Shouldn't your business be shipping with business rules?

Logistics is the driving force behind every successful ecommerce shipping operation, while behind the scenes, the shipping engine acts as the power grid for managing all of your carrier integrations. Now, imagine fine-tuning that engine to work exactly the way you need—giving you greater control, flexibility, and precision.

That’s the power of a custom business rules engine.

We’re excited to announce that NMB’s Power Parcel now features a fully integrated business rules engine—giving you the ability to define and automate the way your unique shipping engine operates. From intelligent carrier selection to advanced order routing and inventory logic, Power Parcel with business rules puts you in command of your logistics like never before.

What are Business Rules in Supply Chain Management?

At their core, business rules are predefined instructions that guide how specific shipping processes should operate; leveraging simplified ‘if’ and ‘else’ logic determines how and when parameters are applied to your shipment, while pre- and post-triggers govern whether the rule is used before or after communicating with the carrier API. In the context of parcel shipping, these rules govern how orders are fulfilled—covering everything from carrier selection and routing to shipping label generation, for different shipment types.

Within NMB’s Power Parcel, adding business rules to your shipping process allows you to set rules based on any shipping parameter included in the shipping request to the carrier, which means you can set rules for order details like:

• Customer account

• Delivery address information

• Domestic or international shipping

• Specific carrier services

• Date and time parameters

• and more

Rule-based benefits

Designed around your specific workflows, these rules move beyond generic solutions to deliver increased efficiency, reduced costs, and a better customer experience by offering a range of strategic and operational benefits. Here’s a breakdown of the key advantages:

1. Cost Optimization: Carrier selection rules can automatically choose the most cost-effective option based on weight, destination, delivery speed, and negotiated rates. Enforcing packaging, dimensional weight, and zone-based rules avoids unnecessary surcharges.

2. Improved Efficiency & Automation: Automating shipping choices reduces manual decision-making. Streamlining operations by embedding logic for label generation, documentation, and customs handling—all while working alongside NMB's robust Packing Workbench.

3. Customization by Region, Product, or Customer Segment: Tailor shipping logic based on geography, product type, or customer tier (e.g., fragile items always ship with premium carriers; rural areas use specific services).

4. Enhanced Customer Experience: Ensures consistent delivery promises by aligning shipping methods with customer expectations by enabling dynamic shipping options at checkout based on real-time rules (e.g., Express for VIP customers).

5. Compliance & Risk Management: The engine can enforce rules for restricted items, international shipping regulations, and carrier-specific requirements, reducing the risk of fines or delays due to non-compliant shipments.

6. Scalability & Flexibility: Easily adapt to new markets, carriers, or service levels by updating rules without overhauling the system. Supports seasonal or promotional changes (e.g., holiday shipping policies).

7. Data-Driven Decision Making: Business rules can be tied to analytics, allowing for continuous improvement based on performance metrics, which enables testing of shipping strategies (e.g., comparing carrier performance or delivery times).

By embedding your operational logic into the system, these rules help ensure every action aligns with your business goals—whether that’s minimizing costs, speeding up deliveries, or improving service levels.

Business rules in practice

In August 2024, logistics teams across the U.S. faced a sudden disruption when Pitney Bowes’ Global Ecommerce division was shut down, removing a major carrier option from the USPS delivery stream. Companies using rigid, prescriptive shipping rules struggled to adapt quickly. However, those with algorithmic business rules integrated into their parcel shipping engines were able to respond immediately by:

• Automatically removing the affected carrier from their shipping logic.

• Reallocating shipments to alternative carriers based on real-time data like package weight, destination, and service availability.

• Maintaining delivery performance without manual intervention or downtime.

This flexibility was made possible by business rules engines that used shipment attributes and historical performance data to guide decisions dynamically.

The Result

By integrating a business rules logic engine into our Power Parcel shipping platform, we’ve unlocked a new level of intelligence and agility in our supply chain operations—empowering our customers to make smarter, data-driven decisions—automatically selecting the best carriers, optimizing delivery routes, and adapting to real-world disruptions with speed and precision.

Whether you're a customer expecting reliable service or a business partner seeking operational efficiency, this enhancement ensures that every shipment is guided by logic, performance data, and your unique needs. It’s not just an upgrade—it’s a strategic shift toward smarter shipping.

Want to learn more?

Contact our Sales team today to find out how we can help you boost visibility, increase flexibility, and drive operational excellence with NMB Gateway for Parcel.

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