Shipster, a custom shipping integration platform, and Minster WMS, a leading warehouse and distribution management software, have announced a strategic partnership to target growing e-commerce and logistics markets.
The software alliance creates a robust end-to-end solution for Minster customers, offering new levels of automation and flexibility with packing and shipping, ensuring those final miles are faster, cheaper and more accurate.
Minster WMS, based in Lichfield, is a software provider to the UK Supply Chain sector supporting e-commerce businesses, wholesale distributors and contract warehousing organisations that move products as diverse as food, sports equipment, cosmetics, stationery, cleaning materials, medical equipment, and furniture. Marks & Spencer, Best Food Logistics and Pret-A-Manger are among its biggest customers.
Shipster, based in Manchester, connects online retailers, ecommerce warehouses and distributors with over 100 leading couriers. Its offering is disrupting the ecommerce shipping space, giving growing companies an affordable, customisable and flexible alternative to existing products.
With e-commerce and logistics markets all forecast to grow significantly in the coming years, Minster and Shipster will be well positioned to capitalise.
James Stockton, Director for Sales and Partnerships at Shipster, said: “We are thrilled to have secured a strategic partnership with Minster WMS, which has an outstanding reputation in the sector.
“From our early conversations it was clear we shared the same values and ambitions: to create a seamless and real-time integration between our software solutions that help e-commerce, wholesale distribution and contract warehousing businesses increase efficiency, cost-effectiveness and offer the best customer service.”
Minster has evolved from a WMS to provide a suite of modules that include sales order processing, telesales, procurement and pallet tracking. The company linked with Shipster when it began looking for an alternative pricing model for its shipping solutions partner.
Shipster, which launched in 2015, is disrupting the shipping market by offering a licence fee model, as opposed to per-label pricing. This allows for predictable budgeting and savings, especially as order volumes increase. The flexibility also allows a business to adapt to seasonal demands or growth without sacrificing efficiency or customer service quality.
Phoebus van Deventer, Managing Director of Minster WMS, said: “Shipster proved a breath of fresh air to the sector, offering outstanding simplicity and flexibility of integration, an appealing pricing model supporting businesses to scale, and exceptional support to our customers.
“Over the last 40 years Minster has developed a solution designed to streamline warehouse distribution and logistics processes, delivering greater accuracy, control and profitability.
“With our partnership with Shipster, we can extend those benefits to shipping and courier integration, providing a compelling out-of-the-box solution. I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”
