British parcels carrier APC Overnight has introduced a new integrated shipping label systemsaving time and cost for customers when preparing and sending their next day deliveries.
Using an innovative tool from British technology firm NetDespatch, the system embeds parcellabel information within the customer’s own label. This eliminates the need for printing,accurately matching and attaching two separate labels to every parcel.
APC Demon Logistics in Hertfordshire is the first of the company’s 125 depots across the UK tointroduce the web-based label service. The depot’s customers simply need to send an automated XMLformat request for the parcel label information directly from their sales order or warehousemanagement systems.
By including the APC Overnight information in their own labels, customers streamline their salesorder processing, warehouse and delivery operations as they have only one label to match to theparcels.
Louise Bradley, General Manager, APC Demon Logistics, said: “This innovation simplifies thelabelling process for retail customers who are using their labels for both warehouse picking andfor carrying special information about the consignment. For example, the parcel could be a giftrather than a direct purchase. The top portion of the label contains the standard shippinginformation, with the lower section containing the picking details and any specialcustomer-specific information. Importantly, it means that only one label is necessary. Once ordersare picked, the labels are attached to the consignments in the normal manner but in a singleoperation, saving time and ensuring labelling accuracy.”
Jon Barber, Marketing Director, APC Overnight, added: “We encourage APC Overnight customers touse our new integrated shipping label system as it will help them speed up their fulfillmentoperations. It needs no special hardware or software integration. They use their existing equipmentand won’t need extra Internet connections and label printers in the warehouse. As part of anintegrated shipping process the consignment is also booked automatically into the APC Overnightoperational systems. This gives customers access to the APC Velocity web shipping system where theycan view their consignments for real-time tracking updates and online Proof of Deliverysignatures.”
