UPS is rolling out a set of digital tools designed to give small and midsize businesses more control over pickups, label creation, and package tracking.
The updates include a new online pickup dashboard, a faster shipping process on UPS.com, and a redesigned mobile app connected to more than 5,500 UPS Store locations across the United States.
“We know small business owners are masters at juggling priorities, but a complicated shipping process shouldn’t be one of them,” said Matt Guffey, UPS Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer. “UPS gives customers one less thing to worry about with tools designed to save time, reduce complexity and help businesses stay focused on serving customers and growing.”
Pickups in one place
The new dashboard allows businesses to schedule, manage, and track pickups from one place. It also provides real-time status updates and notifications as pickups move through the process.
UPS has expanded the controls available through its Smart Pickup service. Businesses can now request or cancel pickups based on whether they have packages ready to ship.
Smart Pickups only take place on days when shipments are ready. According to UPS, that can save a business up to 50% compared with the cost of scheduling a daily pickup.
The added flexibility is aimed at smaller companies whose shipping volume may change from one day to the next.
Faster labels and mobile tools
UPS has also redesigned the shipping process on UPS.com. A new single-screen format places shipment details and service choices together, allowing customers to compare options and create labels more quickly.
Businesses can import order information from shopping carts and major online marketplaces. They can also create templates for frequently used shipping labels, reducing the need to enter the same information for each order.
The redesigned UPS mobile app allows customers to create labels, arrange pickups, track packages, and manage shipping from a phone or other mobile device. Users can scan a tracking number instead of entering it manually.
The app also connects with more than 5,500 The UPS Store locations. Customers can create labels digitally and have them printed at a store. Those labels include RFID technology that provides tracking from the time a package enters the UPS network.
“Whether a business ships a few packages a week or hundreds a day, UPS is committed to creating the best customer experience in the industry,” Guffey said.
