Convey’s Delivery Experience Management platform integrated with MercuryGate TMS

“This goes back to being able to make an EDD (estimated delivery date) promise – and keeping it,” Miller said. “Among other things, Convey’s platform enables shippers to proactively identify at-risk shipments in real-time and take action to get them back on track – often before the customer knows there is an issue.”

Miller said Convey’s DEM platform offers “advanced self-service capabilities for consumers, such as delivery appointment scheduling through branded tracking pages that deepen customer loyalty and increase lifetime customer value.”

Shippers using MercuryGate’s TMS with this new integration will be able to collaborate with carriers and communicate with customers through shared tools, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and lifetime value, the companies said. Improved visibility also provides leverage to shippers for improved cost control and performance, they added.

“It is critical that one have full control tower visibility throughout the supply chain, especially at the last mile,” Joe Juliano, president and CEO of MercuryGate International, Inc. said. “Integrating the Convey functionality to the MercuryGate TMS will allow the shipper to take proactive steps to address a potential disruption before it becomes a service failure by communicating with the customer. With exception management workflows, you may be able to get an order back on schedule or make alternate plans, such as sourcing the product from another location close to the end consumer.”

Miller noted that the fast-changing dynamics of last-mile delivery will also be felt beyond retail channels, affecting third-party logistics suppliers and shippers and carriers, even those not directly involved with retail.

“MercuryGate has a large number of retail shippers and 3PLs

[third-party logistics providers]

that support e-commerce businesses. This solution is highly relevant for a large percent of their customer base,” he said. “We also believe strongly that the Amazon effect extends beyond retail and that the core value proposition around Delivery Experience Management will be increasingly relevant to other segments of the market over time.”

The integration also extends the market potential of DEM as shippers look for ways to innovate to meet end-customer demands.

“These days shippers are having to experiment quite a bit with new carriers, new service levels, new fulfillment methods (ship from store, dropship, forward stocking locations, etc.),” Miller said. “Convey minimizes the risks associated with these strategies so they can explore new ideas while continuing to maintain strong operational control and – most importantly, a consistent customer experience.”