Parcelhub introduces integrated labels to speed order processing

Parcelhub has introduced an integrated label option that it said will enable retailers, brands and wholesalers to produce picking sheets, packing slips and shipping labels on a single piece of paper.

The multi-carrier delivery management company, which was acquired by Whistl last year, said the move is part of a wider strategy aimed around handling and processing more complex data, but presenting it in a simple and user-friendly way.

Launched this week, the business said Integrated Labels will improve merchants’ packing efficiency and accuracy, resulting in more orders processed at a faster pace, minimising mispacking incidents, complaints and returns, and facilitating a more reliable and faster purchasing experience for end-users.

Parcelhub said Integrated Labels, implemented correctly, would enable online retailers to commit to packing orders later in the day, increasing flexibility and enabling businesses to offer later same day cut-off times, potentially translating into more orders.

Parcelhub marketing manager Simon Wright said the free-to-use option is unique in the market.

“Most of what we do is driven through customer need. The full integration of labels into the platforms that our customers use is a way of speeding up label processing so that they can get their orders out quicker and respond faster,” he said.

“As soon as an order comes in it gives them a bit more flexibility to actually get the parcel into the carrier networks.”

David Ward-Webster, implementations and IT support at Parcelhub, managed the project alongside software developer Chris Knowlson.

“We know through experience and talking to our customers that label production and order packing are common bottlenecks in the e-commerce sphere. So much so that they can stunt business growth, preventing companies from branching out into new marketplaces or product lines,” said Ward-Webster.

“The potential for time and labour savings with Integrated Labels is massive and directly tackles this bottleneck. Used with Parcelhub’s existing integrations, this tool will be invaluable in empowering businesses with increased scalability, facilitating growth.” 

Parcelhub provides a multi-carrier shipping and e-commerce customer service offering for SME e-tailers who cannot access large scale discounts available to large volume mailers.

Late last year the company invested in its first automated parcel sortation machine and took on a new director of business development.

Whistl’s Parcelhub deal followed its purchase of Prism DM last July to become the second acquisition by the business since it underwent a management buyout in 2015 from PostNL, which retains a 17.5% shareholding.

Marlow-headquartered Whistl reported a turnover of just under £603m for 2017, up 1.9% on the previous year. The company’s Doordrop Media division recently launched Leafletdrop, a new self-service digital platform aimed at SMEs.