R.R. Donnelley Logistics and the U.S. Postal Service unveiled a service this week that lets consumers track their packages from the merchant's fulfillment center to their own door.
Donnelley Logistics partnered with the USPS to develop a Web-based tracking window that spotlights every event in the delivery chain, regardless of whether the package is moving through the Donnelley Logistics network or the USPS system, and feeds this information to end-users via the USPS Web site at www.usps.com.
The new service leverages the USPS' Delivery Confirmation system, which gives merchandisers electronic verification that packages have reached their final destination. Donnelley Logistics tracks every package as it moves through its national network of sortation facilities. Once the package enters the postal stream, the USPS tracks the progress of those packages that are marked for Delivery Confirmation.
By providing seamless visibility to each major event in the postal delivery process, Donnelley Logistics has allowed merchandisers to achieve the seamless, end-to-end visibility their consumers demand while continuing to enjoy the deep postal discounts that drop-shipping affords them.
“An ever-growing number of consumers demand instant access to information via the Web,” said Bill Naughton, chief technology officer for Willowbrook, IL-based Donnelley Logistics. “They know their packages will be coming to them via the USPS, and that's where they expect to be able to track their packages. We developed this technology in cooperation with the USPS to satisfy this consumer demand.”
