Volume Number: 26
Issue Number: 09
Column Tag: Kool Tools

Kool Tools: TrueShip ReadyShipper

One-stop shipping client for businesses

by Dennis Sellers

The ReadyShipper software from TrueShip (http://www.trueship.com) for the Mac is FedEx/UPS shipping software. It offers integrated shipping for ecommerce, order management and accounting systems.

ReadyShipper is a client-based solution designed for importing, organizing and shipping orders. Its design and workflow expedites the shipping process and eliminates errors associated with manually sorting shipping documents and re-keying address information.

It features a native Mac interface that lets you create labels, make packing lists and email tracking confirmations, as well as use the Order Inspector and access the batch shipping capa-bilities. ReadyShipper comes pre-integrated with your choice of FedEx or UPS. You can import and ship your orders individually or in batch.

ReadyShipper supports international shipping and documentation through just about every supported shipping method. It features USB scale support for the Mac and PC. A universal USB scale driver is installed with ReadyShipper for use with a Stamps.com scale and many other scales supporting this universal driver. Drop your package on the scale, and the weight will be automatically entered into ReadyShipper.

You can see a full breakdown of the costs and services offered by UPS or FedEx and USPS featuring Stamps.com with ReadyShipper. What's more, you can eyeball a comprehensive table that displays all available methods and costs on a per-carrier basis.

ReadyShipper allows you to make custom exports for sales, accounting, vendors, customers or any application that will accept a CSV file. The Export Tracking CSV feature gives you the tools to add the information, title and columns to arrange a new report for CSV export. Each report can have its own unique name, and there's no limit to how many reports you can make.

ReadyShipper's database stores completed shipments for future reference. You can use it to review or track your shipments or create shipment export files in CSV or XML formats. To speed things up, it comes with an "Automator" that automates such actions as email notifications, ship-type converting, batch updating, address validation and more.

ReadyShipper's Make-A-Label feature lets you create your own shipping label or packing list on demand. It sports an address book to add your shipped addresses and your products.

If you do a lot of overnight shipping, you'll be pleased to know that ReadyShipper fully supports dimensional shipping to save you money on many types of overnight or USPS shipments. You can add package dimensions as you go or use ReadyShipper's auto-fill feature to complete box dimensions for commonly sized packages.

You can set the software to automatically send a confirmation email, complete with tracking number, with every shipment. You can add your customer service message along with your logos and graphics.

Ten days of support is included with a ReadyShipper subscription. The software installs on a Mac or PC system and uses the Internet to verify addresses, create shipping labels, and communicate with your shopping cart.

Plus, it's expandable. TrueShip offers a catalog of modules to customize and tweak the software as you wish. Several of the modules are free.

ReadyShipper includes an assistant designed to identify common shipping mistakes before they happen and a database for high-capacity shipping. It's offered as a subscription-based solution starting at US$19.95 a month; however, you can give it a try for free.

Dennis Sellers is a long time journalist. He started in the newspaper business, but has been in the online journalism business for the past 15 years. He's the editor/publisher of Macsimum News (http://www.macsimumnews.com)