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.
• Rikta alla destinationer utanför Storbritannien till en lämplig internationell rutt genom att använda villkoret för destinationsland, medan de inhemska reglerna förblir oförändrade.
• Aktivera en regel som gäller specifikt på lördagar, vilken endast tillämpas när begärd leveransdag infaller på en lördag och postnumret är giltigt, medan andra dagar följer er standardlogik.
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.
Om din policy förändras kan du utöka regeluppsättningen på samma ställe. Du kan till exempel lägga till ett nytt undantag för postnummer, justera ett tröskelvärde eller kombinera villkor för att fånga upp ett nytt specialfall. Chefer kan granska vilken regel som utlöstes för varje beställning, så att resultaten blir förklarbara och förbättringar blir enklare att validera. Alla tidsplaner för konfiguration eller optimering är endast uppskattningar tills de har mätts i din egen miljö.
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.
Vid arbetsstationen ser packarna en enda skärm som styr arbetet. Eftersom val av tjänst görs tidigare i processen ligger fokus på att bekräfta plock och skriva ut etiketter snarare än att kontrollera behörighet. För arbetsledare är fördelen synlighet. Ni kan se regeldefinitioner, regelordning och vilka ordrar som matchade vilka regler. Det gör det lättare att förfina policyn och att förklara utfall för kollegor och kunder. Kundtjänstteamen drar nytta av samma tydlighet när de besvarar leveransfrågor.
Om ett undantag inträffar hjälper loggspåret i Clarus dig att hitta och åtgärda den bakomliggande orsaken utan att behöva växla mellan flera verktyg. Du kan spåra vilken regel som tillämpades, om ett tröskelvärde överskreds och om en postnummermatchning utlöste en specifik hanteringskedja. Detta underlättar kontinuerlig förbättring och minskar den tid som läggs på utredningar.
Hur ser installationen ut, och hur kan vi validera våra regler innan driftsättning?
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.
Clarus-instrumentpanelen använder tydliga fält och ett enkelt språk så att även användare utan teknisk bakgrund kan konfigurera och justera logiken. Du kan märka varje regel med en beskrivning så att kollegor förstår syftet, och du kan dra och släppa för att ändra ordningen på reglerna när prioriteringarna ändras. Om du upptäcker ett nytt undantag, till exempel ett postnummer som kräver en annan tjänst, lägger du till ett villkor och testar det direkt. Alla angivna tidsramar för installation eller utbildning är uppskattningar, eftersom verksamheterna skiljer sig åt när det gäller datakvalitet, tjänsteutbud och tillgänglighet av testbeställningar.
Utbildningen fokuserar på två grupper. Packare lär sig det enklare arbetsflödet för bänken, servicen är redan tilldelad, de bekräftar plock och skriver ut etiketter. Handledare lär sig hur man läser och redigerar regelsatsen, hur man testar ändringar säkert och hur man granskar vilka regler som gäller för vilka order. Detta ger dig kontroll med mindre komplexitet och minskar beroendet av enskilda kunskapspunkter inom teamet.
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.
Vanliga frågor
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.
Vad händer om mer än en regel kan matcha en enskild order?
Du sätter prioriteringen. I Clarus är reglerna numrerade, så du kan placera ett skydd med högt värde före en allmän viktbaserad regel. Du kan också kombinera villkor för att fånga ett specifikt scenario i en regel.
Behöver packare fortfarande beräkna vikt och värde vid bänken?
Nej. Clarus räknar ut total vikten och det totala ordervärdet från orderraderna. Packare behöver inte lägga ihop vikter eller kontrollera värden manuellt, vilket minskar risken för misstag.
How are labels, tracking, and inventory kept in sync when shipping with Relay?
Clarus genererar etiketten och spårningen i samma arbetsflöde som bekräftar plocket och skickar beställningen. Leveransen registreras mot beställningen och lagret uppdateras samtidigt, vilket håller data synkroniserade utan kopiera och klistra in.
Do we need developers or middleware to go live with Relay in Clarus?
Nej, inte för den funktionalitet som beskrivs på den här sidan. Clarus tillhandahåller automatisk tilldelning av tjänster och konfiguration i instrumentpanelen som icke-tekniska användare kan hantera. Alla tidsangivelser är uppskattningar, men processen är enkel: granska din policy, modellera den som regler, testa och aktivera sedan i produktion.