What common problems do warehouses face when shipping with Relay?
Warehouses that ship with Relay manage fast moving parcel traffic, postcode based coverage, and customer expectations for next day or economy delivery. The difficult part at the bench is not printing a label, it is choosing the correct Relay service for each order quickly and consistently. The right choice can change with the total order weight, the total order value, the delivery postcode, and the destination country for export. When those decisions rely on memory, spreadsheets, or desk guides, small mistakes creep in and slow the flow.
Typical issues include misreading a postcode segment, totalling the wrong weight across multi line orders, overlooking a value threshold that should trigger a signature or enhanced liability, or missing a postcode exception during a busy shift. These slips become relabelling, manual corrections, missed departures, or failed deliveries that generate customer service work. During peaks, every manual check adds seconds. Queues build at the bench, overtime rises, and throughput becomes sensitive to who is on shift.
Clarus WMS removes this friction by automating carrier and service selection for Relay. Instead of asking packers to decide at the bench, you define clear rules once, then Clarus evaluates each order against those rules and assigns the correct Relay service automatically. The system calculates order totals, checks address details, and applies your conditions without code or middleware. Labels, tracking, and shipment records follow in the same workflow. Any time saving or efficiency figure referenced here is an estimate, because every operation has a different order mix, staffing profile, and layout.
How can a WMS automate carrier selection for Relay shipments?
In Clarus, carrier assignment is native. You express your shipping policy as rules, and Clarus applies that logic the moment an order is ready to ship. The rules engine evaluates four core inputs that are present on every sales order, the total order weight, the total order value, the delivery postcode, and the destination country. Based on those inputs, Clarus assigns Relay as the carrier and selects the correct Relay service automatically. No middleware is required for the capabilities described here, and configuration does not require developers.
The workflow is straightforward and repeatable. First, Clarus receives the sales order from your commerce platform or ERP. Second, Clarus calculates totals across all lines, so full weight and value are accurate without manual arithmetic. Third, Clarus evaluates the delivery address, including postcode and country. Fourth, Clarus matches those inputs to your rule list and assigns the appropriate Relay service. Finally, Clarus generates the label and tracking and records the shipment against the order while keeping inventory movements in sync. Packers see the service already chosen. They confirm the pick, print the label, and move the parcel on without extra checks.
This approach removes decision time at the bench and reduces error rates. If your policy changes, you update the rule once in Clarus, and all future orders follow the new path. If volumes spike, the rules continue to apply instantly, so throughput remains steady even when you rotate staff or bring in new starters. Supervisors can review which rules applied to which orders, which helps with governance and with continuous improvement. Any improvement figures you calculate will be estimates, since no two operations are the same.
Can Clarus assign Relay services based on weight, value, or delivery location?
Yes. Clarus can assign Relay services using rules that evaluate total order weight, total order value, delivery postcode, and destination country. These conditions cover real world scenarios and can be combined or prioritised to match your policy. Below are practical examples to illustrate the pattern. Treat them as examples rather than templates, your thresholds and service names will reflect your operation.
• Route light domestic parcels to a standard or economy Relay option when the total order weight is below your threshold and the postcode is within normal coverage.
• Apply a signed or enhanced liability Relay service when the total order value exceeds a defined limit, while keeping the speed consistent to protect the customer experience.
• Use a timed or premium Relay service for selected postcode ranges where delivery windows are required by customers or where depot schedules make a specific option more reliable.
• Direct all non United Kingdom destinations to an appropriate international pathway by using the destination country condition, while leaving domestic rules unchanged.
• Habilite una regla específica para los sábados que solo se aplique cuando la fecha de entrega solicitada caiga en sábado y el código postal sea elegible, mientras que los otros días seguirán su lógica estándar.
Because Clarus calculates totals from the order lines, staff do not need to add up weights or values at the bench. This avoids edge case errors such as missing a heavy item on a multi line order or misreading a decimal point. If your policy includes postcode exceptions, the postcode condition captures them without relying on memory or separate lookup tables. You can stack conditions inside a single rule, for example a value threshold that applies only within a specific postcode range. You also control priority, so safeguards run before general rules.
Any efficiency or cost saving claim should be treated as an estimate. Many teams find that removing manual checks reduces decision time and relabelling, others see the main gain in fewer exceptions and simpler training. The exact result depends on your processes and the service mix you use with Relay.
Do I need custom development to use Relay with Clarus WMS?
No, not for the functionality described here. Clarus provides native automation for assigning Relay and selecting services based on total order weight, total order value, delivery postcode, and destination country. Configuration happens in the Clarus dashboard with plain language controls. You can create and edit rules, test scenarios with example orders, set rule priority, and enable changes without writing code. Once saved, the next eligible orders follow the updated logic.
You also do not need middleware for these capabilities. By keeping carrier assignment, label generation, tracking, and inventory updates inside Clarus, you remove an extra layer that can fail or drift from policy. Teams gain a single place to define and audit how Relay is used. Training becomes simpler because staff learn one workflow, and the chance of unofficial workarounds reduces across sites and shifts.
If your policy evolves, you extend the rule set in the same place. For example, add a new postcode exception, adjust a value threshold, or combine conditions to capture a new edge case. Supervisors can review which rule fired for each order, so outcomes are explainable and improvements are easier to validate. Any timeline for setup or optimisation will be an estimate until measured in your own environment.
How does Clarus keep orders, labels, tracking, and inventory aligned for Relay?
Clarus keeps the shipping workflow in one system so data stays aligned. Sales orders flow into the WMS. Inventory updates as picks are confirmed. When an order is ready to ship, the Relay assignment has already been made by your rules. Clarus then generates the required label and tracking, and records the shipment against the order while updating inventory at the same time. This removes copy and paste steps and reduces the chance of mismatches across systems.
En el puesto de trabajo, los operarios ven una única pantalla que guía la tarea. Dado que la elección del servicio se realiza aguas arriba, el enfoque está en confirmar las selecciones e imprimir etiquetas en lugar de verificar la elegibilidad. Para los supervisores, el beneficio es la visibilidad. Pueden ver las definiciones de reglas, el orden de las reglas y qué pedidos coincidieron con qué reglas. Eso facilita el refinamiento de las políticas y la explicación de los resultados a colegas y clientes. Los equipos de atención al cliente se benefician de la misma claridad al responder consultas de entrega.
Si ocurre una excepción, el rastro de auditoría dentro de Clarus te ayuda a encontrar y corregir la causa raíz sin tener que cambiar entre múltiples herramientas. Puedes rastrear qué regla se aplicó, si se cumplió un umbral y si una coincidencia de código postal activó un camino específico. Esto apoya la mejora continua y reduce el tiempo dedicado a las investigaciones.
What does setup look like, and how can we validate our rules before go live?
Setup follows a structured sequence that most teams complete without developers. First, review your current use of Relay, including service types, weight and value thresholds, and any postcode or country based exceptions. Second, model that policy as rules inside Clarus using the native conditions for total order weight, total order value, delivery postcode, and destination country. Third, create a set of sample orders that reflect your real scenarios and use them to test the rules in Clarus. Fourth, enable the rules in your live environment and monitor the first shipments for confirmation.
El panel de Clarus utiliza campos claros y lenguaje sencillo para que los usuarios no técnicos puedan configurar y ajustar la lógica. Puedes etiquetar cada regla con una descripción para que tus colegas entiendan la intención, y puedes arrastrar para reordenar las reglas cuando cambian las prioridades. Si descubres una nueva excepción, por ejemplo, un código postal que requiere un servicio diferente, añades una condición y la pruebas de inmediato. Cualquier plazo citado para la configuración o la formación son estimaciones, ya que las operaciones difieren en calidad de los datos, mezcla de servicios y disponibilidad de pedidos de prueba.
El entrenamiento se enfoca en dos grupos. Los empacadores aprenden el flujo del banco más simple, el servicio ya está asignado, ellos confirman las selecciones e imprimen etiquetas. Los supervisores aprenden a leer y editar el conjunto de reglas, a probar cambios de forma segura y a revisar qué reglas se aplicaron a qué pedidos. Esto le da control con menos complejidad y reduce la dependencia de puntos de conocimiento únicos dentro del equipo.
Want a WMS that handles Relay complexity for you?
If you want to replace manual service selection with clear rules and ship with more confidence, Clarus WMS is designed to help. You define the rules once, Clarus evaluates every order and assigns the correct Relay service automatically. Labels, tracking, and inventory updates live in the same workflow, with no middleware and no code required for the capabilities described here. The bench becomes calmer and more predictable. Any improvement figures will be estimates, so the best way to judge the impact is to try your own scenarios in a demo.
Book a short walkthrough and bring sample orders that reflect your use of Relay. We will model your thresholds, postcode exceptions, and destinations as rules in Clarus and run them end to end so you can see the outcome immediately.
Preguntas frecuentes
Can Clarus apply different Relay services for domestic and international orders automatically?
Yes. You can use the destination country condition to route non United Kingdom addresses to international pathways while domestic parcels follow your UK rules. No custom development is required for this routing.
¿Qué sucede si más de una regla puede coincidir con un solo pedido?
Tú estableces la prioridad. En Clarus, las reglas están ordenadas, por lo que puedes colocar una medida de seguridad de alto valor antes de una regla general basada en peso. También puedes combinar condiciones para capturar un escenario específico en una sola regla.
¿Los empacadores todavía necesitan calcular el peso y el valor en el banco?
No. Clarus calcula el peso total del pedido y el valor total del pedido a partir de las líneas de pedido. Los empaquetadores no necesitan sumar pesos ni verificar valores manualmente, lo que reduce el riesgo de errores.
How are labels, tracking, and inventory kept in sync when shipping with Relay?
Clarus genera la etiqueta y el rastreo en el mismo flujo de trabajo que confirma la recogida y envía el pedido. El envío se registra contra el pedido y el inventario se actualiza al mismo tiempo, lo que mantiene los datos alineados sin necesidad de copiar y pegar.
Do we need developers or middleware to go live with Relay in Clarus?
No, not for the functionality described on this page. Clarus provides native service assignment automation and configuration in the dashboard that non technical users can manage. Any timeline claims are estimates, but the process is straightforward, review your policy, model it as rules, test, then enable in production.