UPS Announces Innovative Services and Programs to Help Small Businesses Grow

UPS continues its aggressive roll-out of innovative new services and solutions, squarely focused on the needs of its customers, especially small and medium-sized businesses.

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Many of the solutions work together to provide superior visibility, control, convenience and customer value versus competitor solutions that cannot leverage a fully integrated transportation network.

Additionally, the company will bring online more investments designed to speed time-in-transit and increase network capacity, providing all UPS customers with additional capabilities for future success.

“In 2019, UPS launched more new services and operational innovations than in any year in the company’s recent history. We are demonstrating further bold action in 2020 as we embrace market trends, invest for growth, partner for added reach and develop unique capabilities using next generation technologies.”

 

UPS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David Abney

Network Enhancements Support Customers’ Need for Speed and Availability

UPS continues in 2020 its multi-year investment strategy to transform and grow its Smart Global Logistics Network.

The company will add more than 5 million square feet of new automated sortation capacity globally during the year, beginning with the announcement of another super-hub and a total of $1.4 billion investment in new and renovated facilities in Pennsylvania, primarily to serve customers in the northeast corridor. Read more on expansion.

UPS Extended Hours Coverage and Expanded Weekend Delivery

New capacity, lane enhancements, and more sort operations at several facilities will provide greater customer access to UPS Extended Hours service, which now reaches 98 percent of the U.S. population, up from 85% when announced in mid-2019.

The service enables shippers to process online orders later in the evening for local next-day ground delivery, offering faster speed to market.

Additionally, the company announced expanded Saturday and Sunday operations, preparing for an anticipated doubling of weekend delivery volumes in 2020.

Weekend network enhancements will expand residential and commercial Saturday volumes by reaching an additional 40 million U.S. consumers.

UPS is the only integrated carrier offering Saturday package car pickup of all service levels and Saturday commercial delivery.

The company also stated that Sunday residential deliveries and commercial pickups will be available to customers on a contract basis.

1500 Package Express Stores to become UPS Access Point Locations

Providing customers with more access to UPS pickup and drop-off points, UPS also announced the addition of about 1500 Package Express Centers (PEC) locations to the UPS Access Point Network.

PEC locations support the needs of consumers and SMBs through a network of independent retailers such as hardware stores and grocery stores in about 1500 cities and towns throughout the U.S.

Popular UPS My Choice for Business to be Launched in 30 Countries and Territories in 2020

UPS announced plans to launch UPS My Choice for business in 30 countries and territories in Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific Region.

By the end of 2020, 96% of UPS’s small package volume will be eligible to be tracked and controlled through My Choice for business.

This free visibility and tracking solution is available to eligible companies of all sizes and was designed especially for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

The 2020 platform release will also include updates and new features to further improve system features. Read more on UPS My Choice for business expansion.

Expanded Digital Services Help SMBs and eCommerce Customers Grow

Building on a previously announced Digital Access Program, UPS also announced the addition of Square Online Store to the program.

Millions of merchants working with the Square offering will now have in-platform access to UPS services.

UPS will be presented as a preferred shipping partner to Square Online Store subscribers. Read more on service.

Enhanced ups.com Tools to Simplify International Shipping

Keenly focused on the needs of SMBs shipping across borders, UPS announced a new International Knowledge Base on ups.com, including a guided digital wizard designed to reduce the complexities of cross-border trade and customs.

According to one of many studies, almost 70% of businesses selling online are already selling across borders, yet more than half need help to optimize their international operations.

The new UPS International Knowledge Base provides a simple way to manage costs, estimate duties and taxes, and support compliance with global customs brokerage standards. Read more on enhanced ups.com tools.

Dynamic Route Optimization Takes ORION to New Levels of Functionality

Creating even more operational efficiency, UPS also announced the initial rollout of Dynamic ORION, the third generation and the most advanced routing technology ever deployed by the company.

UPS drivers will now benefit from on-the-fly, dynamic route optimization, improving service and providing additional last-mile efficiencies.

Dynamic ORION provides the data that powers customer solutions like UPS My Choice and UPS My Choice for business, giving SMBs and all business and consumer customers advance delivery notifications, estimated time of delivery and the ability to select alternative package delivery locations.

UPS Drone Delivery Service Expands to The University of California at San Diego

UPS Flight Forward, the company’s drone subsidiary, announced service expansion to the University of California at San Diego Health.

In partnership with Matternet, the program will launch in February on the UCSD health campus for transport of various medical products between health centers and labs by autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles.

The drones will follow predetermined flight paths within visual line of sight under the FAA’s Part 107 rules. Read more on service expansion.

UPS and Henry Schein Announce Collaboration on Campus Drone Delivery

UPS and Henry Schein, Inc. will explore opportunities to test a variety of drone delivery use cases. The use cases would examine unmanned aerial vehicles within business-to-business operating models.

The initiative will explore the delivery of essential healthcare products by UPS Flight Forward to customers of Henry Schein, a provider of healthcare solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners.

Equity Stake and Vehicle Purchase Commitment with Arrival, an Innovative EV Delivery Vehicle Manufacturer

Adding to its leadership in fleet electrification, UPS announced an equity investment in Arrival, a UK-based innovator and industry disruptor in electric vehicles (EVs) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

The investment is complemented by a commitment by UPS to purchase 10,000 custom-built EVs, with priority access to additional vehicles. Learn more.

UPS to Test Autonomous Ground Delivery Shuttle with Waymo

Looking to future innovative uses of autonomous ground vehicles, UPS announced the company will soon commence testing with Waymo to autonomously pick up packages on a frequent basis from a The UPS Store location in Arizona, delivering to a nearby UPS sortation hub.

SMB’s and consumers utilizing the test store will benefit with faster movement of their goods into and through the UPS Smart Global Logistics Network.

What do you think about all these new innovations by UPS and how they could benefit your business?

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READ MORE: UPS and Waymo to Pilot Autonomous Delivery Vehicle Project in Arizona