In this EasyPost Insider episode, John Wharff introduces us to EasyPost Enterprise and explains how it helps businesses solve their most pressing shipping challenges.

John explains that EasyPost Enterprise is “software that is geared towards … really high performance, high complexity [shippers]. It opens the door to things like routing logic, business rules, [and] custom labels.”

Lori raises a question that might be on listeners’ minds: who should be using EasyPost Enterprise? John mentions that Enterprise is perfect for businesses in complex industries like pharmaceuticals or food. But any company that ships high volumes “can benefit from the type of processing speeds that EasyPost Enterprise can offer, as well as that business rule and logic layer.”

Custom business logic is one of EasyPost Enterprise’s most important features. “One of the core components of the EasyPost Enterprise software is this idea of working with you to build business logic,” John explains.

“[When] an order comes in from one of your customers, it's running through all of our logic gates. We are picking the best possible service that meets all of your different commitments and then getting you that label so that you can get the box out the door.”

He continues, “The idea is really understanding what's important to you as a shipper and then building the system custom for you so that we're accomplishing those goals.”

Unlike software providers that nickel-and-dime their customers, EasyPost Enterprise works to understand your business needs so you pay for exactly what you need, with no surprise fees. John says, “We want you to have a full understanding of what you're getting. And through [the] discovery process … we can give you an all-in idea of exactly what we think you need to solve [your] problem[s] so that you can avoid fees in the future.”

The model is designed to scale with your business. As John puts it, “You always have to be planning for what comes next, because the idea and the goal is always growth. You want to be shipping more. You want to be moving more things. And it's really important to anticipate that so that you can think toward the future.”

• Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-wharff-7423403a/
• Visit EasyPost’s website: https://www.easypost.com/

In this special episode for EasyPost customers, Olivia Qin and Brittany Williams introduce the new and improved claims process for EasyPost Shipping Insurance.

For customers not currently using EasyPost’s insurance, Brittany and Olivia share some key features that set the offering apart from other insurance services on the market. Olivia says, “What's great … is that it's one pricing. It's from anywhere to anywhere, except for U.S.-sanctioned countries. And it's also carrier agnostic.”

“It is insurance that the business buys, but they can pass on that cost to their customers if they want to,” Brittany adds.

Now, businesses purchasing insurance through EasyPost will have access to a smoother, more streamlined claims experience. Brittany explains what’s changing:

“What is rolling out here in the end of July is a fully rebuilt claims experience. So we're adding the ability to file claims via API. We're adding a new web form to file claims with just a few clicks. And we're also creating a dashboard in the EasyPost web application where you can go and view the claims that you submitted, view what status they're in, watch them live as they're being processed on our side.”

Brittany, Olivia, and Lori discuss the importance of shipping insurance for ecommerce businesses. As Brittany points out, package loss, theft, and damage is inevitable. When shipping disasters strike, insurance “will guarantee that your customers are going to be happy with how you're handling their experiences.”

Olivia offers a quick tip for companies using shipping insurance for the first time: understand your policy’s requirements. “Make sure that you know what evidence is required when you file a claim. [And] make sure that you are telling your customers what's needed in case something happens.”

• Connect with Olivia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingchen-olivia-qin/
• Connect with Brittany on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-williams-597289124/
• Visit EasyPost’s website: https://www.easypost.com/

Finding, hiring, and training warehouse workers has become more difficult through the years—and it won’t get any easier. At the same time, manual processes aren’t scalable or sustainable. The solution? Invest in technology that helps employees do their jobs more efficiently. Jeremy Bodenhamer, founder and CEO of ShipHawk, explains why this gives businesses an edge.

Jeremy explains that as ecommerce has gained popularity, some sellers have struggled to keep up with rapidly shifting consumer expectations. But that’s exactly what they need to do to stay afloat.

“Buyers are expecting smaller brands to be up to speed like they were giant brands. … Merchants have to get their operations to scale on day one, no matter what. There's no learning curve. There's no grace period. I've seen buyers completely abandon brands over slow or error-prone fulfillment or shipping or even communication.”

It’s a big issue in the logistics space: labor is scarce, with few people willing to take physically demanding warehouse jobs. According to Jeremy, he hears “from customers every day how hard it is not just to find, but to hire and train workers.”

Technology can help. “These companies need to think about training and more importantly, repurposing the people they have. How do [they] make training easier? How do [they] make sure they can fill roles in multiple areas of the business? … If I'm using dated, very difficult to use, expensive to operate, expensive to train, laborious products, software, hardware … I'm compounding my labor problem.”

Lori and Jeremy discuss a few things you should know about your logistics operations: What job needs to be done? Who is doing it? And how are you measuring the results? That final question is especially crucial. For organizations that haven’t been collecting and analyzing fulfillment data, Jeremy suggests starting small.

“Start with one metric … [and] make sure the new systems that are purchased or implemented can support that one. And if [they] can't, or you're not buying something new, look at what your current systems can support. What's the path of least resistance to start measuring something?”

• Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbodenhamer/
• Visit ShipHawk’s website: https://shiphawk.com/