There are several tools available to manage and optimize your shipments. But which to choose between a delivery module and TMS software? Find out in this article!
Delivery is the final link in the chain between the merchant and the consumer.
It is only at this crucial stage that the merchant has really fulfilled his contract. All the more so as it will greatly condition consumer satisfaction. A study carried out by IFOP and the Star Service group provides concrete proof of this: according to the study, the most important criterion in online shopping for 62% of respondents is delivery.
Transport costs, the variety of options on offer (express, point of collection, home delivery, click and collect), delivery times and easy returns management are all points on which consumers are sensitive and demanding. Delivery is an essential part of a successful online shopping experience, and must therefore be carefully analyzed.
With consumers increasingly demanding fast delivery, when and where they want it, merchants need to be ever more efficient to remain competitive.
Today, transport contributes to the creation of value and to the economic performance of companies, and merchants are well aware of this. For them, mastering transportation has become strategic.
Fortunately, e-tailers can rely on a number of tools designed to make their job easier and optimize their entire shipping management. These include :
- Delivery modules, also known as transport modules, installed on e-commerce CMS (Content Management System),
- TMS e-commerce software (Transport Management System).
Delivery modules
Delivery modules are extensions offered to merchants selling on their own websites, whether they are published with Prestashop, Magento, Woocomerce or Shopify… Depending on the module, the functionalities offered will vary, but the principle remains the same: to enable e-merchants to manage their shipping directly in the back-office of their online store.
To date, there are two main types of delivery module:
- Delivery modules supplied directly by carriers. For example, the Colissimo module, which merchants can download to send parcels using Colissimo. By definition, this module is specific to one carrier: the one supplying the module.
TMS software
The TMS software is dedicated to companies/merchants who don’t have their own fleet and who entrust shipments to a transport service provider. Its main objective: to help merchants optimize their transport activities and the costs allocated to them.
It complements the Order Management System ( OMS) and the Warehouse Management System ( WMS), which respectively optimize the orchestration of e-commerce orders and their preparation in the warehouse.
Shippingbo, the ideal TMS software for your e-commerce shipments
The TMS therefore offers merchants more advanced management of shipments to merchants, with a much wider range of functionalities than the delivery modules.
Whether you choose delivery modules or parcel tracking software such as TMS, one thing is certain: the important thing is to equip yourself with a tool that will enable you to evolve easily, and that won’t limit you in your transport strategy!
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