In the late 2000s, as online ventures like Flipkart and Amazon began to gain popularity, the logistics companies available at the time were unable to handle the sheer volume and distribution of orders being processed on a regular basis.
Both took matters into their own hands and created their own in-house logistics infrastructure. The result of Flipkart’s ingenuity was Ekart, which currently continues to process 12 million monthly shipments for eCommerce businesses.
Since 2009, Ekart has extended its reach to nearly 15000 pin codes across India. Today it stands as one of the largest 4PL service providers in India, offering a wide range of B2B and E2E solutions in addition to retail.
It provides next-day delivery (NDD) to over 50 Indian cities and same-day delivery (SDD) to 13. Ekart is known for optimizing customer experience while providing businesses with affordable shipping rates.
Features Offered Through Ekart API Integration
Though Ekart was originally created as an internal logistics infrastructure for FlipKart, this supply chain giant expanded its operations to serve a significantly wider range of enterprises.
Since its inception over 15 years ago, the key services it provides has grown to include refurbishment and repacking, as well as offering instant access to Tier 1 cities.
Using API integrations with Ekart, online retailers can offer their customers multiple payment modes and delivery options. Express delivery can also be enjoyed on a B2B scale, in addition to warehousing and dropshipping facilities.
This carrier additionally offers multi-modal transportation for heavy or bulk units. These services are supported by a network of 70+ warehouses and 7000+ trucks, as well as access to 20+ airports for speedy distribution.
Different Ekart API Integrations
Ekart, much like other top carriers, uses a wide variety of API integrations like the Ekart courier shipping API integration, to process shipments in a speedy manner, keep costs low, and keep customers happy.
API integrations are a vital part of nearly any online venture, from social media platforms to shipping platforms.
They act as software intermediaries, passing information and pushing functionality as programmed. Every shipping company makes use of different types of shipping API integrations to provide certain basic services to enterprises in an automated manner, reducing the time taken to fulfill orders. These common API integrations are:
1)Tracking API Integration
The Ekart Tracking API Integration plays one of the most important roles in the shipping process. Tracking orders not only helps ecommerce companies monitor their performance and that of their carriers, but this API also ensures regular status updates are pushed to customers. This helps to reduce anxiety for customers while waiting for their order to be delivered.
2)Order Manifestation and Waybill Generation API Integration
Order manifestation first requires the order to be created on the shipping partners platform. After one API integration takes care of that, another processes and generates the AWB (airway bill).
The shipping label is then also printed through this process and the order is finally assigned for delivery. Automating this process through API integrations speeds up the delivery process.
3)Cancellation API Integration
When an order is canceled, a mechanism must be kept in place to ensure that these canceled orders are processed before reaching the first delivery location.
Otherwise, there stands a risk of losing that item. The cancellation API integration creates the order and ensures it is sufficiently tracked during the reverse journey and reaches the warehouse safely.
4)EDD API Integration
EDD stands for estimated delivery date, something that all customers like to be aware of before they decide to buy something. On the product description page, customers can input their delivery pincode or location.
Based on this information and past delivery data, this API integration calculates the EDD. The same is then displayed on the product description page so customers can make an informed order.
Need For a Multi-Carrier Integration Platform for eKart API Integration and Tracking
There comes a time when every ecommerce business needs to start looking for more help. Their current shipping partner is doing a great job, but once order volumes rise from 500 a month to 5000 a month, a whole team of shipping partners is needed (2-4 at least).
While this means more orders can be fulfilled, it also puts a greater burden on your business to integrate with each shipping partner’s numerous APIs, and manage all your orders across a multitude of platforms.
Multi-carrier integration software platforms, like AfterShip and ClickPost, simplify this process by giving you a single platform where all your orders can be viewed, shipping partner performances can be monitored and integrations can be carefully maintained without you having to build any added infrastructure.
These platforms can also help optimize delivery services, making use of other integrations, like push and pull APIs, to give customers real-time tracking updates and streamline return requests.
Conclusion
Ekart is a carrier that has a lot to offer enterprises of all types, whether your B2B, B2C, MSME, or E2E. It provides custom solutions tailored to fit different business needs on all levels of the supply chain.
From core distribution to warehousing and until final delivery, eKart facilitates easier transportation and the Ekart API integration aids over all logistics management. While Ekart takes care of the pickup and delivery of your inventory, its various API integrations allow you to monitor and manage these operations on a granular level.
This level of tech support provides you with tracking updates to quell WISMO queries and automated mechanisms to reduce operational errors. Depending on your requirements, Ekart’s API integration has vast potential to help.
