5 Ways RPA in Customer Service Can Change Your Shipping Company Forever

In modern times, companies are always coming up with new and advanced ways which help make their system more efficient. This, in turn, helps the companies get ahead in the competition. One of these recent developments is a technology known as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) system.

This system has lots of beneficial business applications and is being widely utilized by logistics companies. If you want to learn more about what RPA is and how it is useful for logistics companies, then keep reading.

What is RPA?

RPA is a software-based technology that makes it easy to build, deploy, and manage software robots. These robots mimic human actions while interacting with software and other digital systems.

These software robots are a better and more efficient alternative to humans because they can execute all the same processes a human being can, just in a more consistent manner and at a faster pace. These robots also help save time and increase productivity as compared to human workers because robots do not need to take any kinds of breaks. These robots are able to execute human-like functions, including completing the right keystrokes, understanding what’s being displayed on a screen, identifying and extracting data, navigating systems, and performing a wide range of other defined actions.

This technology is very beneficial to businesses, as it can be easily implemented. Furthermore, it’s non-invasive and helps streamline workflow. As a result, this technology is very profitable and offers a host of benefits to the employees as well. It increases their work productivity, engagement, and motivation by taking mundane tasks out of their way.

What are Logistics Companies?

Logistic companies deal with supply chain management. These companies plan, implement, and control the movement and storage of information, goods, and services within a supply chain. These processes are carried out between different points of origin and consumption. Depending upon the logistic company, it can either deal with all of these functions in a supply chain or handle only some of them.

RPA in Logistics Industry

RPA is extremely beneficial to the logistics industry as it can make the logistics management processes and the organization running them significantly more efficient. This technology can do this by reducing cost, improving business operations, increasing productivity, and, most importantly, automating the processes.

RPA is drastically changing how the logistics industry operates by making all the systems easier to manage. Here are a few ways in which RPA is used to create better management and more efficient systems in the logistics industry:

Smart Documentation

RPA makes the process and results of documentation faster and more efficient. Furthermore, there are fewer chances of error in documentation if the process has been carried out by a robot, as compared to a human. For any logistics company, proper collection and documentation of data are extremely important in the supply chain process. RPA is able to document data through means of credit collections, invoice processing, automatic storage of information in audit trails, and electronic data interchange.

Inventory Control

RPA can effectively manage the process of inventory control by automatically calculating the number of products in the inventory. If the number of products in the inventory is in excess, then the RPA system will contact the vendors and notify them to sell these products.

Order Processing

RPA for logistics in order processing is concerned with the interaction of incoming data from customers and the previously stored data. This system automatically records and enters data on customer profiling, placing orders, controlling order updates, and payment processing.

Shipment Tracking

Shipment tracking is one important function utilized by all logistics companies. RPA helps the companies to keep track of both the shipment and the vehicle it's in. This system helps the company monitor the shipment status and communicate it to the customers as required. Furthermore, it also allows them to extract shipment details if necessary.

Shipment Status Communication

One of the major applications of RPA in logistics is to improve a company’s customer service. The process of shipment status communication is more for the customers’ benefit. It keeps them updated on their shipment and allows them to monitor its status. This includes being able to track the location of their shipment and being notified about pick-up timings. Furthermore, this system automatically generates emails and messages which inform your clients of any delays. This automation also comes into play when a client confirms an order.

Keeping customers satisfied is one of the most crucial elements of running a successful logistics company. Therefore, it’s extremely important to set up a system that effectively and efficiently caters to the needs of all your customers.

RPA in Customer Service

The use of RPA in customer service is a practice that not only reaps the rewards for the logistics company but significantly helps the customers as well. Below are some implementations of RPA in the customer service sector and the benefits associated with these practices.

Improves Face-to-Face Interaction

One of the biggest concerns of a logistics company is to adequately meet its customer's demands. However, these demands are highly varied and difficult to keep track of.

By using RPA, you can get robots to work on mundane and repetitive tasks. This will allow your employees to deliver excellent customer service. With menial tasks out of their way, your skilled labor will have time for more critical tasks like directly addressing the customers and their concerns. This practice will considerably improve your client satisfaction.

Immediate Responses

The integration of RPA with automated chatbots in your company’s system will allow your clients to receive fast and reliable responses to their queries and concerns. Through this system, your company can manage day-to-day operations and customer services in a much more efficient manner. Through this method, clients don’t have to wait for long amounts of time, waiting to be connected to a representative, so they can ask one simple question.

Interestingly, this process can help significantly increase your profit margins across the boards as well. Seamless processing of customer concerns can help shippers and forwarders to process the shipments quickly too. Therefore, maximizing sales conversion rates depends heavily upon quick responses to client questions and concerns.

Call Forwarding

Customers have a variety of demands, which in turn give rise to a range of questions. In the face of these queries, your clients may require guidance from a call center.

RPA can help with this by effectively routing your customer’s call to the relevant department in your logistics company. Furthermore, RPAs can also transfer customer information along with various departments.

These functions are helpful because different teams of workers deal with different tasks and processes. If your customer is redirected to the wrong team, not only does it set a bad impression of your company, but it creates frustration in your client as well. This frustration can worsen if your client has to repeat the same information over and over again to different representatives.

Customer Identification

RPA can help save valuable time spent on identifying customers with the help of a single customer view. This is beneficial for your logistics company for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it saves time, which in turn can help increase productivity. Secondly, this process allows customer service representatives to access customer information faster. This function helps information move faster and significantly reduces the waiting time for your customers. Quick and accurate services will help boost customer satisfaction.

Furthermore, these advanced data analytics can also help with the identification of your customers’ specific requirements. This can help your business by allowing you to better understand your customers’ needs and provide services according to them. This practice will help create a strong bond between your company and your clients.

Widespread Online Presence

RPA can be used to create customized chatbots and email response bots. These bots can be located on the various social media pages of your company, where they can directly interact with clients. These chatbots enable logistic companies, like yours, to maximize communication opportunities, interaction, and responsiveness with the customers.

These bots are also important to help your company progress because they build and maintain a positive rapport with your customers. Not all customers will want to visit your official company websites and search about your services. Therefore, it’s important that you place yourself in an online location where clients can conveniently reach you and interact with your company.

Final Thoughts

RPA is not just a luxury but a need of time if you want your logistics company to progress and get ahead of the competition. This system has great applications in customer service, which is the key to a great company’s prosperity.

Your company can’t survive if your customers are dissatisfied with you. The ideal option is to go for a simple yet effective solution, which is exactly what Integratz offers. We offer quick, intelligent automation solutions to logistics companies at lower costs. Click here to book an appointment with us today.