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Automation through MetaPack Leads to significant cost Savings
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Retail
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
- Supply Chain Visibility
- Track & Trace of Assets
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Childrensalon, one of the UK’s largest online retailers of children’s fashion, was running a manual despatch operation that used a number of different carriers. In order to process orders through the website, picking lists and invoices had to be printed manually. Although systems were automated as far as possible, there was pressure on staff to select the best carrier and to ensure that all necessary paperwork had been completed correctly. Once the goods were in transit, obtaining tracking information was a time-consuming task that placed an additional burden on customer service personnel. This inefficient use of time and resource combined with the lack of sufficient tracking information led to a procedure that would enable the company to maintain exceptional levels of service to customers.
About The Customer
Childrensalon is a UK-based online retailer of children's fashion. Established in 1952, the company has grown to become one of the largest in its sector, offering over 270 brands across a range of products including luxury clothing, special occasion outfits, accessories, toys, gifts, and bags. Despite having automated systems in place, the company was facing challenges with its despatch operation, which was largely manual and involved the use of several different carriers. This was leading to inefficiencies in time and resource use, as well as difficulties in tracking orders once they were in transit.
The Solution
Childrensalon chose to implement MetaPack as a way to tackle these challenges at the same time that it moved to a much larger warehouse, providing the ideal opportunity to start fresh with an automated delivery management solution capable of efficiently handling the company’s growing sales. Now orders are downloaded from the website stock management system into MetaPack, and with just a few clicks each order is allocated to the correct carrier, automatically creating an order history for each consignment. Childrensalon has also introduced MetaPack’s tracking functionality, so that emails are sent at the point of despatch to notify the customer of the order number, complete with a link to the relevant carrier’s tracking facility.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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