3 Common WorldShip® and Ship Manager® Shipping Software Problems Solved by Cubetape

Aug 10, 2019

Shipping-Software-Problems

UPS WorldShip® and FedEx Ship Manager® shipping software are used by shippers around the world to process their UPS and FedEx shipments quickly and accurately.

As easy and efficient as these systems are to operate, there are several common, annoying and impactful problems experienced by their users. Do you recognize any of them?

3 common annoyances of processing packages with WorldShip and Ship Manager software

Users can only process shipments for the respective carrier

The most common complaint about WorldShip and Ship Manager are that they are limited to processing shipments only for the respective carrier, UPS or FedEx. This means the shipper must work with a single carrier, or they’re forced to install and operate several separate carrier-supplied shipping platforms or must invest in multi-carrier shipping software. The support for only one carrier by these software systems is inconvenient and frustrating for shippers.

Frequent billing discrepancies when carrier invoice arrives

Another common annoyance is the billing discrepancies that occur when the carrier invoice arrives. In some cases, the shipping cost billed by the carrier is far higher than what was calculated by WorldShip or Ship Manger shipping software at the time of shipment.

Frequently, the discrepancy is caused by the shipper’s failure to record accurate shipment dimensions (length, width and height). Either the shipper did not record dimensions or the carrier’s dimensions didn’t match what the shipper recorded. Even when the discrepancy is not the fault of the shipper, the unexpected extra costs are difficult, if not impossible, to recover. Additionally, the reliability of the shipper’s cost records is severely compromised.

Carrier assessed penalties and additional surcharges

Another annoying issue with WorldShip and Ship Manager shipping software is the carrier-assessed penalties for the shipper’s mistakes or omissions in recording weights and dimensions. These penalties are above and beyond the basic transportation charge and can have a substantial impact on the shipper’s bottom line.

Other surcharges include:

If a shipment exceeds what the carrier deems as standard dimensions and weight, they are considered large/oversized. The surcharges generally start at 96” in length, 130” in combined length and girth or 90 lbs. The charges can be as high as $80 and even more during peak season.

If a shipment is considered beyond the maximum the carrier accepts (generally 108” in length, 165” combined length and girth or 150 pounds), the “Over Maximum” surcharge is as high as $650.

To avoid unexpected costs and surcharges, the shipper must record the accurate weight and dimensions for every shipment. However, determining and recording shipment dimensions in WorldShip and Ship Manager shipping software is one of the most labor-intensive part of the shipping process.

It takes 15 to 45 seconds for an average user to determine the length, width and height measurements of their shipment and then record them in the correct fields in the shipping software.

Because it is so time consuming, some shippers skip the dimension entry process but are thereby exposed to the risk of surcharges and unexpectedly high shipping costs. Shippers are even more likely to skip recording dimensions during end of the day crunch time when a high percentage of shipments are processed.

Shippers who do record dimensions tend to use traditional tape measures and manual keyboard entry. These processes are prone to error because users can easily misinterpret the tape measure’s reading or mistype when entering the data. Measurement entry errors can be just as damaging as not recording the dimensions at all.

If only there were a tool to help shippers solve these problems…

Cubetape from Parcel Tools makes WorldShip Shipping and Ship Manager software better

Cubetape is “the barcode scanner that measures”. It is a revolutionary mobile dimensioning system and barcode scanner that brings multiple benefits to WorldShip and Ship Manager users.

Cubetape makes the measuring process much faster and more accurate because it eliminates both the interpretation of a measuring tape reading and the manual data entry of each measurement.

Moreover, Cubetape is a barcode scanner that can scan operational data (e.g. order number, shipment ID, customer number) into WorldShip and Ship Manager. By eliminating the manual entry of this data, labor is saved and costly keying errors are eliminated.

Cubetape is a cordless device that uses simple, reliable Bluetooth technology to ensure the accurate dimensions are recorded in the shipping software and transmitted to the carrier.

Cubetape completely eliminates the manual data entry of length, width and height into WorldShip and Ship Manager. This means the calculated shipping rate based on the dimensions will match what is charged by the carrier. Then the shipper is far better able to unusually high charges prior to shipping. This provides the opportunity to make cost saving changes to to the packaging or carrier selection before the shipment goes out the door.

This promises to revolutionize the shipping process for shippers, and give them back control.

Cubetape is far less costly than any other system that eliminates manual data entry of dimensions. It works “out of the box “with WorldShip, Ship Manager or any other shipping software, so there are no integration costs or long project completion cycles.

If you’re a shipper that identifies with any of the 3 common problems I’ve outlined, consider how Cubetape can integrate with your shipping software to help save you time and money.

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