Tips and tools to help your business deliver during eCommerce peaks

Video: The Australia Post logo appears on a red screen below the text, "Labelling correctly to move your parcels efficiently through our network."

On a conveyor belt, parcels pass under a red laser. Parcels are sorted. A male worker moves a parcel. Parcels have barcode labels.

A blonde woman addresses the camera.

Audio: Woman: Your labels are read by machines for fast, efficient sorting. Getting the recipient's address right is the first step to a successful delivery. Including a smart barcode with a delivery point identifier, or DPID, really helps. Use a template or label print service for correct formatting. Your label must be clearly printed and visible, so print with black ink on matt white paper. Make sure you stock up on labels and ink and that your printers are working well.

Video: Parcels move along many conveyors. A label is stuck smoothly on a parcel. Some parcels have unreadable or incomplete barcode stickers. A female worker scans a parcel and adds a new label to the box. In fast motion, female workers process parcels.

The woman.

Audio: Woman: Keep your label flat and free from damage or wrinkles by placing it on the largest, flattest surface of your box or satchel. Make sure it's not wrapped around an edge and avoid placing it over a flap or a seam. Labels that are wrinkled, torn, wrapped, obstructed or unclearly printed will be delayed, especially if it affects the barcode, because they'll need manual sorting and data entry. So take care with your labelling. We're here to help, but we need your help too, so let's get it right together to move your parcels faster through our network.

Video: The Australia Post logo appears on a red screen below the text, "Speak to your Account Manager or Australia Post lodgement point for advice. Review our Parcel and Freight Preparation Guide for more tips."

The text disappears. The Australia Post logo takes the centre of the screen.

Video: The Australia Post logo appears on a red screen below the text, "Packaging correctly to move your parcels efficiently through our network."

A blonde woman addresses the camera.

Audio: Woman: Packaging can make a big difference in how quickly your parcel is delivered and how well it's received.

Video: Workers stand by conveyors topped with parcels of various shapes and sizes. Many parcels are labelled boxes.

The woman.

Audio: Woman: Select packaging that best suits the size and shape of the item you're sending. Boxes offer a sturdy option, with flat surfaces that make labelling and scanning easy. Don't try to put too much into your satchels. Keep the middle nice and flat for your label.

Video: Parcels are tipped into a large red bin attached to a conveyor. Most are white or light brown boxes. Some parcels are wrapped in plastic. A rounded motionless package has slipped off a conveyor.

A male worker retrieves an oblong-shaped parcel. A female worker places it in a tray and back onto a conveyor.

A female worker removes a package.

The woman.

Audio: Woman: Light-coloured, non-reflective packaging is best. Glossy packaging can slip off the machines and lighter-coloured matt labels are clearer to read. If parcels can't be read accurately or slip off our machines, they will need to be sorted manually, which will delay delivery. We're here to help, but we need your help too, so let's get it right together to move your parcels faster through our network.

Video: The Australia Post logo appears on a red screen below the text, "Speak to your Account Manager or Australia Post lodgement point for advice. Review our Parcel and Freight Preparation Guide for more tips."

The text disappears. The Australia Post logo takes the centre of the screen.

Video: On a red screen white text reads, "Manifesting correctly to move your parcels efficiently through our network." The Australia Post logo appears below. Long shelves packed with boxes fill a warehouse. An employee prints an Express Post label and sticks it to a parcel. She places a parcel labelled with Express Post tape beside others.

Audio: Rob: One of our trusted partners is Australia Post because they deliver as fast and as effectively as they can.

Video: In the warehouse, a bearded man wears a yellow safety vest. Text: "Rob Godwin, Director of Lovehoney."

Audio: Rob: Hi, I'm Rob Godwin, director of Lovehoney. I created Lovehoney eight years ago in a small bedroom in Indooroopilly in Brisbane.

Video: A red Australia Post truck is parked outside a huge modern white warehouse. A Lovehoney sign is mounted on the warehouse. A worker wheels parcels on a trolley, then adds them to large metal Australia Post ULDs full of parcels. The ULDs are loaded onto an Australia Post truck.

Audio: Rob: So now we're in a 5,000-square-metre warehouse. Lovehoney Australia has been a customer to Australia Post since day one. The service from Australia Post to Lovehoney has evolved as we've grown. Now we have four collections per day picking up Express, picking up International and picking up Parcel Post.

Video: An employee works at a computer. He prints an Order Summary Report, checks it, then signs it. The Australia Post driver closes the truck's back doors. The employee hands him the manifest.

Audio: Rob: It is important to manifest correctly first time, every time. Sometimes, if that doesn't happen, that leads to inaccuracy in invoicing, inaccuracy in your processes, and it can also lead to the customer having a delayed delivery. The best way to avoid any issues with manifesting is to ensure the data you provide is accurate first time but also making sure that you do stick to that process - your checklist and running the manifest as the Australia Post driver has arrived for collection.

Video: A woman finds a parcel on her doormat. In the warehouse a worker checks a list titled 'AusPost Express Post - 2 Days' as she takes merchandise from shelves.

Audio: Rob: On-time manifesting has a real positive effect on our customer service. Everything from getting their tracking details to seeing the accuracy of when they're gonna get their orders all the way through to encouraging repeat business so they're more encouraged to have a higher average-order frequency.

Video: A phone screen reads, "Sent by LH Trading, Delivered, Bulimba QLD. Wed 11 Aug 2:52pm." The Australia Post truck drives off.

Audio: Rob: Lovehoney encourages all of our customers to use MyPost account or Australia Post app. By using those facilities, they can actually see their delivery time accurately, and by them tracking the details and getting the orders, it really does add to the positive customer experience.

Video: A blonde woman stands in an office overlooking a huge sorting facility. Text:"Michelle Francis, Customer Success, Australia Post." An Australia Post truck arrives at a facility. In an office, a worker uses the Australia Post online freight management tool.

Audio: Michelle: Hi, I'm Michelle Francis from the Customer Success team at Australia Post. We've been working with customers like Lovehoney to help meet their customers' expectations. Manifesting too early may cause an increase in customer enquiries as to why their order hasn't left your site. What you do before we pick up your parcels can make a real difference. Ensuring customer information, dimensions and weights are accurate will help you manifest correctly. And most importantly, submit your manifest at the time you hand your goods to Australia Post.

Video: The Australia Post logo appears on a red screen.

Video: On a red screen white text reads, "Sorting correctly to move your parcels efficiently through our network." The Australia Post logo appears below. In a warehouse, an employee strides past towering shelves. A metal Australia Post basket is full of patterned boxes. An employee moves a ULD with a forklift.

Audio: Rob: Using the Australia Post network instils a lot of confidence in our customers. They're a reasonable service with great trackability and they have a great ability to get our orders to our customers on time.

Video: In the warehouse a dark-haired man wears an orange safety vest. Text: "Rob Saunders, Manager for eCommerce." An EB Games sign is mounted on a warehouse. Boxes on a conveyor belt are taped shut. The parcels have printed address labels.

Audio: Rob: Hi, I'm Rob Saunders and I manage the eCommerce team for EB Games up in Brisbane, where we service our retail stores and our online customers. Getting our sortation right is really important for us. However, if we get our sortation wrong, it can lead to the parcel being sent to the wrong parcel facility, which leads to delays to the customer and an influx of calls to our customer service centre.

Video: An employee packs a parcel and sticks on a Parcel Post label. ULDs are labelled "Small Sort only," and "Large Parcels only". The employee puts parcels through a size gauge. Two printers are labelled 'Parcel Post' and 'Express Post'. She puts a parcel in an Express Post ULD.

Audio: Rob: So we put a fair bit of training into our staff to make sure they understand the importance of the sortation for speed and size. To help our staff with sortation, we use the small-parcel gauge, we have coloured labels and we also use ULD labels.

Video: A label is stuck to a ULD. It is marked with city, state, "Large Parcels", number of parcels, the customer, and the date and time. Two ULDs filled with parcels are loaded onto an Australia Post truck. The truck drives off.

Audio: Rob: It's important that we apply the correct label to the ULD based on the speed and size of the parcel, along with the date and weight before dispatching it with Australia Post. At EB Games, when we get our sortation right, it means that we're getting our orders to our customers on time, which promotes a positive customer experience.

Video: A light-haired man stands in an office overlooking a sorting facility. Text: "Rhys Dodson, Customer Excellence, Australia Post." ULDs are unloaded from an Australia Post truck, wheeled into a sorting facility, then unpacked onto a conveyor belt. Parcels slide down chutes leading from a conveyor belt to a ULD.

Audio: Rhys: Hi, I'm Rhys Dodson from the Customer Excellence team at Australia Post. We're working with our customers like EB Games every day to help meet their customers' delivery expectations. Our facilities are set up to process parcels depending on speed and size, meaning if a small parcel goes to a large-parcel facility in error, it then needs to be transported to the correct processing facility. This can lead to delivery delays and increased calls to your support team. This impacts your customers' overall experience.

Video: Employees sort parcels onto trolleys and ULDs. ULDs are labelled "Small Parcels", "Express Post", Small Sort only", and "Large Parcels only". A staff member puts parcels through the slot in the size gauge. Parcels are labelled with yellow Express Post tape. In fast motion, parcels speed through the sorting facility.

Audio: Rhys: What you do before we pick up your parcels can make a real difference. One of the easiest things you can do before your parcels are collected is to separate them by speed and size. It's simple. Separate your Standard from your Express parcels, then for Standard parcels, separate your small from your large. You can ensure your Standard parcels go to the right facility by using the Australia Post small-parcel gauge to separate items by size. Using Express Post tape can help differentiate Express from Standard parcels so that they are sorted correctly and prioritised through the Australia Post network. We're here to help. Your account manager is available to discuss how you can sort your parcels to ensure efficient delivery and a great experience for your customers.

Video: The Australia Post logo appears on a red screen.