A message from Harry Whitehouse, CIO at International Bridge
At IB, our activities are very “physical” – we move e-commerce packages from one place to another. However, our primary service is providing affordable shipping to some remote areas, and in our core business is e-commerce shipping to Hawaii, shipping to Alaska, and shipping to Puerto Rico. The e-commerce shipping solution process involves trucks, planes, warehouses, sorting machines, and a lot of coordination for millions of distinct items, which makes IB’s Non-con service a unique small parcel shipping solution.
Our IT team has created physical tools and programs that assist our warehouse operations and provide “visibility”. Everyone in the industry knows that in 2024, package tracking is a must-have in the parcel shipping world.
Streamlining the sorting process
As our volumes increased, we saw the need for sorting machines in PR and LAX, so we can streamline the parcel shipping experience while providing shipping to Hawaii, shipping to Alaska, and shipping to Puerto Rico. These machines require substantial setup and programming to operate properly, and maintenance is a continuing challenge as there are lots of moving parts. We have key folks who keep these machines running smoothly as our IT team provides programming support.
Optimizing our network in Puerto Rico
Our product development and Mobile development teams have been working hard on building solutions that will further optimize our network in Puerto Rico. The resulting map-oriented mobile phone application guides our drivers to each drop in an efficient manner and records each event in real-time. Additionally, to maintain the trend of affordable shipping, innovations such as this one are absolutely necessary.
What makes IB unique?
Additional solutions and services optimize parcel shipping in a variety of forms.
By using our blue solution, you can print shipping labels from home. We have a companion administrative website that puts key operational information at our teams’ fingertips.
Another solution, our SafePackage™ system, automates the identification of products being shipped. To expand in that area, our team has been experimenting with the idea of using AI to cleanse poorly constructed delivery addresses.
The future of shipping technologies
Several of us are actively monitoring driver-less vehicle technology as it would improve the costs, reliability, and safety of parcel shipping and delivery. This technology might open the door to low-cost package collection in high density locations like LAX. These packages could then funnel into our very successful Non-con workflow. That is yet another venue IB is exploring in order to maintain its reputation among companies that are providing affordable shipping.
Drone technology is improving by leaps and bounds. Current drones can carry payloads of over 60 lbs.! Perhaps this will be a viable option for last-mile package delivery in certain circumstances.
The adoption of drone deliveries could be a significant milestone when shipping to Puerto Rico, shipping to Hawaii, and shipping to Alaska.
Whether it’s shipping to Puerto Rico, shipping to Hawaii, or shipping to Alaska, we ensure fast, reliable, and affordable e-commerce shipping solutions. With IB, you can easily print shipping labels from home and find effective UPS alternatives and FedEx alternatives.
Using technologies to further benefit our customers
Our focus on small parcel shipping and tailored e-commerce shipping solutions allows us to meet the unique needs of online retailers, offering seamless services like shipping to Hawaii from the mainland or providing competitive options for parcel shipping to any corner of the world.
Technology empowers us to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that IB remains a leader in e-commerce logistics. Stay tuned as we continue to embrace innovation, optimize our processes, and pave the way for the future of shipping, delivering excellence for businesses and individuals alike!
