Understanding Custom Business Rules in Logistics

More than two thirds of small businesses owners decide to start their business to build something of their own, according to COX Business research. Whether it’s a small batch coffee roaster in Michigan or a clothing line designer in Arizona, the main motivation for starting a small business is passion for the product. Unfortunately, getting their product to customers can quickly grow into one of the biggest unforeseen challenges a business faces.  

For small and medium sized businesses, finding the right balance of passion and functionality is vital for their survival. This is where finding a supply-chain technology that incorporates a company’s need for control and an ability to automate functions comes into play. Finding a solution which has custom business rules may be the feature to search for when choosing logistics software.  

What are business rules?

Let’s start with a definition. A general definition for a business rule is a set of instructions for how a process within a business will be carried out. Within logistics, a business rule refers to the instructions for how an order will be fulfilled, which can include kitting, order routing, and specific instructions on what carrier and service level to use for different shipment types.

Business rules can be customized within certain logistics software to have these instructions automated. Meaning the software can carry out some functions along the fulfilment process, removing the need for human decision making. This can help take some of the workload off your employees, reduce the impact of human error, and save time.  

Types of business rules in logistics

Two of the best ways business rules can help automate logistics processes includes order processing and routing. Automating these processes can save time and reduce human error.  

For order processing, having software which allows you to create automations for order processing unique to each marketplace where you sell your products  creates a streamlined process. For example, if you would like all your orders from Etsy to be shipped using X shipping carrier, you could create an automation which automatically creates shipping labels from that carrier every time an Etsy order is received.  

For order routing, similar benefits can be found. Custom business rules can be created to dictate how a parcel will be routed both through the warehouse and to the customer. Optimizing routes is one of the most effective ways to speed up DTC delivery and pairing custom business rules with other features like virtual warehousing to manage inventory in marketplaces, along with a wide selection of carrier integrations can improve this functionality.  

Whether you’re a small business owner just beginning to scale distribution or looking for help managing multiple warehouses and a large distribution network, customizable business rules can transform your logistics processes. The sky is truly the limit on how much detail and complexity you can add to each rule.

Having a better reign on the logistics of your business can get you back to where you want to be:, focusing on getting the best product to your customers. If you’re interested in learning more about how ShipCaddie enables custom business rules, contact us here on LinkedIn or reach out through our website! We look forward to hearing from you.