, like any job done manually, this process has its fair share of flaws. Not only is it a time-consuming process, but it also demands a high attention to detail, leaving room for human error. This, unfortunately, is unavoidable as it’s human nature for even the most meticulous auditors to overlook an error or record something inaccurately.


The manual auditing process may work initially, but once the volume of orders rises to a certain level, it can become impossible to keep up. This is especially true if employees have their hands full with other job responsibilities. Things start to be missed, and the percentage of error starts to increase, thus costing your business dollars that could and should be spent elsewhere. Labor shortages also raise concern for manual tasks as we currently have 1.4 million fewer Americans working than we did in early 2020. These flaws place a spotlight on the urgent need for a more advanced approach to parcel and freight auditing so what else do you try? Enter the consultant.

We Can’t Take It Anymore: The External Audit

Auditing companies have been established for a long time and serve a crucial function in helping businesses ensure financial accuracy and adhere to regulatory standards in various areas of their operations. They make money by keeping a portion of compensation from the businesses that use their auditing services. Although they may do a better job of keeping up with high volumes than an internal team, auditing companies still have their own flaws.


While you may be saving on shipping costs by receiving more accurate audits on your parcel and freight invoices than you were with manual audits, you are still paying for an outside service. [Learn more about FreightAudit solutions]. At this point, you may be feeling a lack of control over the money spent on not only shipping, but also monitoring shipping. The reality is you could have paid for automated auditing software several times over by now, reducing excessive costs and unnecessary errors. If you want more visibility, but are unwilling to return to a manual process, it’s time for the next step. Enter auditing software.

Keep It Simple: The Automated Audit

Top shipping software solutions provide easily integrated and automated auditing solutions as a core component of their offerings. These software solutions go beyond the traditional auditing methods mentioned above as they leverage algorithms, data analysis, and technology to examine various kinds of records. Typically, they work by analyzing data invoices, receipts, and shipping records against rules agreed upon by contract to detect any discrepancies or errors in real-time. Doing so prevents your business from paying for things like overcharges, duplicate bills, and invalid charges. This solution also empowers businesses to improve their competitive edge, streamline their operations, and reach substantial cost savings. What’s even better is that there are multi-carrier shipping solutions strategically built for shippers who are on IBM i (AS/400) Power systems. This is key when trying to find a solution that integrates properly into your Enterprise Software Stack (ESS).

Feedback Loop: The Continuous Improvement Benefit

When your automated auditing software discovers errors, particularly those that cause expensive accessorial charges, the fault doesn’t always lie with the carrier. There are many potential errors that your shipping software and/or your employees can help you avoid. These include, but are not limited to, dimensional weight pricing, residential surcharges, address corrections and more. [Have more questions about dimensional weight pricing? Watch this webinar to learn more about tackling unexpected shipping costs with automated technology.]


Having auditing software can help recoup carrier overcharges and with the right shipping software in place, brands can identify the types of overpayments that are internal. For example, a package might have been sent via Regular Delivery to a residential address, causing a surcharge, when it could have been sent via Home Delivery. Additional employee training to reduce internal errors can be another beneficial way to minimize shipping costs. An elite auditing program will surface the examples you need to help your staff learn.


While rising shipping costs will continue to be an area of concern for most companies, keeping a close eye on costs with internal auditing software can help make the most of shipping budgets.

The Industry’s First IBM i (AS/400) Power Shipment Auditing Solution: ShipAudit™

There’s only one solution for IBM i (AS/400) Power customers looking to ensure accuracy on their parcel shipping invoices, as well as save money on their transportation spend. Varsity Logistics’ ShipAudit™ software helps shippers find a quick ROI on their investment by reconciling pre-negotiated contract rates against actual carrier invoices as they are received electronically. Once the invoice is audited, everything that aligns is marked ready for processing and sent automatically to the finance or accounting department.


All the details related to any exceptions, duplicate charges, and accessorial fees are collected and presented together, along with recommendations to pay or deny, and charges that require an adjustment based on contract rates. After a quick review, legitimate exceptions are paid and the details for the contested charges are submitted back to the carrier for correction.


Varsity’s ShipAudit™ software offers many other benefits in addition to cost savings and eliminating manual data entry and audit processes. Other benefits include erasing the need for costly third-party involvement and ensuring contract rates and incentives are correctly applied to freight bills. Plus, there is one additional benefit from keeping your audits internal: a well-trained shipping staff.


Ready to learn more about how Varsity Logistics’ ShipAudit™ software can help you? Contact our shipping experts today to schedule a ShipAudit™ demo & see how auditing software can revolutionize your shipping process and help you avoid costly shipping mistakes.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Shipping Software • IT • Supply Chain/Logistics • Technology • Varsity Logistics/ / 0 Comments

For VAI S2K Users: Single System with Any Parcel or LTL Carrier via Varsity Logistics

Discover the seamless integration between Varsity Logistics and VAI S2K and how it can optimize your shipping strategy.

In the world of shipping and logistics, convenience and efficiency are not only characteristics that companies seek out, but they are necessary for supply chain success. Picture a scenario where shippers handling high volumes of outbound packages daily can effortlessly connect with multiple carriers, all thanks to a pre-built, user-friendly integrated solution. This is not just a dream; it’s a reality meant to revolutionize the way VAI S2K enterprise users operate and serve their customers. 

Varsity Logistics, the #1 shipping software solution for IBM i, is thrilled to provide a pre-built integration with VAI to existing VAI S2K customers requiring outbound shipping services for 100 packages or more per day. Varsity is proud of their recognition as VAI’s selected shipping software partner, offering S2K enterprise customers a single unified system to ship with any parcel or LTL carrier. These two technologies work together seamlessly to optimize Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and shipping processes, by streamlining operations and enhancing the customer experience.

Benefits of Varsity Integration

This proven, pre-written integration offers a number of benefits.

  • Carrier selection based on each company’s unique business rules
  • Enhanced visibility of detailed shipment information 
  • Multi-carrier shipping from a single unified platform within S2K (Parcel and LTL)

Varsity Logistics x VAI S2K Brochure

Join other successful VAI S2K customers using Varsity’s Shipping Software Suite! View the Varsity VAI S2K brochure to learn more.

View the Brochure

Ready to Talk Shipping? 

As an industry leading shipping solution, Varsity Logistics offers robust and comprehensive parcel and freight shipping software for shippers who utilize IBM i for IBM Power® servers. With this seamless integration, VAI S2K users can leverage the partnership of VAI and Varsity’s technologies to optimize their shipping processes.

Interested in learning more about taking your supply chain strategy to the next level with shipping software? Contact our team of shipping experts to discover how Varsity Logistics can enhance your logistics operations.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Technology • 3PL/Distribution • AS400 • IBMi • IT • Manufacturing • Parcel • Procurement • Retail • Shipping Software • Supply Chain/Logistics • Varsity Logistics/ / 0 Comments

What to Know Before You Invest: 7 Key Questions About Shipping Software

Shipping software is an important supply chain investment – do you have all the answers?

Rising transportation costs, labor concerns, and ever-changing customer demands for faster and free deliveries make shipping one of the most critical and costly areas of the supply chain. Because of this, the role of shipping software to gain efficiency and stay competitive has become increasingly pivotal. From optimizing resource allocation to ensuring consistent customer satisfaction, the right shipping software can make a significant impact on the cost savings you find as well as the overall success of your business. 

This leads us to the question: How do you ensure that your shipping software is a good fit? Before embarking on the journey of selecting the perfect shipping software solution, it is important to take a step back and consider your answers to a series of valuable questions. We’re sharing seven questions you should ask before deciding if a multi-carrier shipping software (MCSS) solution makes sense for your IBM i/AS400 system.

7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying Shipping Software

Shipping software is an important supply chain investment. Here are the top things to consider before choosing a multi-carrier shipping software solution for your business.

1. Are we doing too many things manually?

If your business is using separate, carrier-supplied systems and website searches to find the best shipping rates, you can likely add automations to your process with a new shipping solution. By fully assessing the manual effort required, you can determine the potential cost savings a MCSS solution could provide. Shipping software improves accuracy and reduces errors, avoiding costly consequences that can arise from manual tasks.

2. Are our shipping costs accurate?

It is important to audit your shipping invoices to ensure they match your contract rates, so you avoid overpaying. Cost auditing can also reveal inefficiencies and bottlenecks in your current shipping operations, allowing you to pinpoint areas where redundant tasks may be causing unnecessary costs. When you identify the areas of cost savings, you can better allocate your budget for a more efficient operation.

3. Do we have good visibility of shipments once they leave our facility?

Now more than ever, customers have high expectations for shippers to meet estimated delivery dates and provide updates throughout the shipping process. Top-tier MCSS solutions integrate seamlessly with your carriers and have options to allow real-time tracking and status updates for your customers. MCSS visibility also helps reduce risks, like supply chain delays or disruptions, which can prevent substantial financial losses for your company.

4. Do we have an efficient number of shipping staff?

Evaluating your labor force can help you allocate your resources effectively, especially in today’s labor-constrained warehouses. Industry-leading MCSS are single, fully integrated systems that seamlessly connect with your existing carriers and ERP or WMS systems, replacing inefficient carrier-provided systems. Using advanced shipping solutions can save your team time and effort, allowing them to dedicate it elsewhere. This results in improved productivity and a competitive advantage.

Download the Infographic

5. Can we scale up as needed?

Scalable shipping software integrates seamlessly with your existing software systems, ensuring that as your business scales, everything scales together cohesively. MCSS gives you the ability to automate carrier selection to find the best rates for your customer’s needs from the start, and as your business grows, you can add modules or features such as auditing, pick/pack integration, and custom filings. Investing in scalable shipping software is also a way of future-proofing your business operations, avoiding costly frequent software upgrades and keeping up with shifts in customer expectations.

6. How accessible is our shipping data?

The ability to analyze and evaluate transactional and historical data is essential for operational success. Choosing shipping software that allows you to easily view and/or export your data is the key to monitoring day-to-day shipping operations, ensuring accurate order processing and optimal resource allocation. Historical data gives great insight to performance evaluation and customer behavior, leading to data-driven strategies for future success and effective cost management.

7. How quickly will our investment pay off?

Estimating the time to achieve ROI helps align your investment with your financial goals and business strategy. This allows your company to effectively plan and allocate resources. Leading shipping software solutions, like Varsity Logistics, see their customers recoup 5-15% in overcharges and realize an ROI in just a few months. The combination of benefits that MCSS provides, like streamlined processes, automated rate shopping, batch processing, and reduced shipping errors, lead to immediate bottom line cost savings for your business.

Learn more about Varsity Logistics multi-carrier shipping software for IBM i/AS400 systems

Interested in learning more about the long term cost savings and increased operational efficiency with multi-carrier shipping software? Varsity Logistics offers a robust, industry-leading freight and parcel shipping solution for IBM i/AS400 systems that integrate seamlessly into your existing business infrastructure.

Contact our team of shipping professionals to discover how Varsity Logistics can step-up your shipping operations and revolutionize your supply chain game.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Carriers • Customer Experience • E-Commerce • Retail • Varsity Logistics/ / 0 Comments

7 Benefits of Carrier Diversification

Learn how carrier diversification reduces costs, improves customer satisfaction, and more.

Everyone’s familiar with the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. The expression is a warning against concentrating all your resources or efforts into one place or thing. When relying too heavily on a single option, you potentially put everything at risk in the event of a crisis. Although this time-worn phrase dates back to the 1600’s or earlier, it still remains applicable to an abundance of situations, including your shipping strategy.

An effective way to apply this advice to your shipping strategy is by diversifying your carrier mix. This provides shippers with carrier options in the event of a supply chain disruption. The saying became especially relevant in the logistics world after the pandemic struck, causing a spike in e-commerce, disruptions in carrier networks, shifting consumer behavior, and more.

7 Reasons to Implement a Carrier Diversification Strategy

Post pandemic, in today’s rapidly evolving shipping landscape, supply chain innovation and adaptability are essential. Still, amidst times of changing consumer expectations, dynamic market conditions, labor unrest and other unforeseen circumstances, businesses are realizing that carrier diversification is a key driver of success. If you are looking to inject flexibility into your shipping processes, mitigate risks, enhance service coverage, and unlock new opportunities, then carrier diversification is a strategy to put in place. Here are seven ways having more than one major carrier can benefit your business:

1. Carrier Diversification Reduces Risk

Relying on a single carrier can pose risks such as service disruptions due to weather, labor strikes, or unforeseen circumstances. By diversifying carriers, you reduce the risk of shipping disruptions having a devastating effect on your business by distributing shipping volumes across several providers. Additionally, with an advanced multi-carrier shipping solution, if one carrier experiences an issue, you can seamlessly switch to an alternative carrier. This redundancy helps to continue the flow of goods, ensure timely delivery and business continuity, and minimize the impact on your shipping operations.

2. Carrier Diversification Increases Flexibility and Scalability

By integrating multiple carriers into your shipping software, you gain the flexibility and scalability to adapt to evolving market conditions, shifting consumer preferences, and seasonal demands. It allows you to find the best carrier suitable for specific needs on a shipment-to-shipment basis, based on factors such as cost, transit time, destination, and service level. This agility allows you to optimize your shipping operations and handle fluctuations in consumer demands efficiently.

3. Carrier Diversification Uncovers Competitive Shipping Rates

Competitive Shipping Rates: Carrier diversification enables you to compare shipping rates across multiple providers. Each carrier may offer different pricing structures, discounts, or negotiated rates based on several favors like your shipping volume, destination, or time in transit. By having options, you can identify the most cost-effective shipping solutions for your business, potentially reducing shipping expenses and passing along those savings to retailers as well.

4. Carrier Diversification Improves Geographic Coverage

Incorporating different carriers into your shipping software allows businesses access to a broader network of delivery routes and service areas. Individual carriers typically have strengths in certain regions whether that be local, regional, or international. By diversifying carriers, you can expand your shipping reach to more areas and access markets that might be underserved by a single carrier. This allows you to leverage your established expertise in different geographic locations while also growing your business. Carrier diversification helps you reach a wider customer base and opens the door to entering new markets with confidence.

5. Carrier Diversification Improves Service Levels

Different carriers have their strengths and weaknesses, such as specific routes, delivery networks, or specialized services. By diversifying carriers, you can fill the gaps in areas where some carriers might be as efficient. This allows you to tap into each carrier’s unique strengths and select the option that best aligns with your specific shipping requirements. This can result in faster delivery times, higher customer satisfaction, and overall improved service levels.

6. Carrier Diversification Empowers Negotiation

When you have multiple carriers integrated into your shipping software, it strengthens your position during carrier negotiations. You can leverage competition among carriers to compare rates or service capabilities. Carriers may also be more likely to offer you discounts, customized solutions, or other attractive incentives to secure or maintain your business. Overall, negotiation allows businesses to vouch for more favorable pricing, contractual agreements, and value-added services.

7. Carrier Diversification Improves Customer Satisfaction

Every business has the goal to provide an exceptional customer experience- after all, it’s what builds brand loyalty and customer trust. By expanding your carrier library, you increase customization abilities, flexibility, and other great options for customers. It also allows for the selection of carriers based on factors like reliability, delivery speed, and geographic range that best aligns with your customer’s needs. With higher consumer expectations surrounding deliveries today, customers appreciate carriers who can get them their goods in a safe and timely manner.

How Carrier Diversification Facilitates Growth

Overall, diversifying your carrier mix offers a variety of benefits for businesses navigating the ever-evolving world of supply chain and logistics. This strategy enables greater flexibility, improved service levels, cost optimization, risk mitigation, expanded market reach, negotiation power, and increased customer satisfaction. Integrating multiple carriers provides operational redundancy, allowing businesses backup options in the event of disruptions and other unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, carrier diversification creates the opportunity for businesses to expand their reach, enter new markets, or those that may be under serviced. Embracing a carrier diversification strategy is imperative and empowers businesses to construct resilient, streamlined, and customer-focused operations in a constantly evolving marketplace.

Need help getting started with a carrier diversification strategy or shipping software? Contact our experts today to discover how Varsity Logistics can improve the way your business does shipping.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / TMS • Shipping Software • Supply Chain/Logistics • Technology • Varsity Logistics/ / 0 Comments

5 Ways a TMS Will Help You Weather Storms in the Supply Chain

Learn how the right Transportation Management System (TMS) prepares you for unexpected supply chain events and challenges.

A perfect storm of weather events, regulatory restrictions, the pandemic’s “great resignation,” and inflation are wreaking havoc on the supply chain and delaying getting goods to market.

Adding fuel to the fire is a new law, AB5, set to go into effect in the state of California that challenges the role of truck drivers as owner-operators. The result? Drivers staged actions along the state’s major ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland last week.

What can your business do?

Be prepared!

The most important preparedness tool is one that enables you to adjust quickly to changing market conditions. In most cases, that means having transportation management system (TMS) software that is plugged into the major carriers.

Read on to learn 5 ways that using a TMS can help your business adjust early to sudden market conditions.

Capacity

The main advantage of a TMS is that it gives you unlimited access to truckload capacity. This will not only help get your goods out the door, but it’ll also help you find the optimal balance of price and service to fit your needs.

Flexibility

The most valued TMS providers are flexible, giving you the ability to react quickly to changes in the network. The process of setting up new lanes, shifting volume, or finding capacity in markets can be intense, but TMS software is designed to make these changes as seamless as possible. The same is true if you want to scale space, labor, and transportation according to inventory changes at your warehouse.

Technology

A TMS gives you all-in-one capability for your shipment needs by providing both real-time visibility of shipments in transit and analytics to deliver long-term efficiencies. You’ll suddenly have full control of every aspect of your shipping operation.

Network

The best TMS providers give you access to a vast resource network that can help your supply chain expand quickly and efficiently. Now, due to their relationships, you’ll have new opportunities for volume discounts, lower overhead costs, and timelier service.

Expertise

A good TMS provider knows the marketplace of shippers, from small to large. Which means they can find a solution to any challenge. They have a greater knowledge of compliance programs and access to the online scheduling tools of every major retailer. This means you’ll avoid the costly fines that come with non-compliance. And don’t forget that your software vendor is also on top of market conditions and trends, so you’ll get up-to-date business intelligence on things like general rate increases (GRIs) to help you make the right decisions to mitigate risk.

Has your TMS helped you grow your business, cut costs, or avoid costly mistakes? If not, request a demo with Varsity Logistics and learn more about what we can do for your business.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Varsity Logistics • E-Commerce • IBMi • Shipping Software • TMS/ / 0 Comments

Shipping in a Post-Covid World: What You Need to Know

When it comes to shipping, the pandemic changed everything. Here is how to remain successful in a post-pandemic world.

COVID-19 caused an incredible shift in consumer and business purchasing that nobody could have foreseen coming. From traditional in-store buying behavior, to on-line purchasing, nothing will ever be the same.

This includes the world of shipping, and thus, the world of shipping software. What are the major issues the shipping industry in particular is facing moving forward? Let’s look at some of the highlights.

3 Major Shifts in the Shipping Industry

Although the pandemic impacted every aspect of shipping, we’ve identified 3 majors shifts in shipping.

Customer Expectations

Throughout the pandemic, both B2C and B2B customer expectations dramatically changed. Consumers not only prefer, they now demand:

  • Easy on-line ordering
  • Shorter order processing time
  • Up-to-date, accurate communication about order status
  • More (and cheaper or free!) shipping options – in fact, according to BigCommerce, 90 percent of consumers now say free freight is the #1 influencer to get them to buy*

The simple fact is, most consumers are becoming accustomed to an “Amazon style” experience.

Carrier Demand

Parcel carriers don’t have enough capacity to keep up during peak periods.

Shipping Costs

Across the board, shipping costs and carrier surcharges are at an all-time high, with no signs of slowing down.

E-Commerce Sales

In 2019, e-commerce sales made up about 11 percent of total retail sales. By Q2 2020, that number jumped to a record-breaking 16 percent.

Carrier Capacity

The pandemic brought on a demand not seen since the 1997 UPS strike. The 2020 holiday season saw a peak that, for the first time in decades, resulted in supply exceeding demand. Volume restrictions left many high-volume shippers scrambling to find reliable alternatives to their normal UPS or FedEx shipping carriers. The result of this fallout was widespread. Costs to ship went up exponentially, and some shippers began exploring regional parcel carriers to offset costs.

Major pain points related to carrier capacity:

  • Carriers added COVID-related surcharges and peak shipping fees
  • Shippers started seeking last-mile delivery alternatives (USPS, DHL, or courier services)
  • Guaranteed deliveries cancelled
  • Lengthier estimated delivery times

How to Manage Your Shipping Costs

Auditing carrier bills is now more important than ever. Two increasingly important components of estimating shipping costs include validating shipment addresses and managing oversized shipments. Other peak surcharges by major parcel carriers might include:

  • Jan 17, 2021 to July 3, 2021
    • $3.00 additional handling per package surcharges
    • $31.45 per item Large Package Surcharge
  • July 4, 2021 to October 2, 2021
    • $3.50 additional handling per package surcharges
    • $40.00 per item Large Package Surcharge
  • October 3, 2021 to January 15, 2022
    • $6.00 additional handling per package surcharges
    • $60.00 per item Large Package Surcharge
    • Over maximum limits will incur a $250.00 surcharge

How Consumer and Shipper Expectations Have Changed

The pandemic resulted in a dramatic shift in consumer behavior. They now have new expectations, such as wanting shipping rates and options that are clear, upfront and easy-to-find (both online and at point of order). They also expect as a standard:

  • Shipment confirmation emails
  • Detailed tracking info
  • Real-time tracking capabilities
  • Short delivery times
  • Free or discounted shipping 

How Varsity Modules Can Help Your Shipping Costs

Varsity’s modular system can optimize your entire package logistics process, including address standardization, rate shopping, shipping and tracking.

Varsity sets you up for success in this new shipping landscape. We can help you:

Calculate or shop freight charges at order entry or on your website
IMPACT: Reduce freight costs; increase eCommerce sale opportunities

Compare or shop various LTL and Parcel carrier rates/services from within your ERP
IMPACT: Reduce freight costs

Unlimited number of parcel & LTL carriers can be added
IMPACT: Reduce risk of carrier capacity issues risk

Audit parcel bills in house to check for a multitude of carrier add-on surcharges
IMPACT: Reduce freight costs

Increase packing/shipping throughput with optional advanced work-flows like printing shipping labels at the point of packing or picking
IMPACT: Reduce labor costs by increasing efficiency

Automatically send shipping confirmation emails with tracking numbers
IMPACT: Help meet customer expectations; reduce customer service calls

Optimize shipments (containerization) – Let Varsity calculate the best way to pack the order based on minimizing oversize charges and overall freight cost
IMPACT: Reduce freight costs

Take advantage of deep integration within your ERP/WMS – Varsity runs inside of your present system
IMPACT: Increase efficiency

Allow for reporting against shipping data company wide
IMPACT: Make informed decisions on freight policies

Visibility to shipping information to anyone in the organization that has an iSeries/AS400 sign-on
IMPACT: Reduce customer issue resolution time

Shipping Software ROI

The power of Varsity speaks for itself. The benefits Varsity customers see in terms of a return on their investment are clear:

  • Increase shipping through-put
  • Audit parcel and freight bills in-house
  • Allocate accurate freight cost by order, customer, freight program, etc
  • Automate international paperwork
  • Rate shop & rate quote from within your ERP/WMS
  • Optimize shipments
  • Enable e-commerce

Ready to realize your shipping software ROI with Varsity?  Request a demo with a Varsity Shipping Specialist to learn how our software can optimize your shipping program today.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Technology • Parcel • Shipping Software • Varsity Logistics/ / 0 Comments

Ship Faster w/Auto Package Weighing

Learn about Varsity SpeedWeigh™ and how it works with ShipSoft to automate package weighing processes

Our thoughts go out to all the busy warehouses and distribution centers. Most of these essential businesses are going strong, but they all need to keep their essential workers equally strong and healthy. 

Physical distancing within the warehouse can be tricky, which is one reason companies like this automated way to get actual package weights for shipping without having to physically walk over to the scale.

What is Varsity SpeedWeigh™?

SpeedWeigh™ automatically sends the package weight from the shipping scale to Varsity ShipSoft when the order number is scanned. This eliminates the need for an additional get-weight barcode scan or manually entering the package weight.

To find the best rate for a package, you need to consider all of these factors:

  • Package weight
  • Package dimensions
  • Service type
  • Carrier rate and discount
  • Destination

ShipSoft combines the package weight provided by SpeedWeigh with destination, package dimensions, service type, and carrier rates to determine your actual shipment costs in the blink of an eye.

By using SpeedWeigh™ to eliminate the manual steps to scan or enter the package weight, companies improve accuracy and streamline the shipping process. Plus, when your essential warehouse workers don’t have to move around as much, it keeps them safer. 

Varsity’s SpeedWeigh also eliminates the need for a keyboard wedge – that contraption that connects the scanner to the keyboard for inputting the weight. The data is transferred automatically from SpeedWeigh™ into ShipSoft on your IBM i system.

Schedule a Demo of SpeedWeigh™ and Varsity

Read more about SpeedWeigh™ or ShipSoft on our website, or contact Varsity to schedule a demo. We look forward to hearing how you are keeping your warehouse workers safe during this pandemic.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Varsity Logistics • Parcel • Supply Chain/Logistics • TMS/ 0 Comments

More Moving Parcels Equals More Costly Errors – Here’s How to Save Money

Learn how auditing these 3 areas in your shipping process can result in significant cost savings.

Shipping has become the new normal. Everything from soap to socks, from pedometers to pet food are being delivered to COVID-19-imposed, quarantined consumers around the world. Companies are breaking open cases to deliver smaller quantities or enlisting 3PLs to do the piece-picking for them. The result is a huge increase in the number of parcels moving through the supply chain to residential addresses.

Yet, the increase in parcel shipping to residences means there are more errors on more invoices. More errors on invoices means you may be paying more than you should for shipping. What you can you? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the three most common reasons your bill might be too high, and what you can do to reduce the impact of invoicing errors and overcharges to your bottom line.

Wrong Address Charges

If any part of an address is wrong, your package could be delayed, held up or mis-delivered. This can be due to updated Zip+4s or incorrectly formatted or wrong addresses.

When a parcel is sent to an incorrect address, or delivery is attempted at an address that doesn’t exist, carriers charge a fee to provide the correct, deliverable address information back to you.

2020 Charges for Address Correction by Major Carrier:

  • UPS $17.00 per package
  • FedEx $17.00 per correction
  • DHL $17.00 per shipment

It’s worth updating your database with corrected information for the future, or to consider shipping software that is already integrated with the US Postal Service’s database. Make sure the data you use is CASS-certified, meaning it uses the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) to check for accuracy against the USPS database.

Address correction charges only appear after the package is delivered, without any advance warning. That’s why it’s important to review your invoices and record any address changes for future shipments. If your customer provided the wrong address information and already paid for shipping, good luck trying to collect the extra charge! Shipping software that examines and corrects addresses up front can save you money and headaches.

Wrong Method Used

The second most common reason for invoice errors is not selecting the right shipping options from the start. Employees need to be aware of the most current methods, rates and billing programs to be able to find the lowest rates every time. Carriers have long lists of “Accessorial Fees” or what they like to call “Value Added Services” that are a significant portion of most invoices.

These charges are assessed for additional handling requirements, rural delivery areas and more. Some of the more common surcharges include:

  • Dimensional (Length or Width) Overage
  • Dimensional Weight Charges
  • Collect on Delivery (COD)
  • Delivery Confirmation (Signature Required;Adult 21+ Signature Required)
  • Address Correction
  • Delivery Reattempt
  • Inside Delivery or Pickup Charge
  • Fuel Surcharge
  • Third-Party Billing
  • Package Rerouting (Phone request; Web Request)
  • Delivery Area Surcharges (Remote Area; Metro Service Area; Residential Area; Alaska or Hawaii; International)
  • Return Pickup
  • Saturday Delivery or Pickup

While it’s easy to know if you should be looking at a Saturday rate based on the expected pickup or delivery date, it’s not always easy to know if you’re selecting the right service from the right carrier for the lowest price.

For example, UPS has 10 different service levels with 12 delivery timeframe options for sending a domestic package, while FedEx has 11 options for U.S. package shipping. Do you know all the differences between SmartPost, SurePost, and SimpleRate shipping and when to use each?

It’s also important to be aware of new offerings for residential deliveries and how those prices compare with standard/saver delivery options with a residential surcharge. It’s not unusual for a warehouse worker to send a parcel using a specific service to save money, only to have two or three additional charges added at the back end. Unless you are actively reviewing carrier invoices, it will keep happening. The key is to use what you learn about those additional charges to improve internal training.

If you don’t have the resources to do that, it’s time to consider shipping software that does the rate shopping for you. To use rate shopping, you would first enter your contract rates for each carrier. Then, when an item is ready to ship, the software identifies the best way to ship it to meet your goals—such as fastest, least expensive, or to meet a specific delivery date.

Carrier Overcharges

What if you are keeping your database clean, and you’re always choosing the best rates and minimizing your accessorial fees, but your invoices are still higher than you expect? The truth is, with so many line items, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of the charges on your invoice are just wrong.

Sometimes there are accessorial fees on your invoice that you shouldn’t have been charged. Most of the carrier errors, however, are for packages that were not billed at your contract rates. So what are your options?

You could hire a third-party service to do a line-item audit of your invoices for you. The downside is that they keep a good portion of the money you were overcharged. For some companies, the attitude is that whatever they get back, it’s “found money,” since they don’t have the bandwidth to do their own audits.

A better option is to use invoice auditing software, like Varsity’s ShipAudit. The ShipAudit module is integrated with the company’s ShipSoft® shipping and rate shopping software. With ShipAudit software, all overcharges are credited back to your company, not just half. Plus, having the shipping software gives you the tools you need to validate addresses in advance, keep your database up-to-date, and to find the best rates to satisfy your customers.

One Final Tip: Avoid Overpaying

Shipping costs are inevitable. To get the lowest possible rates based on your shipping volume, it helps to have audited documentation about what (and how much) you are spending by carrier and by service. While this information won’t save you anything on this month’s invoice, it will help immensely when it comes time to renegotiate your annual contract.

Varsity Logistics is the preferred multi-carrier shipping software solution for the IBM i (AS/400) platform. Request a demo with a Varsity Shipping Specialist to learn how Varsity can help you eliminate costly errors and save money.

/ By Varsity Shipping Specialists / Varsity Logistics • Shipping Software/ / 0 Comments

4 Reasons to Make the Switch to Varsity Software’s Shipping Solution

Take a closer look at Varsity Logistics, the leading integrated multi-carrier shipping software for the IBM i (AS/400) platform.

Varsity Logistics Transportation Management System (TMS) gives you all-in-one multi-carrier shipping capabilities for your outbound processing needs by providing carrier compliant shipping systems for all major carriers in North America. Varsity software provides carrier certified shipment rating, execution and visibility of shipments in transit with detailed analytics to deliver long-term efficiencies. Now, every aspect of your shipping operation is under control. Varsity knows the marketplace of every brand shipper, which means they can find a solution to any challenge. So why get stuck with one carrier when you can have access to all of them?

Here are four reasons why Varsity is the smart long-term choice for your operation:

Versatility

Through Varsity, you can process packages with any carrier you choose. FedEx, UPS, the United States Postal Service, DHL, Purolator, OnTrac, Spee-Dee and others, are all at your service because all their software is loaded into the IBM I Series system that powers Varsity. No matter the carrier, the process is exactly the same and you only need one common printer and one scale. It’s this kind of all-in-one range that prevents carriers from holding customers hostage.

Independence

Not being held hostage means you can switch carriers whenever convenient for you, not them. Gone are the days when you are stuck to the terms and equipment of a single carrier that makes it difficult — and costly — to move to a competitor with improved service or price. Varsity gives you the option to bounce between every carrier out there depending on the product, location, season, or price.

Cost-Savings

When a customer installs Varsity they have the ability to change carriers at the drop of a hat. No additional hardware, software, or user training is required. That means you are the one in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiating prices. This way you can negotiate at least a 5-10% deeper discount; that’s a $100,000 savings when applied to a $1 million annual freight bill, which is enough to pay for Varsity and more.

Safety From Worry

Ungluing from a single carrier means you no longer have to worry about what happens when there’s mishaps from their end. What if there’s a labor strike? Equipment failure? Supply chain mishap? If committed to a contract with a single carrier, your process will slow, or even halt — Two scenarios that cost you money and clout among your customers. Varsity protects you from that; should one carrier run into trouble, you always have the option to switch to a competitor to make sure products keep flying out the door. Varsity Logistics can be the upgrade your company needs. To see Varsity Logistics multi-carrier shipping software in action, schedule a demo today.