Saving 3,000+ hours per year with ecommerce shipping automation

Simply Plastics is a UK-based supplier of plastic materials, serving the construction, retail, engineering and manufacturing sectors. They process hundreds of B2B and B2C orders each day across the UK and Europe through a high-volume e-commerce operation.

As order volumes increased, their manual carrier booking process became a bottleneck within packing and dispatch. Booking shipments required human intervention, adding time, cost and limiting the team’s ability to scale.

We redesigned and automated the workflow with a structured, AI-enabled fulfilment solution, reducing operational cost, saving time and enabling growth without increasing headcount.

Despite investment in digital systems, Simply Plastics’ shipping process remained largely manual. The team relied on handwritten notes, manual measurements and repeated data entry across multiple carrier portals, with courier choices based on individual judgement.  

Each order took around three minutes to process, adding up to over 12 hours of low-value work each day. This led to higher error rates, inconsistent carrier selection, avoidable costs, limited traceability, reliance on individual staff knowledge and a dispatch operation that struggled to scale with growth. 

While ERP integration seemed like the obvious next step, the reality was more complex.  

Parcel sizes and weights varied significantly, carrier pricing was based on detailed contracts, export shipments added extra requirements and address data wasn’t always reliable. As a result, key dispatch decisions depended on individual experience rather than consistent, structured rules.

Automating data transfer without restructuring the process would only have accelerated existing inefficiencies. The team needed a structured, intelligent workflow, to capture accurate data and apply consistent logic before the automation begins. 

We designed a secure, mobile-first platform that re-engineered the entire packing and dispatch process. The system now provides full traceability through Azure Entra ID authentication, ensuring secure access and displaying live order data from the ERP.  

The new solution guides packers through a clear, step-by-step digital workflow. It captures parcel sizes and weights, checking data in real time. Missing items or incorrect sizing are flagged automatically for the team, before validating delivery addresses.

Behind the scenes, an AI-powered engine selects the most cost-effective courier based on agreed pricing. By integrating directly with carrier systems, the solution removes manual data entry and enables reliable automation using accurate information. 

With consistent data and decision logic in place, DotCentric implemented conditional automation. Shipments that meet defined criteria, including parcel type, weight, destination and delivery requirements, are now booked automatically.

Over 60% of parcels flow through the system without human intervention, saving considerable time. To reduce shipment errors and improve visibility, a trust signal was added to the checkout process. Orders using verified, unmodified addresses can be safely automated, while others are routed for review to minimise shipping errors.