Case study · Carriers & Postal Operators
Building the UK's connect-once carrier integration platform.
As eCommerce accelerated, NetDespatch solved the growing burden of bespoke carrier integrations by creating a shared connect-once platform that simplified connectivity across retailers, warehouses, carriers and postal operators and supported parcel operations at scale.
Connect-once integration layer
One shared platform connecting retailers, warehouses and carrier networks across labels, manifests, tracking and parcel events.
Connect once
model replacing bespoke point-to-point integrations
Millions
of parcel transactions supported as eCommerce scaled
Velocity
foundation for future NetDespatch platform innovation
NetDespatch identified the opportunity to create a shared integration platform that could standardise carrier connectivity across the logistics ecosystem.
Using its innovation framework, NetDespatch explored the market need, validated the operating model, built the platform and scaled adoption as eCommerce parcel volumes increased.
The idea
Create a common integration layer that would let logistics ecosystems connect once, reuse capability and scale new services faster.
Key outcomes
Integration turned into repeatable platform capability.
Velocity turned carrier integration into reusable platform capability, reducing duplication and helping carriers, postal operators and fulfilment teams launch new delivery services faster.
Created one of the UK's first carrier integration platforms.
Replaced bespoke point-to-point integrations with a scalable connect-once model.
Accelerated onboarding for retailers, warehouses and carrier networks.
Reduced implementation cost, duplication and operational complexity.
Enabled faster adoption of new carriers, services and delivery propositions.
Supported millions of parcel transactions as eCommerce volumes expanded.
Established the foundation for NetDespatch's Velocity platform.
The challenge
Simplifying a fragmented carrier integration landscape.
The rapid growth of eCommerce exposed a structural problem across fulfilment and delivery.
Retailers needed more delivery choices. Carriers needed to onboard more customers. Warehouses needed reliable ways to produce labels, manifests, tracking messages and service data. But every carrier used different formats, processes and operating rules.
The result was a growing web of bespoke integrations that were expensive to build, difficult to maintain and slow to scale.
Connect-once integration layer
One shared platform connecting retailers, warehouses and carrier networks across labels, manifests, tracking and parcel events.
The solution
Creating a shared platform for carrier connectivity.
NetDespatch developed Velocity as a shared carrier integration layer between retailers, warehouses and delivery networks, standardising the data, labels, messages and operational flows needed for scalable parcel operations.
Explore
Recognised the structural integration challenge created by rapid eCommerce growth across retailers, warehouses and carriers.
Validate
Validated the need for a reusable connectivity model that could simplify onboarding and reduce duplicated integration effort.
Prove
Standardised labels, manifests, messages, tracking events and transaction flows into repeatable carrier capability.
Operationalise
Built Velocity as a common integration layer with scalable APIs, monitoring, support and exception management.
Commercialise
Scaled adoption across carriers, services and customers, creating the foundation for future NetDespatch innovations.
Activities undertaken
Standardising the reusable building blocks of carrier connectivity.
The results
From bespoke integrations to repeatable platform capability.
Velocity transformed carrier integration from repeated bespoke development into a reusable platform service.
Retailers and warehouses could connect once and access multiple carrier services, reducing implementation effort and accelerating new delivery options.
Carriers ranging from national operators to regional and specialist networks could onboard customers faster without increasing integration complexity.
The platform became the foundation for later NetDespatch capabilities, including Out-of-Home delivery, returns management, parcel visibility and event-driven customer communications.
Today, Velocity continues to support millions of parcel journeys and remains a core platform for logistics innovation.
Value delivered
Ideas. Integrated. Delivered.
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