Does your business ship large volumes of products or parts to customers? Do you manage a complex supply chain with parcels moving all over the country, or possibly even the world?

It’s possible you use a third-party transport service like UPS, Fedex, or even the post office to ship your packages. However, if you’re like many companies, you’ve found that it’s more efficient to manage transport yourself by using your own trucks or a partner trucking company.

One key aspect of your supply chain system is the package tracking software. Package tracking software can help you manage your parcels while they’re in route, communicate with customers, and resolve issues before they become major.

If you don’t use package tracking software, you may want to implement it. Below are a few ways it can benefit you and your customers.

Identify and resolve issues before they arise.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of using your own package tracking software is that it gives you better insight into where your packages are in the transport process.

Many third-party systems, like with a company like UPS for example, only tell you the general status of a parcel. However, if you purchase your own software, you can get much greater detail. For example, you can use GPS technology to see exactly where a parcel is in shipment.

This can help you identify issues before they become major. For instance, you may see that a driver is running behind schedule and the parcel isn’t as far along as it should be. You can then communicate with the driver to see how the issue can get corrected and even communicate with the customer so they know where the parcel is.

Communicate better with customers.

Given that your package tracking software will display the exact location of parcels at any given time, you can then better communicate that location with your customers. For instance, you could send them emails with exact delivery information. Or you could even integrate an online dashboard into your website so the customer can track the delivery of their parcel.

This kind of communication and transparency can reduce customer service issues. It may eliminate calls or inquiries to your customer service department and it can minimize complaints about delivery times. Your customers will have a clear understanding of where their parcel is and when it will be delivered.

Increase efficiency with shipments.

Many package tracking software systems have planning tools that let you maximize efficiency with your shipments. For instance, you can plan the routes of your parcels and then bulk them together to reduce shipping costs.

You may be able to share your software with your shipping partner so they can place parcels on trucks together. That can reduce the number of trucks you’re using and possibly reduce your shipping costs. Package tracking software gives you maximum insight into your shipping process so you can plan in an efficient streamlined way.

Manage product quality.

Do you ship products that are sensitive to things like temperature, moisture, vibration, or other conditions? Some package tracking software systems take it to the next level by integrating with GPS systems that track weather conditions and conditions inside the truck.

For example, you could see that the temperature in the container is much hotter than your product can withstand. You could then reach out to the driver or the shipping company to let them know so the issue can be resolved. This can help you reduce product defects and save money on replacement costs.

Eliminate manual errors.

Are you still writing out shipping labels and recording information by hand? If so, there’s a significant risk for human error in the shipping process. All it takes is one person to write the wrong address and a package ends up lost or at the wrong house.

Package tracking software eliminates that risk by automating the label creation and record-keeping tasks. Information is stored automatically so you don’t have to rely on your own memory or your employees to get the data correct.

If you don’t use a package tracking software system, now may be the time to get one. It can reduce your costs, communicate better with customers, streamline your system, and much more.

 Shop around and look for the system that best fits your needs and budget. Software packages have many different features like GPS, integration with your website, access sharing with drivers and other partners, and much more. Find the software that is right for you and start shipping with more efficiency today.