In many ways, eCommerce has changed the business landscape of India. The Indian eCommerce market is predicted to grow by 21.5%, reaching USD 74.8 billion in 2022 and expected to reach USD 111 by 2024 and USD 20 billion by 2026. The massive increase in the internet and smartphone penetration as a part of the ‘Digital India’ program contributed to the growth of eCommerce in India, which is recently further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

However, one of the major requirements for the eCommerce sector to continue charting its growth trajectory is accurate and timely order delivery. eCommerce brands need to be efficient in their supply chain and logistics operations to keep their customers happy amidst the paradigm shift in consumer demand and expectations. The two main ways to handle your shipping are to leverage traditional shipping methods and smart shipping services. Let’s discuss both ways to provide some details and help you in decision-making.
 

Smart Shipping Service

 
Smart shipping usually refers to the operation of inland or outgoing ships. It helps a ship sail without any obstacle and urges the crew to take any specific action during any emergency. It has an advanced technological dashboard on board equipped with the design of ports and waterways direction based on the data collected by sensors.
 
Nowadays, many shipping companies provide shipping services to help businesses with their logistics operations. Here are three significant benefits for you to avail smart shipping service to deliver your orders:
 
Encourages Competition. Smart shipping brings more competitiveness to the maritime sector by empowering the vessels to sail more efficiently. The advanced digital system deployed in the containers streamlines processes and ensures smooth operations. The crew members are deployed effectively as per their strengths, so there is an optimal distribution of tasks, while the system can help with the repetitive tasks.
 
By enabling vessels to sail more efficiently, Smart Shipping can make the maritime sector more competitive and therefore more attractive. For example, advanced digital systems can ensure crew members are deployed as effectively as possible and support them in their tasks, or take over some of these tasks.
 
Vessels can also make better use of waterway capacity by adapting their speed and receiving more accurate navigational data. Greater efficiency reduces transport costs and, in the case of inland shipping, boosts competitiveness in relation to road and rail transport.
 

Safer Sailing. Smart warning and navigation systems assist the skipper while the vessel is under way and can also take over certain tasks. This makes work on board the vessel and along the waterway safer and more manageable. Every year around 140 accidents occur on Dutch waterways. Smart Shipping can reduce the chance of accidents due to human error.
 
More Sustainable Shipping. With smart shipping technologies, ships can save fuel and money and therefore sail more sustainably. For instance, the system can coordinate the navigation plan with the opening and closing times of locks and bridges, and take account of the available mooring space in harbours and port terminals. Using more precise environmental data (depth, current, and wind) a vessel can adapt its speed so that it uses less fuel.
 

Traditional Shipping Methods

 
You can define shipping methods for any form of transport or for any specific carrier that you use to ship your orders. Examples of shipping methods include truck, air, and rail freight as well as conventional carriers such as UPS, FEDEX, and USPS.
 
Flat-Rate Shipping. The most popular option among online merchants is flat-rate shipping. It means that a carrier offers a fixed delivery price for boxes of different sizes. You can ship any weight as long as it fits in the box. It’s the best shipping option for small business or when you have a standard product line with items of the similar or same size and weight. At the same time, flat-rate shipping becomes complicated and less efficient when you decide to expand your product line.
 
Real-Time Carrier Rates. If you don’t want to spend much time on shipping-related issues, you can opt for real-time carrier rates. Advanced Ecommerce platforms like Magento or Shopify offer multiple shipping integrations like FedEx, USPS, DHL, and others. It generates live pricing and shipping options directly from the carriers. It allows your customers to choose a delivery type and decide how much they are willing to pay for it.
 
Local Shipping. Depending on where your business operates, you may need to ship just locally or internationally.
 
Shipping locally is great if you aren’t able or simply don’t want to enter the international market. You can set up the delivery border which is especially useful for small companies in big cities. If you can hardly cover the whole of New York, you can specify the districts where you deliver. As a result, customers who are within your delivery area will be able to choose local delivery. Moreover, by offering free local delivery, you can win more customers as most people are likely to pay more for a product itself rather than for delivery.
 
International Shipping. Want to reach a larger market and target people abroad? You need at least some kind of international delivery. It can be challenging for a business and expensive sometimes. Different countries have different regulations, trade laws, requirements, and taxes. So finding a reliable partner – carriage company – is a must. A dedicated carrier will help you either navigate international shipping or provide appropriate shipping rates
 

 
In a nutshell, traditional methods of shipping have been serving companies for a long time now, but it is now time to weight options per the benefits and take an informed call. In today’s day and time when saving time and money, both have become equally important, smart shipping is the way to go and the path to pick!
 

 
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, XPDEL recently launched its expert fulfillment services in India. Our Fulfillment Technology Platform makes it effortless for eCommerce brands to improve their speed to market. Led by industry veterans with more than a decade of experience, we are also steering our path to success in the Indian market. We cater to a diverse clientele with a wide range of customer experience-based fulfillment and logistics solutions empowered by leading, advanced technology to provide data insights for informed decision-making.