Miles Express Launches New API Integration System

Responding to Maltese businesses’ and consumers’ increasing appetite for online shopping, Miles Express is launching a new API integration that allows clients to bridge their e-commerce site to its distribution system. 

Building on its understanding of clients’ needs, gained through 30 years of experience, the logistics company has invested in an application that is quick and easy to use for clients and their customers alike, streamlining the booking and delivery processes.

Miles Express owner and managing director Martin Ferry says the company believes in creating a unique customer experience, “where we can provide a holistic ‘feel good’ factor irrespective of which of our processes they come into contact with”.

He believes that flexibility and knowledge have become key to the survival of business ventures. “Experience is an asset when coupled with adaptability,” he says. “Without the synergy of these two traits, one may end up wondering aimlessly at best and obsolete in the worst-case scenario.”

The company’s new API integration system caters to small, medium and even large businesses’ needs. “This approach puts us ahead of our competition by providing that added value that every sensible business owner is looking for.”

Mr Ferry explains how the development of this system consisted of a substantial investment of time and money, but he believes that the shift to digital will not slow down any time soon. “Today’s world is becoming even more digitised and the pace of things is becoming ever more hectic. Clients need to be able to access information at their fingertips. They need to be able to make projections based on reliable and up to date information.”

“This is why we integrated a real time tracking system with a user-friendly website and a booking system which is capable of catering to everyone’s needs, from ad hoc bookings to an advanced API, and a bulk entry system in between. Booking a delivery and tracking one’s parcel has never been as easy and this tracking functionality can be as easily used by our client’s customers as it can be by our clients themselves.”

Miles Express offers routine delivery as well as next or same day express delivery, and it handles both local and international deliveries.

The company also provides a smart warehousing system so their clients do not need to worry about finding warehousing space or employing staff to manage their warehouse. 

“They can entrust our professional team with their stocks to store them and then reduce the overall delivery time since our couriers can collect their customers’ orders from our warehouse, thereby creating a more positive experience as the products they purchased online arrive in a shorter time span.”

Managing same or next day deliveries is no small feat. It involves a complex network of back office specialists, logistics experts, and professional couriers to make these commitments become a reality.

This formidable team overcomes all the challenges thrown at them to live up to the Miles Express ethos. “No challenge has proven to be too much for them from supervening adverse circumstances to a global pandemic. We go the extra mile to deliver our client’s packages on time, every time,” says Mr Ferry.

About the Miles Express API

What is the API SYSTEM developed by Miles Express? Can you take us through how it works?

The Application program interface or API is a system that is capable of bridging our client’s e-commerce site to our delivery system. This can have a number of uses, such as an automated transfer of a sale in a client’s site to a process of pick-up of the parcel from their warehouse to the final delivery to their customer’s delivery address of choice.

Another use of our API would be to transmit in real time the status of their parcel to their website where their customer can track their parcel as it is moving along the delivery process without ever leaving their site, akin to the system used by the e-commerce giant Amazon. The level of customisation and detail is only limited to the client’s own IT development capabilities, when linking to our API.

What type of businesses should choose the (API) integration?

In practice any business can opt for an API which integrates the booking process and monitoring of the delivery method. However not everyone is invested in having a cutting-edge IT infrastructure. For some business their IT infrastructure is purely a means to an end and hence an ad hoc booking system or a bulk entry system through a .csv file will satisfy their needs.

Traditionally APIs are an investment made by a business which has a substantial amount of orders to process. At the end of the day this is a personal decision of each business owner, which here at Miles Express we felt the need to let everyone freely choose which system would suit them best.

What would be the biggest benefits for these businesses to integrate their delivery system with their online platform?

Like any automated system cost efficiency and peace of mind are two of the strongest drivers. An API ensures that all orders are processed and that there is a real time audit trail of what is going on. All information is processed and is accessible in real time and it is details like this that gives e-commerce businesses an edge over their competitors.

Our system helps clients streamline their operations with the logistics part of the client customer relationship for a fraction of the cost of what it would entail if they had to develop their own system and procedures. This would leave them more liquidity to reinvest into their own business to grow even further, whilst focusing on their core operations.

What is the process involved for a business to set this up?

We have found that one of the largest hurdles to set up an e-commerce business or to outsource one’s distribution process, is the perception that it is complicated and that it would involve a hefty investment of time. At Miles Express we have listened to the concerns of businesses and professionals alike and tailored our system accordingly.

All that is needed is to establish a contact with our company where we will briefly discuss your business model and logistics requirements. We did not want to do away with the human element in this interaction, even though we offer the facility to carry out this process over email, should one prefer this avenue of communication. From there we will send you an email with our proposal and should it be to our prospective client’s liking we would request only the bare essentials to set up one’s account and we will take care of the account setup process.

Once the account is set up, we will revert back with the login credentials. The booking process is easy and straightforward with a user-friendly website to book online at our client’s convenience. We also provide the facility to have one of our logistics experts explain and run a new client through the booking process, should the need arise.

From then on, once the booking is done we will take care of the rest, so our clients can focus on their core business and direct their energy towards the growth of their enterprise. With regards to the API integration, if this is the client’s preferred method of interaction, we provided this system at no extra cost other than the client’s own IT development costs to bridge their system with ours. It is as easy as that.