Shipping Management System Dynamic Carrier Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shipping management systems are limited in dynamically selecting carriers and fail to effectively enforce carrier selection policies, especially for drop shippers, as they rely on user input and do not adequately account for dynamic factors such as carrier performance and business signals.
Innovation Solution
A shipping management system that integrates with multiple carriers, collects and normalizes shipping information, applies selection rules to dynamically select carriers based on real-time and historical data, and allows users to choose or automatically select carriers for shipment execution, while enforcing account holder policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional systems rely on user input and static cost lists for carrier selection, then system complexity is reduced, but carrier selection accuracy and adaptability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-collects and stores carrier cost information, performance data, and business signals in databases before shipping decisions are needed. This preliminary data gathering enables dynamic carrier selection without requiring complex real-time calculations, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary shipping management system that sits between users and carriers, collecting data from multiple sources (carriers, users, external systems) and processing it through normalization modules and selection rules. This intermediary layer handles the complexity internally while presenting simplified interfaces to users, enabling adaptive carrier selection without proportionally increasing user-facing system complexity
2Measurement precision
If the system integrates with multiple carriers and collects extensive shipping information, then carrier selection accuracy improves, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal data normalization module that handles information from multiple carriers and sources using a single standardized process. This normalization layer converts diverse carrier data formats, cost structures, and performance metrics into a unified format that can be processed by the same selection rules, improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms raw carrier data into standardized parameters through normalization, changing the form of data from diverse carrier-specific formats into uniform parameters that can be directly compared and evaluated. This parameter transformation enables precise carrier selection while keeping processing logic consistent and manageable across different carriers
3Reliability
If the system enforces carrier policies for drop shippers, then policy compliance improves, but control over drop shippers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where carrier policies and performance data are continuously monitored and fed back into the carrier selection process. This feedback loop ensures policy compliance by automatically adjusting carrier selections based on policy requirements and performance metrics, while maintaining operational ease through automated enforcement rather than manual control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the system to automatically enforce carrier policies and make carrier selections without requiring manual intervention for each shipment. The automated system self-adjusts based on policy rules and performance data, improving compliance while maintaining ease of operation by eliminating the need for manual policy management and carrier selection for each drop shipper order
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and products for dynamically selecting carriers in a shipping management system are disclosed. In one embodiment, in response to a user requesting a new shipment, a shipping management system collects shipping information from a plurality of carriers. The system provides the user with a choice of carriers to ship the new shipment based on selection rules. In response to the choice of carriers provided to the user, the user can select one of the carriers to execute the new shipment. The shipping management system can send a signal to the computer system of the chosen carrier to execute the new shipment.