Supply Chain Management Resources
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Convey products exist to create better outcomes. To create better outcomes one must first know where issues are occurring and how frequently.
We’ve found that most shippers we speak to understand the need to improve the delivery experience but most don’t have the visibility to know exactly how many issues are occurring or even what is causing them. To help shine a light on this information gap, we’ve created this issues calculator to help estimate the type and quantity of exceptions you’re likely experiencing.
Simply plug in your annual parcel and freight shipment volume and we will estimate your most common issues based on what we've seen across our clients.
Featured Post
Calculator: How many outcomes could you impact with Convey?
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“One of the most challenging elements of creating a successful journey is the ability for shippers and carriers to quickly and easily communicate,” -Matt Howitt, Convey’s VP of Product. Learn how Convey’s case management feature creates a simplified, scaleable communication tool for shippers and carriers alike.
News
Convey adds case-management features to shipping portal
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Convey announced the addition of powerful new case management features to its Engage product that provide critical context around distressed shipments, and improve workflows for shipper-carrier collaboration and expedited issue resolution.
Press Releases
Convey Announces Carrier Portal for Transportation Case Management
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With technology disruption blazing through the headlines, Convey is excited to head to the 2018 Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference, where experts will discuss how to transform supply chain disruption into an advantage. During the show, be sure to not miss Rob Taylor, Convey's CEO, speak on reorganizing the post-purchase supply chain to achieve success with consumers.
With so many inspiring speakers, check out our top 13 sessions at the 2018 Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference.
Events
Top 13 Sessions to Attend at the 2018 Gartner Supply Chain Conference
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The D3 Retail Supply Chain Summit brings together over 400+ supply chain executives to solve the most crucial supply chain challenges and opportunities affecting the industry today. With so many great sessions to see, read to find out our most anticipated sessions for the show.
Events
The Countdown to eft’s D3 Retail Supply Chain Summit
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NASSTRAC's 2018 Annual Shippers Conference & Transportation Expo is right around the corner. Be sure to check out our session during the show: Rob Taylor, Convey's CEO, is discussing what defines a customer-centric supply chain strategy and how human, process, and technology considerations factor in to increase competitive advantages.
With so many great sessions to see, we picked out a few must see sessions for our Nasstrac Shippers Conference and Transportation Expo agenda.
Events
Gearing up for NASSTRAC Shippers Conference
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With returns on the rise, retailers are feeling under pressure to win over customers. View the infographic to learn how to create best practices around returns, assure loyalty, and increase customer retention.
Infographics
A Retailer to Love: Enforcing Customer Loyalty with Returns
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If you're looking for a show that brings together innovators and solutions for last mile operations challenges, Home Delivery World has it covered. In addition to our session, be sure to look out for the sessions on our ultimate Home Delivery World agenda.
Events
10 Sessions to Not Miss on the Home Delivery World Agenda
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This inaugural Retail TouchPoints Last Mile Benchmark Report provides a snapshot of the challenges retailers face in managing the last mile, and the innovative solutions they are using to keep pace with rising consumer expectations.
Research
Benchmark Survey Report: Are You Winning The Last Mile Of Retail?
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“There were 'no surprises' during the implementation. Everything came together painlessly. That is almost unheard of during technology implementations. We are very NPS [Net Promoter Score] driven and we follow up on any NPS detractor. Without a doubt, our number-one complaint has been with delivery. People get angry when their products don't get there on time. The Convey solution provides automated, intelligent delivery choices that optimize the overall decision each time. The solution has helped get products to consumers faster through optimized shipping decision execution and extraordinary delivery communications.”
Testimonials
“Everything came together painlessly.”
CommerceHub, Inc. and Convey, Inc. announced a strategic partnership, combining CommerceHub's leading drop-ship technology with an offering of Convey's active delivery management solution. The joint offering will provide CommerceHub’s omnichannel retail clients with exceptional last-mile delivery experience, especially for large-item delivery.
Press Releases
CommerceHub Announces Convey Partnership, Enhanced Delivery CX
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With a rise in returned online purchases comes increased anxiety over the returns process itself -- almost 70% said that returning an item they bought online makes them anxious. Uncover the sources causing their anxieties, and discover what factor will make consumers 41% more likely to make another purchase.
Infographics
Shining a Light on Communication in the Returns Process
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When ⅔ of shoppers (65.1%) are not likely to make another purchase from a retailer if they have a poor returns experience, the stakes are extremely high for retailers. Download our white paper to learn what 1,500 shoppers said gave them online returns anxieties, as well as how retailers can improve in the future.
Research
Solving Satisfaction: Keys to Reducing Online Returns Anxiety
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Of the thousands of “white glove” deliveries happening each month for Neiman Marcus and other retailers, at least one in 10 faces a delivery problem. Within a month of using Convey's software, Neiman Marcus was able to resolve exceptions and reduce transit time by 24%.
News
Neiman Marcus Turns to Technology to Solve Home-Delivery Exceptions
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Convey announced the availability of new and improved carrier performance data and exception management tools for its customers. These capabilities give shippers greater visibility and control over delivery networks; empower shippers to proactively manage shipping cases.
Press Releases
Convey Unveils Exception Management and Carrier Data Tools
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The Morning Star reports on Convey's new carrier performance feature and exception management tools. The solution benchmarks individual carrier performance against other providers in the customer’s carrier network, using key metrics such as transit times, on-time delivery, and delivery against the promised-by date.
News
Convey Releases Improved Carrier Reporting and Exception Management To...
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In a time when shippers are held to increasingly higher service standards, Convey announced new carrier performance score cards and exception management tools. In this interview between Convey CEO, Rob Taylor, and Logistics Management's Jeff Berman, the two discuss how to connect disparate data systems and proactively manage exceptions.
News
Convey Unveils Exception Management and Carrier Data Tools
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We are excited to join supply chain leaders at 2018 RILA's Retail Supply Chain Conference in Dallas on Feb. 25-28 to discuss the latest trends and solutions in fulfillment, delivery, and customer engagement. As you're going through the RILA agenda, check out our top 11 sessions during the show.
Events
Top 11 Sessions at the RILA Retail Supply Chain Conference
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While retailers move through brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, “digital first” and omnichannel strategies, consumers are demanding a seamless, personalized shopping experience. Retail success lies in creating a memorable customer journey while still maintaining the bottom line.
News
Delivery Experience Key to Retail Success, Survey Reveals
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We surveyed 1,500 consumers who did their holiday shopping online during peak season and did a deep dive of our own data during the holiday. Learn what shoppers said they needed from holiday delivery and how to work toward more exception resolutions in 2018.
Blog
Exception Resolutions for 2018
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2017 was a pivotal year for dozens of Austin startups. So which companies will emerge with big moves in 2018? We’ve been exploring that question by reading through our 2017 coverage, talking with investors and founders and looking at some of the larger trends in tech.
News
18 Austin Startups to Watch in 2018
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With peak season deliveries shattering record numbers, 4 out of 10 shoppers are planning on doing the majority of their shopping online during the holidays. In order to accommodate these power shoppers’ delivery demands, it’s necessary to get into their heads.
Infographics
Delivery Expectations of the Online Power Shopper
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40 percent of people said that delivery represents the single most decisive factor in the shopping experience. And those delivery issues definitely affect retailers, costing them more than $333 million over this year’s holiday shopping season.
News
Report: Efficient Delivery Drives Consumer Holiday Retailer Decisions
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A new study shows that delivery issues cost retailers big -- $1.5 billion, specifically. This was according to “Commitment, Communication and Control: The Modern Customer Delivery Imperative,” a report from Convey.
News
Delivery issues cost retailers more than $1.5 billion in lost revenue
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When 32% of shoppers are more likely to blame a retailer for a bad delivery experience during the holiday season, nailing the delivery experience is imperative to ensure that shoppers return in January and beyond. Holiday shoppers are prepared to spend more in 2017, but their delivery expectations amplify, especially as December 25th looms closer.
Infographics
Holiday Wish List: All I Want is My Delivery
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When it comes to the online holiday shopping experience, delivery trumps everything. That’s according to a new survey by active delivery management platform Convey in which 40% of consumers report that delivery is the single most decisive factor of the shopping experience.
News
The most important factor of online holiday shopping is…
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The survey of 1,500 shoppers identified the importance of date commitments, proactive shipment updates, and the expectation that retailers will resolve shipping issues and provide more convenient customer self-service options, as top priorities.
Press Releases
Retail Survey: 52% of Shoppers Prioritize Knowing an EDD over Cost
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In order to find out customers' delivery demands during the holidays and throughout the rest of the year, we surveyed 3,000 people in two surveys. We found that consumers have three main asks for retailers: show them commitment, communication, and give them more control.
Research
The Modern Customer Delivery Imperative
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The retailer-shopper relationship is a powerful bond -- shoppers are 73% more likely to return if they have a positive delivery experience -- but yet these relationships often fail. Like any great relationship, the primary key to success is to communicate actively and often. Read on to learn how. Read on to learn how shoppers want retailers to communicate with them.
Infographics
Communication 101: Successful Shopper-Retailer Relationships
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Family Leisure has launched the full capabilities of Convey Engage, enabling it to understand, prioritize, and proactively solve issues before customers call, saving valuable time and money and a providing a more rewarding customer experience.
Case Studies
Family Leisure Reduces Costs, Improves Delivery Communication
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"We're no longer in the Wild West of shipping decisions."
In honor of our new features as well as the one-year Convey anniversary of our VP of Product, Matt Howitt, we collected questions from Convey users and employees. Check out what Matt said about his career, Convey's new features, and what the future of delivery could look like.
Blog
Ask Me Anything: Matt Howitt, VP of Product
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Just ahead of the holiday season, simplified carrier collaboration and customizable shipping alerts are available to help businesses take steps toward shipping communication and proactive resolution.
Press Releases
Retailers can now scale proactive resolution of shipping exceptions
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This September, delivery headlines focused on who could get the closest to beating Amazon at its own game. In a tight race where Amazon, Walmart, and Target are making big acquisitions, it is clear that customers will be the judges (and hopefully the winners!) of a busy peak season.
Newsletters
September 2017 Delivery Digest
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With over 100 workshops, CSCMP has established itself as the leader of the pack when it comes to supply chain thought leadership. We are excited to be joining leaders in Atlanta next week to discuss how visibility into the supply chain affects customer fulfillment.
Events
CSCMP Edge 2017
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Ensure the best customer delivery experience every time. Download our action guide to learn how to identify common retail shipping exceptions, know when and how to react, and fill in a worksheet to personalize the action plan to your organization.
Research
Prepping for peak: A delivery action guide for retail
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Last week, Gulf Coast residents and businesses have courageously endured through the unprecedented wind and rain brought by Hurricane Harvey. Carriers all over the world have also begun to feel its impact. With over 50 inches of rain in Houston, refineries are flooded, pipelines are shut off, ports have closed, and trucking has come to a halt. The sun has finally come out, but many areas remain flooded. Even where the water has receded, significant flood damage has rendered infrastructure unusable.
We analyzed our exceptions data since Harvey reached land in order to help shippers better understand how Hurricane Harvey will affect them. We found not only a large effect in Texas, but significant impacts many states away.
Blog
Dealing with Harvey: A story of visibility and exception management
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Austin tech startups have had a strong 2017, so far, according to new data compiled by Pitchbook and the National Venture Capital Association. Area startups raised more than $486M in Q2 this year — that’s 73% more than Q2 2016. And, looking at the first six months combined, the ABJ reports that Austin startups drew $675M through the end of June — up from $551M in the first half of 2016. Austin Inno writes about tech and startup funding deals in the Beat newsletter, where we also report all of the day’s top Austin tech and startup news and share links to other interesting stories. Now, here’s a look at the top deals Austin Inno's seen through SEC filings and company announcements in August.
News
The Biggest Funding Rounds and Acquisitions for Austin Tech Startups i...
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Many Amazon.com Inc. customers have become accustomed to reliable two-day shipping, forcing other retailers to offer similar service. Businesses are making new demands of their suppliers as they trim inventories and reduce supply-chain costs.
News
Amazon Effect Sparks Deals for Software-Tracking Firms
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Convey Inc., an Austin logistics startup, announced the closing of an $8.25 million series B round of funding. Convey also announced an agreement with California-based Ingram Micro Inc., a wholesaler of information-technology products and services.
News
Austin’s Convey raises $8M, inks deal with global company
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A supply chain visibility and communication company has secured $8.25 million in Series B funding from Techstars Venture Capital Fund, RPM Ventures, and other investors in a round of funding just announced. The new investments bring the total funding to $15.75 million for Convey, which describes itself as a “customer-centric delivery platform.”
News
Supply Chain Visibility Firm Convey to Enter New Verticals
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The Austin Chamber of Commerce announced winners of its 17th Annual Greater Austin Business Awards. The awards were presented during ceremonies held on Wednesday evening at the Hilton Austin in front of about 1,000 attendees. Close to 500 companies were nominated for the Chamber’s Business Awards. The winners were selected by an independent panel of judges except for the Most Uniquely Austin Award, which was selected by open public voting.
News
Greater Austin Business Awards Finalists Revealed
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Convey will integrate its cloud-based shipping software with a last-mile delivery application from Ingram Micro Commerce & Fulfillment. Under the agreement, Austin, Texas-based Convey will provide its Engage product—a customer delivery experience management tool—and its Initiate product, a transportation planning and management application, Convey said. Those applications will now be connected with Ingram Micro's First Mile and Final Mile solutions, which provide services spanning from order management and fulfillment to transportation management.
News
Convey Integrates with Ingram Micro Commerce & Fulfillment
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Convey, an Austin-based shipping software provider and Techstars alum, announced on Tuesday that it has raised a $8.25 million Series B. The funding came from Techstars Venture Capital Fund, RPM Ventures and a handful of individual investors.
News
Convey Continues Hiring Spree following $8.25M Series B
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Amazon has experimented with delivery models including lockers, robots, and drones to ship products faster. It has differentiated itself with superior logistics and has heightened consumer expectations for the whole industry.
In a competitive market, online retailers have sought out ways to act fast when a delivery issue is flagged. Convey sits at the intersection of the retailer, 3rd party carrier, and the customer — bringing transparency to retailers’ complex logistics backend. Convey powers a customized delivery experience including order tracking, delivery estimates, and return handling.
News
In the E-commerce Race, Delivery Wins
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Press Releases
Convey Closes $8.25 Million in Series B Funding
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We asked several Austin startup veterans, venture capitalists, and technical recruiters what they think it will take for today’s Austin startups to fill their talent pipelines with the best of the best. Here’s what they had to say.
News
State of Hiring at Austin Startups, With Advice from the Top
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How deeply an executive thinks about culture and leadership influences my assigned probabilities for a company’s success. As a banker, a board member, on the executive team, and now a mentor to startups, there are several tells — some more reliable than others — and attention to leadership and culture is an important one. Check out what 6 CEOs, including Rob Taylor of Convey, have to say about how culture powers performance.
News
Top CEOs on Culture and Leadership
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Convey, the leading customer-centric delivery platform, and eft Supply Chain & Logistics Business Intelligence announced the results of a retail study examining the importance of customer experience (CX) in final-mile delivery, and the impact of CX on supply chain performance and decision-making.
The report also includes expert commentary from Willis Weirich of Neiman Marcus, Kevin Scott of Build.com, Joseph Bobko of Boxed Wholesale, and Jim Hourigan of BuildDirect on how they approach the challenges and opportunities of digital disruption in today’s retail supply chain operations.
Press Releases
Customer Experience Now A Top Priority in Supply Chain Operations
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“We’ve got a unified experience that feels like it’s all coming from UncommonGoods. That is one of best benefits for the customer. We can try new things and new carriers and the customer gets a consistent experience."
Testimonials
“Convey really shines on the operational side.”
In the retail world, delays, damages, and goods simply not arriving at all top the list of customer complaints. These issues are never more frustrating than around the holidays.
Last month, Father’s Day gift givers placed orders with hundreds of retailers around the country. If you were a customer of online retailer UncommonGoods, you didn’t have to worry about missing your deadline. Rather than rely on customer service reps to field late shipment calls, the UncommonGoods team used data to proactively identify shipments that would miss their Father’s Day promise date.
News
Radicalizing Customer Support in a World Full of Service Nightmares
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While most retailers understand the importance of providing consistently positive CX, many struggle with legacy technology that fails to address customer experience needs, according to a new study by Convey and eft, “Redefining Final Mile Delivery in the Age of the Customer.”
News
Customer Experience A Top Priority in Supply Chain Operations
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Gartner’s vice president of Retail Research Mike Griswold will moderate the panel, which will focus on last mile strategies and best practices to improve the delivery experience for customers. Read the release to learn how to attend.
Press Releases
Convey Joins BuildDirect, Rent the Runway, PwC on D3 Panel
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Investors everywhere favor people they know. But in smaller markets, where there are usually only a few sizable venture capital firms, that favoritism starts to feel like an old boys' club, limiting opportunities for first-time founders. Until recently that problem was especially acute in Austin where one firm, Austin Ventures, dominated the local VC market, until its dissolution two years ago. The pool is wider now, but the insiders-only challenge persists. Here's how one entrepreneur figured out the formula.
News
How This CEO Became the Darling of the Austin VC World
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Retailers are having a hard time updating their supply chain systems and technologies to keep up with the new reality of heightened customer expectations in an era of digital disruption but are feeling increased pressure to do so quickly, according to a new survey from Convey.
The survey, which polled supply chain executives from 200 retailers, found the convergence of customer experience (CX) and supply chain is forcing companies to rethink legacy technologies and processes as they adapt to the new anytime, anywhere, anyhow shopping paradigm.
News
Customer Experience a Key Aspect of Retail Supply Chain Operations
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Optimizing the supply chain is a challenge — for some, more than others. Analysts say that corporate investment in cloud-based supply chain management tools will witness massive growth over the next few years, and businesses could potentially save billions by more efficient supply chain management.
New research from Convey and eft Supply Chain & Logistics Business Intelligence concluded that the customer experience is becoming of far greater importance than it was in the past for supply chain professionals. 70% of supply chain professionals target better decision-making on in-transit issues.
News
Everyone Struggles With Supply Chain Management
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Amazon isn't content just being the everything store. Increasingly, it looks like it wants to be its own deliveryman, too. You could see a scenario in the future where they perfected their delivery network and become a carrier for other retailers, said Rob Taylor, CEO of Convey.
News
Amazon increasingly wants to be its own deliveryman
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Although apps exist to match startup founders looking for romance with other entrepreneurs, there isn’t an app (yet) that matches founders looking for co-founders to start a business together. So how do co-founders find one another? And how do they know when they found “the right one?”
News
How 5 Sets of Austin Tech Co-founders Met and their Advice
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In episode 90 of Total Retail Talks, MC Halfpenny, director of operations at UncommonGoods, an online retailer of unique gifts and creative home decor, talks about how proactive customer support is helping the company to improve the order delivery process. Halfpenny shares details about the support process at Uncommon Goods, the business benefits it has helped deliver, and offers advice for other retailers looking to improve the product delivery experience for its customers.
Podcasts
Proactive Support Delivers Results for UncommonGoods
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To what extent can technology enhance visibility? Where is it necessary to tow the line between improving experience and maintaining costs?
We answer all of these questions and more in our podcasts -- sign up to gain immediate access.
Research
Redefining Final Mile Delivery in the Age of the Customer
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In the retail world, delays top the list of customer complaints. Leading up to Father’s Day, the UncommonGoods team used data to proactively identify shipments that would miss their promise date, rather than rely on customer service reps to field late shipment calls.
Blog
UncommonGoods: Radicalizing CX In A World of Nightmares
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Blog
Finding Your Delivery Sweet Spot: Knowing What Services to Offer When
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The Austin Tech Alliance continues to expand its roster of founding companies as it tries to turn the region's sizable technology workforce into a voting bloc capable of affecting local policy. The nonprofit announced that it added six more founding member companies to its rolls.
News
Founding Member Companies from Austin Tech Alliance
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The Austin Tech Alliance continues to expand its roster of member companies as it tries to turn the region's sizable technology workforce into a voting bloc capable of affecting local policy. The nonprofit announced Monday that it added six more "founding member" companies to its rolls.
News
Austin Tech Alliance adds more founding companies
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The majority of big item home deliveries require a delivery appointment, whether that’s a curbside, threshold or white glove service selected by the customer. This part of the delivery experience is one of the most prone to failure, with carriers struggling to connect with customers, and shipments consigned at destination terminals, racking up costs and inefficiencies. Customers expect a better experience and retailers must deliver it.
Technology has a role to play in providing a positive customer experience, but what that looks like is still evolving.
Blog
Tactics that Make or Break the Home Delivery Appointment
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Whether it's last mile partners optimizing their operations or retailers optimizing their customer service processes, this month was all about improving the customer experience. Check out the headlines to catch up on what happened this month.
Newsletters
E-mail Monthly Delivery Digest – May 2017
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While most retailers understand the importance of providing a consistently positive customer experience, many struggle with legacy technology that fails to address customer experience (CX) needs for e-commerce deliveries. This issue is compounded by the desire to invest in innovation without sacrificing traditional operational metrics.
News
Final-mile customer experience challenging retailers
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Techstars Austin first rolled onto the tech scene in 2013, and it's been spinning out its fair share of innovative ideas and savvy startups ever since. As recent as this week, 10 additional startups joined the alumni group, topping off the Spring 2017 program with a demo day.
News
7 tech startups that saw major success after TechStars Austin
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The e-tailing group has conducted an annual mystery shopping report to document the evolution of ecommerce since 1996. The report, 20/20 Vision: Looking Forward by Looking Back at 20 Years of Digital Shopping Innovation, brings together two decades of ecommerce research and analysis to illustrate the digital accomplishments that have made the biggest impact on the customer experience.
News
20th Annual Mystery Shopping Report Analyzes Evolution of Ecommerce Over the Past Two Decades
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The delivery headlines were focused on high profile acquisitions like Modcloth, news of new drone usage plans by both Amazon and Walmart, and the implications of proposed changes to tax policy for retailers. Catch up on what happened this month!
Newsletters
E-mail Monthly Delivery Digest, July 2016
Read the Newsletter
The coolest innovations to hit the market make our lives easier, our businesses smoother, and connect us with things we never knew we wanted but now could never do without. At CreditDonkey, we believe in being smart with your money. This means that when you do have enough money to part with, you spend and invest it wisely, with full awareness of what companies and innovations are the best. These are companies you will want to watch in the months ahead.
News
Best in Retail 2017: Top Business Innovators
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Shopper expectations are on the rise and delivery experiences can make or break a brand. Unfortunately, delivery disasters are rampant with half of all customers experiencing an issue each year. Unacceptable delivery options are one of the top two causes of abandoned carts, and 70% of shoppers are unlikely to return to a retailer after a negative delivery experience.
Learn how Convey can help ensure customers keep returning.
Product Docs
Convey Product One Pager
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Austin’s venture capital scene is now healthy after a slowdown the past few years, panelists said Tuesday during a SXSW Conference & Festivals session on the subject. Panelists said that the city started to turn a corner in the amount of money being funneled into local startups in 2012.
News
Austin Venture Capital Funding Stabilizing after Dropoff
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In a study, Eft and Convey asked 200 supply chain retail executives about the importance of CX in final-mile delivery and how this affects supply chain performance. 66% of retail supply chain executives say that their existing systems do nothing to improve the customer delivery experience.
News
Retailers Concerned with Current Systems in the Final Mile
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Until a few years ago after reading the book “The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger”, I didn’t fully grasp just how important and complex the shipping industry truly was. Now, I realize just how significant it is which has lead to a fascination with where the industry is headed. From Drone deliveries to shipping via blimps, it’s clear change is coming but it’s not so clear what the change will all mean.
To find how what’s going to happen in the industry, we asked experts the question: “What’s the future of shipping?” Find out what we learned!
News
How Will Technology Change The Shipping Industry?
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While most retailers understand the importance of providing a consistently positive customer experience (CX), many struggle with legacy technology that fails to address CX needs—an issue compounded by the desire to invest in innovation without sacrificing traditional operational metrics, according to new research from customer-centric delivery platform Convey and eft Supply Chain & Logistics Business Intelligence.
News
CX Is Now a Top Priority in Retail Supply Chain Operations
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While most retailers understand the importance of providing a consistently positive customer experience, many struggle with legacy technology that fails to address customer experience needs, according to a new study, Redefining Final Mile Delivery in the Age of the Customer, released on February 14.
News
Customer Experience Now a Top Priority in Supply Chain Operations
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A survey of 200 retail supply chain professionals was commissioned by logistics software firm Convey and conducted by supply chain and logistics business intelligence event management company eyefortransport Ltd. (EFT). 56% said that CX measurement is key to their operational decisions.
Retailers are calling for better customer experience of last-mile parcel delivery, but their current technologies are not addressing that need.
News
Retailers call for better customer service in last-mile delivery
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In these exclusive podcasts, retailers discuss: The role and importance of CX in home delivery and how that impacts supply chain performance, to what extent technology can enhance visibility, and how to strike a balance between improving experience and maintaining costs.
Fill out the form to gain immediate access to the podcasts.
Podcasts
Podcasts: Redefining Home Delivery in the Age of the Customer
Listen to the Podcast
Startups have a smaller chance of getting into some of the nation's most competitive accelerator and incubator programs than high school graduates do of getting accepted into top-tier schools like Harvard.
It's a pretty impressive stat, but with a handful of incubator and accelerator programs throughout Austin, there are a ton of startups that have local programs to thank for some stage of their entrepreneurial journey. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of Austin’s notable startups that have since graduated and evolved into successful businesses.
News
19 Austin startups that graduated from local accelerators
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Convey announced a new customer portal in Convey Initiate that makes it easier for shoppers to request and schedule pick-up of large-item returns online. The new features help retailers optimize carrier selection and process return requests more efficiently.
Press Releases
Convey Debuts Self-Service Portal for Large-Item Returns
See Full Press Release
“At Living Direct we are always looking for new ways to differentiate. When we came across Convey’s Intelligent Fulfillment Platform it was obvious that it could have a significant impact on the experience we offer our customers. We are most excited about the opportunities we have to leverage Convey’s carrier intelligence to improve the experience both at checkout and beyond.”
Testimonials
“We are always looking for new ways to differentiate.”
This January, focus has shifted to 2017 trends and how to prepare for what's to come. We’ll give you some hints: Some headlines will be on post-purchase communication, the changing role of logistics, and achieving full-chain visibility. Check out January’s biggest news!
Newsletters
E-mail Monthly Delivery Digest – January
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As an exclusively eCommerce home appliances retailer, Living Direct relies on superior customer experiences to differentiate from the competition. Using Convey, Living Direct has seen the shipments handled by a single carrier shift by as much as 76% over the course of 6 months.
Case Studies
Living Direct Improves CX, Returns Efficiency with Convey
See Case Study
Now that we've recovered from the most recent holiday season, it's time to start looking at what went right with the retail shipping experience—and what could be improved. Convey, a company specializing in improving shipment delivery, reviewed shipments across its customer base from the 2016 holiday season, and included some of its findings in an infographic.
News
The 2016 Retail Holiday Delivery Experience [Infographic]
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How did shoppers react to their holiday delivery experience in 2016, and what were the weak and strong spots for retailers? What kind of complaints did they have, and what areas do retailers need to shore up to improve their performance in 2017? To help understand this important area better, Convey has put together an infographic with data pulled from various sources. It details holiday 2016 delivery consumer sentiment on how their deliveries turned out, who gets the blame when things go wrong (hint: it’s hardly ever the carrier) and tips for making this year a better overall customer experience on the back end.
News
What Shoppers Thought of the 2016 Holiday Delivery Experience
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As we wrap up the 2016 holiday, we wanted to reflect on performance this season and provide tips for 2017.
As we round out the good, the bad, and the ugly customer experiences in retail holiday delivery, check out our predictions for the next year.
Infographics
The 2016 Retail Holiday Delivery Experience
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Instant gratification may be the new expectation, but most retailers are struggling to keep up. The reality is the challenge to sustainably satisfy these demands is only getting more difficult. Based on Convey’s analysis, approximately 10 percent of packages are in some form of distress.
News
4 Delivery Tips for Satisfying Increasingly Impatient Online Shoppers
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According to a report by InsuranceQuotes.com, 23 million Americans had packages stolen from their doorsteps before they could open them. While we saw piracy spikes during heavy delivery periods like this past holiday season, thieves target unattended goods year round.
News
4 Steps To Defend Your Brand Against Porch Pirates
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As we wrap up 2016 and prepare for 2017, we wanted to revisit the year in deliveries. How did retailers perform? What were consumers biggest demands? What can retailers do to prepare for next year? Check out this year's biggest delivery stories below.
Newsletters
E-mail Monthly Delivery Digest – December 2016
Read the Newsletter
Blog
5 Steps to Take Control of the Delivery Experience in 2017
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2016 has been a tremendous year for Convey, since our official debut of our new brand in May, we have continued to disrupt the delivery space and make a difference in the experiences our clients offer. Here are some of our milestones as we prepare for another great year in 2017.
Blog
2016: A Great Year for Delivery
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For retailers across the country, it finally felt like Christmas, even without snow. Holiday sales came late and came on strong in the days just preceding December 25th, and store executives anticipate a vigorous run of gift-card redemptions, winter clearances and some early spring fashion in the days before New Year’s.
However, 70% of shoppers won’t return after a single poor experience. In the week before Christmas, 1 out of 5 shoppers received packages late, and 1 out of 25 last-minute deliveries scheduled to arrive before Christmas Eve didn’t make their destinations in time.
News
Retail Report Card: Smoother Ending to Choppy Holiday Season
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Americans return more than $260 billion in goods each year, according to data provided by Optoro. Holiday gift-giving means there will be plenty of holiday returns. While shoppers used to head back to stores to exchange presents, many will be sending their returns back the way they were purchased: through e-commerce channels.
E-commerce has made it easy for consumers to be indecisive without financial consequence -- for the shopper. For retailers, it is a different story. Free shipping and returns aren't just about the cost of getting things from one place to another.
News
How Free Returns on Online Purchases are Crippling Retailers
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As we enter the home stretch of the holiday season, Convey has been keeping an eye on delivery trends over the last four weeks, since the season’s official kickoff on Thanksgiving. Recent news indicates a disappointment in the customer delivery experience as eCommerce orders rose above traditional levels, yet carriers and retailers struggled to keep up.
Not all is lost however, here are some steps retailers and shoppers can take to curb expectations and prevent disappointment in the final days of holiday shopping.
Blog
Holiday Delivery Trends: How To Guard Against Disappointment
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Expect “Super Saturday” to emerge as the biggest volume day of the year, fueling retailers’ confidence of meeting holiday projections. However, higher rates of online shopping, where transactions are seen as less profitable than bricks-and-mortar, will dig into the bottom line.
News
Retailers Predict a ‘Super’ Saturday and Rush for Gifts in Season Finale
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Many remember Christmas 2013 when many gifts never made it to homes in time. Carrier-reported issues increased from 7.6 percent during Thanksgiving week to 12.5 percent last week, according to Convey, who advises retailers to alert customers to potential delays.
News
Will Santa’s helpers deliver gifts in time for Christmas?
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Carriers powering through that last mile, the final delivery approach, can be the bane of existence for retailers. An October survey of 558 online shoppers by Dotcom Distribution found 47% of respondents decided to not shop again at a retailer due to poor delivery experiences.
A proactive approach to managing fulfillment is the focus of the Austin based logistics software company Convey, which focuses on delivering large items like washing machines and works with Jet.com, Build.com and Livingdirect.com.
News
Shipment Visibility is Critical for Retailers, Customers
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The 50 on Fire competition started with hundreds of nominees. A few weeks later, a batch of 22 of Austin’s most accomplished innovators analyzed them all and picked 50 of the hottest Austin tech startups and entrepreneurs.
Now, here’s a list of the winners of 50 on Fire.
News
Here Are The 2016 50 on Fire Winners
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Last week we shared shopper feedback insights on how retailers performed over the holiday weekend. This week we revisit this data, including the record-breaking Cyber Monday sales, to investigate how well shopper feedback aligned to carrier-reported shipping issues.
Blog
Holiday Recap: Carriers and Shoppers Disagree on the Delivery Experien...
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Finding a mentor can be a tricky step in the launch of a new business, and it's one that shouldn't be taken lightly. A mentor at Techstars, Rob Taylor has been the first employee of seven startups over the past 20 years, filling just about every early stage role.
News
8 Austin Tech Leaders Offer Advice for Finding a Startup Mentor
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Remember “If you build it, they will come”? That may be true, but the real questions are “When?” and “How much will it cost?”
Answers to those questions are imperative for any retailer shipping merchandise, but moreso for online merchants like Build.com, an online home improvement retailer whose high freight costs and limited control of more than 400 distribution centers were nibbling away at its bottom line until partnering with Convey, a cart-to-door delivery platform that enhances the customer experiences and prevents profits from flying out the door.
News
Build.com Avoids E-commerce Headaches with Intelligent Shipping
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Supply chain and logistics tech companies have seen funding go up significantly over the past few years as the category gains momentum. Smart money VCs and corporate venture arms are both participating in the space, and full-year run-rate projections estimate over $5B will be invested across 315 deals in 2016, representing annual highs for both deals and dollars.
The CB Insights database was used to create a market map of supply chain and logistics private technology companies attacking the space.
News
150+ Companies Attacking The Supply Chain & Logistics Space
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Heading into the holiday weekend spirits were high, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) 154 million people made purchases over the extended holiday weekend, up from 151 million a year ago. The standout statistic was the record-breaking online sales as shoppers scoped out deals online. Increasing online sales mean increased pressure for logistics teams to perform.
We know that retailers and carriers have been prepping all year to improve performance this holiday season – so how did they do?
Blog
Shoppers Give Feedback on Thanksgiving Shopping Weekend Deliveries
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With Cyber Monday deliveries being shipped out and the holidays right around the corner, check out how to defend your e-commerce brand as a growing amount of customers use your sites, and find out how to match customers’ demand this time of year.
Newsletters
Monthly Delivery Digest – July
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Retailers are looking for solutions that will deliver the experiences consumers demand as well as operational efficiency that they need. Analysis across Convey’s clients found that 8-12% of shipments have a carrier-reported issue and 25% of those are actionable.
News
From Reactive to Proactive: A Logistics Command Center for Retailers
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The clock is quickly ticking away to the holidays, as consumers are making their shopping lists and preparing their wallets for the festive season ahead. During a time when expectations, volume, and emotion around deliveries are at an all-time high, the effect of failures are multiplied. From broadening delivery options to communicating more effectively with carriers and customers, Convey and Multichannel Merchant lay out a few simple, best practices to make note of before hitting the green light on your holiday delivery strategy.
Blog
Defending Your Brand During The Holidays
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From broadening delivery options to communicating more effectively with carriers and customers, Convey and Multichannel Merchant lay out a few simple, best practices to make note of before hitting the green light on your holiday delivery strategy.
Blog
Defending Your Brand During The Holidays
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"Convey’s Engage solution will give our team all the information we need to go from reactive to proactive while also providing us with the tools to communicate with all relevant parties within the same view.”
Testimonials
“Convey had an immediate impact on our supplier drop ship program”
Logistics software firm Convey has launched an online platform that lets e-commerce retailers manage in-transit shipments and address shipping snarls before they affect consumers. Retailers using the Engage platform are notified of delay or damage before customers are affected.
News
Convey Launches Retail Shipment-Tracking Software
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Analysis across Convey’s client base have found as many as 8-12% of shipments will have a carrier-reported issue and roughly 25% of these issues are actionable.
Through Convey's all-in-one command center Engage, retailers gain the ability to proactively solve these shipment issues before customers ask, ultimately saving the retailer money and improving the customer experience. By connecting all aspects of the delivery experience, retailers are able to understand, prioritize and solve issues as they happen.
News
New Engage Solution Delivers All-In-One Logistics Command Center
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Convey, providers of the first enterprise platform focused exclusively on the end-to-end customer delivery experience, today announced the launch of its Engage product, an all-in-one logistics command center for managing in-transit shipments.
Analysis across Convey’s client base has found as many as 8-12% of shipments will have a carrier-reported issue and roughly 25% of these issues are actionable. Through Engage, retailers gain the ability to proactively solve these shipment issues before customers ask, saving the retailer money and improving the customer experience.
Press Releases
Convey Debuts Engage Solution, Logistics Command Center
See Full Press Release
“Delivering exceptional customer experiences while still improving our overall operational efficiency is critical to our long-term goals. We are excited by the opportunity that Convey’s Engage solution creates for us to proactively address the issues that occur during the final-mile of delivery to our customers.”
Testimonials
“Delivering exceptional experiences… is critical”
Every day in the Austin Inno Beat newsletter, we bring you an update on the most important personnel changes in Austin’s tech scene: Convey, the delivery logistics software company, appointed Matt Howitt as its new Vice President of Product.
News
The 5 Biggest Austin Tech Hires in October
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March 19-22, 2017 / Las Vegas, NV
Last year's inaugural Shoptalk event was a huge success and quickly positioned it as the new must-attend event for eCommerce. We are excited to be attending again in 2017 and look forward to an agenda full of innovative, thought-leading content. If you are attending and would like to schedule time to meet up, fill out the form and someone from our team will be in touch!
Events
Shoptalk 2017
Schedule a Meeting
January 15-17, 2017 / New York City, NY
Truly the biggest event in retail, we are excited to be joining over 33,000 attendees at the 2017 Big Show! If you are attending and would like to schedule time to meet up, fill out the form and someone from our team will be in touch!
Events
NRF Retail’s Big Show 2017
Schedule a Meeting
End-to-end customer delivery experience provider Convey has appointed Matt Howitt as its new VP of Product. Howitt brings more than 20 years of experience as an executive at growing technology companies, most recently serving as SVP of Product for RetailMeNot.
News
New Product VP At Convey To Focus On E-Commerce Delivery
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A January 2016 report by technology research and advisory firm Gartner said retailers are sitting on a “ticking time bomb” due to historical underinvestment in returns management and the rising rate of returns. Today’s returns require a reverse logistics strategy that works from the consumer all the way back to the manufacturer.
Omnichannel retail has not only increased the number of returns but complicated the process, with more returns coming from more channels. Retailers need a high level of visibility into how returns move through the system.
News
Return to Sender: Omnichannel’s Pervasiveness Requires an Effici...
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When it comes to delivering a superior direct-to-customer experience, the seller needs to maintain control. It’s essential that the merchant -- whether it’s a reseller or a brand -- has the ability to follow through and support the consumer both pre- and post-sale.
Once a consumer makes a purchase decision, whom they buy it from is greatly influenced by the following factors.
Research
Transparent Customer Communication in Delivery
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With the shocking news that 42% of shoppers will choose Amazon as their main gift-buying destination this holiday, top retailers must be able to win with delivery. However, meeting shoppers' expectations is becoming increasingly difficult. We completed a survey of 500 consumers to find out what they really want from their delivery experience. Our results deliver findings on how to increase brand approval, customer trust, and operating efficiency.
Newsletters
E-mail Monthly Delivery Digest – October
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A new study by MultiChannelMerchant, sponsored by Convey, suggests that true post-purchase experience reinvention is required as consumers buy more online, particularly larger items where tracking data is often inconsistent and spread across many freight and white glove carriers.
News
Post Sale Consumer Communications Essential
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Convey announced the appointment of Matt Howitt as the company’s new Vice President of Product. Howitt will oversee Convey’s product strategy and ensure the continuous innovation of Convey’s Delivery Experience Platform to deliver solutions that align with retailer and shopper needs.
News
Convey Announces New VP Of Product, Continuing Innovation
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Rising customer expectations and competition from Amazon has spurred a near-universal race to the bottom in terms of free, fast shipping. The rush to satisfy demand, however, has left shoppers suffering from less than stellar delivery experiences.
Convey is a delivery experience platform that uses shipping data intelligence to improve these experiences cart-to-door, and recently released findings on shoppers' demands for retailers. Check them out in our infographic.
Infographics
Delivery for the Modern Shopper, Cart to Door
View the Infographic
Especially with Amazon on the rise, retailers have been playing catch-up in the e-commerce department. This month, we dive into some of the secrets of successful delivery: personalization, customer experience, efficiency, and -- oh yeah, getting there quickly.
Newsletters
Monthly Delivery Digest – September
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Let's be clear for a moment. If Amazon wanted to buy eBay, it would have three fights on its hands before even contemplating the purchase. We asked three industry experts about their views on the potentiality of such a deal and its impact.
News
What Would Happen If Amazon Bought eBay?
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Shop.org’s Retail’s Digital Summit is quickly approaching! On Sept. 26-28, more than 5,000 retail professionals will gather in Dallas, Texas, to discuss what lies ahead for the industry this holiday season. These are the sessions we are most excited about.
Blog
The Kickoff to the Holiday Retail Madness: Shop.org’s Summit
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News
As Retailers Face Higher Shipping Rates, Fulfillment Options Can Help
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On Sept. 1, UPS announced that the UPS U.S. Ground service daily rate will increase by an average net 4.9%. Additionally, UPS Freight announced an average net 4.9% general rate increase.
The most important part of this story isn’t that rates are rising. Rather, retailers need to become more effective at managing a larger network of carriers to save money, offer customers more options, and deliver a better customer experience. This focus on optimization is especially important for sellers of large-items and those items that can ship in various modes (i.e. Parcel or LTL).
News
Commentary: UPS Shipping Price Rate Hikes
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With the holidays around the corner, e-commerce purchases are off the charts -- however, consumers are wanting their products faster than ever before, and with a better experience than retailers are traditionally used to.
Download the report to learn how to improve the customer experience by owning the last mile, why you need to give holiday shoppers the shipping options they demand, and how to recognize and respond to delivery issues before they occur.
Research
Shifting the Holiday Delivery Experience Into High Gear
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This month, we tackle some of delivery’s unsolved mysteries, such as why tiny items, such as socks, come in huge packages. We’ll also dive deep into the intricacies of freight, and how to distinguish the delivery experience for these customers.
Newsletters
E-mail Monthly Delivery Digest, August 2016
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Class is in session, and it's time to learn about freight delivery. In this resource, we'll cover everything you've ever wanted to know about the subject, including how freight classifications are determined. Walk through an example of how to determine a commodity's freight class (NMFC) by considering density, handling, stowability, liability.
Download the guide to learn more. Questions, anyone?
Research
Guide to Freight Class
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August 31- September 1, 2016 / The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, San Diego, CA
We are excited to be joining over 250 attendees in beautiful San Diego for Home Delivery World West. Home Delivery World uniquely covers the entire delivery cycle from warehousing to customer door.
Events
Home Delivery World West
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August 22-24, 2016 / The Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, FL
We are excited to be joining over 65 of the world's largest retailers and brands in beautiful Coral Gables, FL for the retail delivery connect conference. Now it's 2nd year, Retail Delivery connect is a forum for senior level executives to have detailed discussions about, you guessed it, delivery.
Events
Retail Delivery Connect 2016
Schedule a Meeting
We are excited to announce NextGen’s investment in Austin-based Convey. Convey is an application software platform simplifying online retail logistics.
We as consumers have been conditioned to expect a predictable, convenient and transparent delivery experience whether we are buying a book or a large piece of furniture. If the retailer puts so much time and effort into creating an enjoyable shopping experience, why does the post-purchase experience seem so behind? Let’s dig in.
News
Reinventing the Delivery Experience for Residential Freight
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Shopper expectations are on the rise and delivery experiences can make or break a brand. Unfortunately, delivery disasters are rampant with half of all customers experiencing an issue each year. Unacceptable delivery options are one of the top two causes of abandoned carts, and 70% of shoppers are unlikely to return to a retailer after a negative delivery experience.
So… what does help a customer return to your site? Download our guide.
Research
Don’t be a Victim of Delivery Disaster
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In this month’s digest, find out if you’re a victim of delivery disaster. We also look toward the future of retail -- we’re also going to dive into how retailers are fine-tuning their shipping strategies, and we’ll give you four tips on transforming customer delivery.
Newsletters
E-mail Monthly Delivery Digest – July 2016
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It’s no secret retailers are in search of the “secret sauce” that will differentiate them from their competitors and leave a positive sentiment in their minds – while maintaining their bottom line. Retailers might be ignoring a key puzzle piece of the customer experience; the delivery.
News
How Delivery Experience Influences Consumer’s Brand Perspective
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The last step of our 4-part series is the toughest one to address. In order to fully transform customer delivery, retailers must be able to optimize the delivery experience for each customer and adapt to changes in real time. 80% of retailers are unprepared for the supply chain changes needed to meet these demands.
By gathering data on carrier performance and matching it to customer preferences, retailers can take steps to ensure each customer’s carrier experience is the best it can be.
Blog
Transform Customer Delivery Step 4: Optimize & Adapt
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Logistics company Convey announced a $4.5 million Series A round of funding today. The round was led by Silverton Partners with Techstars Ventures, Capital Factory and Corsa Ventures. The Convey solution allows retailers to improve the fulfillment process,” said Rob Taylor, CEO.
News
Austin’s Convey Lands $4.5 million to Improve E-commerce Deliver...
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Improvements taken over the last two years to improve online delivery reflect the need to get orders to shoppers’ doors more quickly. While some have opened fulfillment centers, some -- like Jet.com -- have fine-tuned return shipping to improve its customer service.
News
Making adjustments: How retailers are fine-tuning their shipping strategies
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Unlike personalization, proactive behavior is not generally associated with eCommerce. While many merchants are already taking steps towards reducing customer effort and personalizing the shipping experience, proactive steps are not happening. With customer expectations at an all time high, it’s imperative to add critical customer touch points and take proactive steps when issues arise.
In part 3 of our 4-part series, learn how retailers can turn a reactive customer experience into a proactive one and a one-time customer into a repeat buyer.
Blog
Transforming Customer Delivery, Step 3: Be Proactive
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News
Jason Roussos
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Beyond speed, the technology, and professionalism in communication, 95% report being able to track their package as important. And they want it quickly. In our June digest, let’s dive into what consumers are thinking as they click the “buy” button.
Newsletters
Monthly Delivery Digest – June 2016
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When it comes to customer perception, the delivery experience is one of the most influential factors. According to a Convey survey, 66 percent of online consumers said delivery experience is critical, and poor delivery could prompt them to use another e-commerce retailer.
News
Delivery a Big Part of Customer Experience, Reveals Survey
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Ordering an appliance online is the easy part. It's what comes next -- scheduling a delivery time or trying to get assistance if there's a dent or installation problem -- that can ruin the experience.
Austin startup Convey wants to change the way online retailers handle delivery, and it has raised $4.5 million to expand its efforts. Convey received the funding from Silverton Partners with participation from Techstars Ventures, Capital Factory and Corsa Ventures. The company has raised a total of $6.9 million.
News
Austin Team, Convey, Lands $4.5 million to Improve E-commerce
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Convey announced Wednesday it has raised $4.5 million in Series A funding. The company handles the logistics of moving large items from the store to homes and businesses, and reports its software saves retailers approx. 11 to 22% on average, on freight costs and increases on-time delivery.
News
Austin-based Convey Raises $4.5 Million in Venture Capital
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Convey announced it has raised $4.5 million in Series A funding. This $4.5 million round brings the total amount of funding raised so far to $6.9 million. The round is led by Silverton Partners with participation from Techstars Ventures, Capital Factory, and Corsa Ventures.
Press Releases
Convey Raises $4.5 million Series A to Support Retailers
See Full Press Release
Logistics company Convey announced a $4.5 million Series A round of funding today. The round was led by Silverton Partners with Techstars Ventures, Capital Factory and Corsa Ventures. The Convey solution allows retailers to improve the fulfillment process,” said Rob Taylor, CEO.
News
Convey raises $4.5M Series A to improve your delivery experience
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Convey, an Austin company that makes freight shipping and communications software, has raised a $4.5 million Series A round. The round includes $3.6 million from existing investors, including Silverton Partners, Techstars Ventures, Capital Factory and Corsa Ventures.
The company’s software helps e-commerce companies deliver products, especially large items. Their customers include Jet.com, Build.com and Austin-based Living Direct. The company says its software has led to an 11% average reduction in shipping spending and significant improvements in final-mile delivery time for big items.
News
Austin Freight Software Company, Convey, Raises $4.5M Series A
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Convey Inc., a shipping rate comparison provider, announced that it has completed a $4.5 million Series A round of funding. Investors included Silverton Partners, Techstars Ventures, the Capital Factory and Corsa Ventures. The Austin company that changed its name from Pivot Freight Inc. plans to invest the capital in its engineering work.
In early 2015, Convey enlisted as its CEO Rob Taylor, who was previously one of the founding executives of California-based TrueCar Inc. (Nasdaq: TRUE) and Austin-based BlackLocus Inc., which was acquired by Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) in late 2012.
News
Silverton Partners, Capital Factory pump $4.5M into Austin software ma...
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Personalization has been a focal point of eCommerce for the better part of the last decade. It has its roots in traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Before the rise of eCommerce, a shopper like Sally would walk into a store and choose couple outfits to try on. While she was in the dressing room, the sales associate would bring her a few other things she might like based on her previous choices.
Now that you can purchase nearly everything online, personalization is everywhere. These recommendations are based on data merchants are gathering about her preferences. It’s time to take this rich personalization data and apply it to the shipping and delivery process.
Blog
Transform Customer Delivery Step 2: Make it Personal
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“Convey halved our price forecasts and saved 15%-20% per freight.”
In 2015, Build.com wanted to implement an enterprise solution managed the end-to-end customer delivery experience. The retailer performed a pilot implementation of the Convey enterprise SaaS customer delivery platform.
News
Exclusive: Online home improvement retailer expands shipping infrastructure
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When it comes to customer delivery, shoppers have many expectations in today’s retail landscape. However, retailers are missing the mark in providing a good customer experience. Only 11% of shoppers say delivery experience is the strength of retailers today, according to a Convey study.
News
What Shoppers Want With Good Customer Delivery
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Home delivery has been all over the news this month. This is unsurprising as delivery is quickly becoming next big battleground in retail. Retailers and solution providers alike are attempting to keep pace with growing customer expectations to drive loyalty.
Missed the news? Here are a few highlights.
Blog
Home Delivery Makes Headlines
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In episode 40 of Total Retail Talks, Marshal Downey, director of direct marketing at Build.com, discusses how an intelligent fulfillment platform is helping the online home improvement retailer better meet the demands of its customers for a seamless, fast delivery experience.
Podcasts
Fulfillment Platform Helps Build.com Improve Delivery Experience
Listen to the Podcast
Convey released the findings of a consumer survey which highlights how the delivery experience shapes consumers’ opinions about a retailer and the overall customer experience. For this survey, Convey asked 500 consumers 11 questions about their experiences and expectations for delivery.
Blog
Research: Delivery Experience is a Decisive Factor When Shopping Onlin...
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A survey titled The Cost of Poor Delivery: Four Steps To Go from 'Cost Centre' To 'Competitive Advantage, released by Convey, found that 70.1% of consumers report they are unlikely to return after a poor delivery experience.
News
Delivery Decisive Factor for 66% Online Shoppers in US
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When it comes to providing a satisfactory customer experience, online retailers have to deliver on their promises. 66% of e-commerce shoppers consider delivery a decisive factor when shopping online, according to a new study by enterprise delivery experience solution provider Convey. In addition, 70% of consumers report they are unlikely to return after a poor delivery experience.
According to the survey, the customer forms impressions about the brand throughout the purchase experience, and impressions are reinforced or destroyed by the experience they receive through the delivery process.
News
The critical factor for consumers when shopping online is…
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When it comes to providing a satisfactory customer experience, online retailers have to deliver on their promises. 66% of e-commerce shoppers consider delivery a decisive factor when shopping online, according to a new study by enterprise delivery experience solution provider Convey. In addition, 70% of consumers report they are unlikely to return after a poor delivery experience.
According to the survey, the customer forms impressions about the brand throughout the purchase experience, and impressions are reinforced or destroyed by the experience they receive through the delivery process.
News
The critical factor for consumers when shopping online is…
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Convey released the findings of a consumer survey titled The Cost of Poor Delivery: Four Steps To Go from 'Cost Center' To 'Competitive Advantage, which highlights how the delivery experience shapes consumers’ opinions about a retailer and the customer experience.
Convey asked 500 consumers 11 questions about their experiences and expectations for delivery. The purpose was to understand the importance shoppers place on various aspects of the delivery experience and preferences around things like communication and issue management.
News
66% Of Shoppers Agree Delivery Experience Is Decisive Factor
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As final-mile experiences are becoming increasingly important, Convey released their findings from a consumer study on the post-purchase experience. Check out our white paper on what shoppers really want and how to delivery an e-commerce experience.
Infographics
Shoppers Share Keys to Astonishingly Good Customer Delivery
View the Infographic
According to a recent survey by technical services provider Support.com, 40% of those surveyed said that after-purchase activities like installation, technical challenges and returns are the most enduring part of their experience with the brand.
Convey recently published a white paper titled “The Cost of Poor Delivery”. Learn why the delivery process plays such a critical role in customer retention in this 4-part series.
Blog
Transform Customer Delivery Step 1: Reduce Effort
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IRCE 2016, is consistently one of the must-attend shows of the year for retailers of all sizes and roles. The sheer size of the show can be intimidating and overwhelming. Here are the must-attend sessions for anyone interested in improving the delivery experience.
Blog
The Home Delivery Guide to IRCE
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Convey has launched its Intelligent Fulfillment Platform. It draws on the company's expertise in retail, transportation, and logistics. The tool provides a customer-service portal that includes tracking, communication history, shipment scheduling and exceptions management.
News
Convey Debuts Intelligent Fulfillment Platform
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Retaining customers and growing loyalty is becoming more difficult. Customers form impressions about your brand throughout the purchase experience and these impressions are reaffirmed or destroyed by the experience they receive through the delivery experience. 70% of shoppers are unlikely to return after a poor experience. So, where to start?
Download our whitepaper to learn what shoppers have to say about expectations for delivery, and 4 steps to go from cost center to competitive advantage.
Research
The Cost of Poor Delivery
Download the Research
News
Jet.com boosts delivery performance
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Shopper expectations are on the rise and post-purchase experiences can make or break a brand. In 2016, 89% of companies expected to compete on customer experience. Customer expectations are rising; retaining and growing loyalty is becoming more difficult.
Blog
It’s Time to Stop Ignoring the Post-Purchase Experience
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Convey, providers of the first end-to-end customer delivery experience solution, announced the launch of their Intelligent Fulfillment Platform and selection by leading retailers. Check out the results across Convey’s clients, including 11% average reduction in freight spend.
Press Releases
Convey Launches New Brand and Intelligent Fulfillment Platform at Shoptalk
See Full Press Release
Blog
What’s in a Name? Our Evolution from Pivot Freight to Convey
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Build.com is the second largest online home improvement retailer, with a 1M+ product portfolio across nearly 400 suppliers. Most goods are drop shipped to customers with a heavy freight to parcel ratio.
Build.com has established a culture of innovation, which led them to Convey and our pivotSupplier platform to automate and optimize the transportation relationship with their suppliers. Supplier management was only the beginning. Build.com also engaged with pivotDashboard, our data engine that provides real-time predictive insights by the centralization of all shipment data.
Case Studies
Build.com Utilizes Convey to Reduce Freight Spend by 20%
See Case Study
Shoptalk 2016, is quickly turning into the must-attend show of the year and for good reason. With a lineup that includes some of the best in retail, technology and even Lionel Richie, what’s not to love? These are the sessions we are most excited to attend.
Blog
The Shoptalk Sessions We Are Most Excited About
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Despite the complexity that exists when shipping large-items, shopper expectations remain high. Large-item retailers face a unique set of complex and costly fulfillment challenges. This blog discusses some of these challenges and provides ways to overcome them to drive loyalty.
Blog
Overcoming The Large-Item Delivery Challenge
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This post details our initial approach to building Java-based Docker services with nothing else than Git and a Dockerfile. Hopefully, this gives you a good overview of one approach to building Java-based Docker services using the base building blocks you may start with on day 1.
Blog
Building Java-based Docker services Starting with Git and a Dockerfile
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At Pivot Freight, our current approach (part of our V1 Docker infrastructure which we'll detail in a following set of posts) is to push customizations into the containers themselves and have the least amount of configuration changes within the hosts, apart from hardening changes.
Blog
On Docker Restart Policies
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Technology and the expectations of the modern consumer are forcing a massive transformation in transportation. We are now at a tipping point as cloud, APIs, big data and even artificial intelligence rapidly make their way into transportation. With Amazon on the rise, it is a challenge to keep up with core technologies.
How do you prioritize which technologies are most urgent for your business? Looking at this topic with a hybrid customer experience and transportation lens, we have developed this “Journey to Transportation Modernization” chart.
Blog
The Urgency to Modernize Retail Transportation
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Before Convey (formally Pivot Freight), we set up a Vagrant VM with Docker to build, test, and deploy our Docker images and containers. In this post, we walk readers through a Vagrant File System Setup error that came about because of how Docker was installed.
Blog
Errors Installing Docker on an Ubuntu/Trusty64 Vagrant VM
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As the volume of items that are being purchased online increases, so does the amount and complexity of difficulties encountered by suppliers in the retail space. These businesses face a slew of problems related to delivery times, tracking and customer service, and many are in dire need of a solution.
Check out Rob Taylor’s perspective on the potential for applying predictive analytics to shipping and freight handling as the CEO of Convey.
News
The Science Of Shipping
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The supply chain is enjoying incredible change as technology, new innovative business models, and startups are changing how goods are brought to market. This graphic explores companies in the main stages of the supply chain that are flexing their muscles to give customers what they want.
News
The New Businesses Tackling Supply Chain
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Blog
Why Your Freight Routing Guide Is Obsolete
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In the beginnings of Convey (formerly Pivot Freight), we needed a stable development environment where we could quickly add new features and test code. We outline the methodologies we used to setup Vagrant in an isolated environment, either locally or hosted in the cloud.
Blog
Setting Up Personal PHP/PostgreSQL Dev Environment With Vagrant
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It is peak season again for retailers. This time of year brings excitement of acquiring new customers, delighting existing customers, and hopefully making a big splash for the brand. As shoppers, our brand loyalty runs thin, and our tolerance for disappointment is lowest during the holiday season. Following through on delivery times represents a considerable challenge.
The reality is that this is not a function of poor planning or lack of awareness. Convey (formerly Pivot Freight) analyzed a large set of data from the past holiday season and found some relevant insights.
Blog
Ecommerce Fulfillment Strategies for Peak Season
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Jason Seats has been the face of the Austin and San Antonio Techstars programs for about four years. Now, he’s stepping down from his role as managing director and handing the reins to Amos Schwartzfarb. Seats now focuses on his role as a partner in Techstars’ $150 million venture capital fund.
Austin Inno put a few questions to Seats via email about his new role, some of Techstars’ recent investments and the leaner times that are likely to come to the startup and venture capital ecosystems in Austin.
Let’s jump right in.
News
Q&A with Techstars’ Jason Seats
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Blog
Why Brilliant Retailers are Recognizing Freight as the New Competitive...
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Convey, formerly Pivot Freight, announced the appointment of Chris Richter as VP Revenue and Olivier Modica as VP Engineering. Both have track records building companies through early growth stages, and will drive next phase of growth for Pivot Freight.
Press Releases
Convey Builds out Leadership Team
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Logistics is the prime example of a changing industry – colossal, ripe for disruption and utterly opaque. And it’s about to get hit by a freight train of innovation. Check out Convey’s feature (formerly Pivot Freight) in the Ultimate Logistics Startup List.
News
The Ultimate Logistics Startup List (2015)
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Using SSH private/public keys is one of the better ways to limit and secure access to your hosts, by configuring a set of known (public) keys to allow authentication through keys instead of less secure password-based authentication. In addition, and this is the case for our setup at Pivot Freight, you would further your private hosts by disabling public network access and only allowing SSH traffic through a publicly available, hardened, host. The downside is that accessing those hosts can become tedious and repetitive.
But thankfully there is a better way: the SSH config file.
Blog
Using the SSH Config File to Simplify SSH Access
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At Convey (formerly Pivot Freight), our vision is to have every shipment in the world captured and analyzed by our platform, enabling a fully transparent, dynamic transportation ecosystem and becoming the network hub for global in-transit shipment visibility and control.
Blog
Introducing the “Beer and Dev Blog”
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We sat down with Rob Taylor, one of the Techstars mentors in Austin, to talk about his experience being an entrepreneur, moving to Austin and mentoring startups. He recently decided to join one of the Techstars companies, Convey (formerly Pivot Freight), as their CEO.
News
TechStars Mentor Becomes CEO of a TechStars Company
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Investors increased their bets on Austin technology companies in 2014, funding 115 startups and buying up 31. In total, over $993 million was invested and over $437 million was spent on tech companies. Those funding totals increased 123 percent over 2013.
News
Austin Tech Just Had One of Its Best Years Ever
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Convey, formerly Pivot Freight Inc., a cost comparison website operator, has enlisted Rob Taylor as CEO.
The Austin-based company said Monday that Taylor was previously one of the founding executives of California-based TrueCar Inc. and Austin-based BlackLocus Inc., which was acquired by Home Depot Inc. in late 2012. Taylor met the Convey founders while serving as a mentor in the Techstars incubator program in Austin, according to a company announcement. Convey, which was founded in 2013 in Phoenix, developed a rate comparison engine for freight shipping.
News
Convey names new CEO
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Now in its second year, TechStars Austin’s accelerator program definitely managed to top itself with the latest batch of graduating startups presenting at yesterday’s demo day event. This year’s crop included companies focused on homemade beer brewing, truly painless tax return filing, and an algorithm that makes shopping for clothes enjoyable for men.
Check out VentureBeat’s roundup of the 11 startups that presented at TechStars Austin’s 2014 demo day.
News
Meet the 11 ambitious startups from TechStars 2014 demo day
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Convey, formerly Pivot Freight, a Phoenix-based rate comparison engine for freight shipping, is the first Arizona company to participate in Techstars Austin, a three-month accelerator program.
Dan Bebout, Pivot Freight’s CEO and co-founder, said the company is “very honored” to be part of the competitive program, which has an acceptance rate of less than 1 percent. Pivot Freight is one of 11 startups accepted into Techstars' second program. More than 1,500 applied.
News
Phoenix startup Pivot Freight first to join Techstars Austin accelerat...
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Pivot Freight is proud to announce that we have been accepted into the Techstars Austin 2014 class along with 10 other brilliant companies. 1,500 applicants applied for these 11 spots and acceptance into the program provides funding, mentor driven feedback as well as some unbelievable perks.
Blog
Techstars in Austin 2014
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11 companies comprise the latest class of Techstars Austin. More than 1,500 startups applied for this year’s class. The program gives each startup $18,000 in seed funding, provides office space, and offers a $100,000 convertible note.
News
Techstars Austin Debuts Second Class of Startups for 3-Month Program
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If you have spent any time in the freight industry you have most likely heard the words “logistics” and “party” thrown around with various numbers attached. They represent the various layers moving outwards from the original source of the freight. Our goal with this blog is to start with some simple explanations and end at a complex new definition of where we fit into the world.
So, where does Pivot fit into this party? The answer is golden.
Blog
The Golden Spiral
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Within the LTL industry, the specific class assigned to a commodity, FAK, is most often a topic open to much scrutiny and debate. One class is chosen according to an average of all items shipped, so that the price is fair for shipper and carrier. Here, we outline the pros and cons of FAK.
Blog
FAK – Freight All Kinds: Revealed
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Blog
What’s in Our Name
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