Multibillion dollar international logistics providers Pitney Bowes and Borderfree gain a massive foothold in the Shopify ecosystem

First Glance

A Faster, Better Way to Ship Internationally.

Pitney Bowes is a multibillion-dollar, 100-year old leading supplier of postage, shipping and international logistics services. In their continued efforts to innovate and grow their market share, Pitney Bowes acquired Borderfree, an independent company which helps US businesses sell and ship products to other countries.

Our partnership with Pitney Bowes and Borderfree began after a few months of providing solutions for our clients who were using Borderfree. We recognized that Pitney Bowes and Borderfree could benefit from a custom order management system (OMS) app which would enable their clients to ship to customers around the world with more ease and efficiency. Our development team working on a custom app solution for Pitney Bowes to make international freight forwarding easy! Our goal was to achieve seamless and effortless integration with Shopify.

The Challenge

Managing international sales and shipping from the USA for an ecommerce store is a complex task. Just understanding and complying with the laws and regulations of the different countries is a daunting task. Every country has its own set of rules when it comes to imports. These include the types of goods that can be imported, taxes duties, and specific documentation or certification needed. If these aren't followed correctly, goods could be delayed, fined, or even impounded. It's like navigating through a different maze for each country you're selling to. How could our team help Pitney Bowes solve some of these logistical shipping challenges.

Data connectivity to services from Pitney Bowes had already been available to their customers via API to use for custom development. These solutions could be used with Magento and Demandware, but Pitney Bowes recognized a huge opportunity they had yet to pursue. Thanks to recent trends towards SaaS carts and Shopify App Store plug-and-play integrations, an increasing number of their customers were asking for an installable app for their shopping cart platform of choice.

The Sunrise Integration team had already developed a cross-border retail solution using the Pitney Bowes Borderfree API and when we launched it, several businesses approached us about the app. We realized that many companies could benefit from this solution. Soon, we developed a partnership with Pitney Bowes to provide the service to Shopify merchants across all industries.

Before we partnered with Pitney Bowes and Borderfree, there was no solution that could move order data between their systems and Shopify in a seamless way. After several engagements, we standardized our app to meet that need and improve their workflows. The Global OMS App was born.

The Solution

Expanding an ecommerce store internationally can provide exciting opportunities for growth, however it's not without its share of challenges. It's like a game of chess where you have to think several steps ahead and navigate a variety of different obstacles. The Global OMS App was designed to assist with these challenges and bring Borderfree to Shopify.

After undergoing a thorough discovery process with Pitney Bowes’ team, we began building a custom Shopify OMS middleware app for cross-border retail, called Global OMS. 

The Global OMS service automatically synchronizes order imports, product feed creation and shipment tracking notification between Shopify and Pitney Bowes and Borderfree. It is a scalable, end-to-end global ecommerce system that handles international enterprise retail. With it, Pitney Bowes and Borderfree are able to localize their domestic website for international consumers (currency and exchange rates, languages, country, prices), integrate cross border logistics, automatic synchronization and provide global customer service.

The main benefits of Global OMS include:

• Real time order tracking

• Automated product feeds

• Tracking and logs for every step of the process

• Custom integration

The Outcome

Brands want to expand internationally because it's a great way to grow their business. When they venture into new markets, they get a chance to reach new groups of customers. This helps them increase their sales and profits. Not only that, but it also reduces their reliance on just one market, which can be risky if that market faces an economic downturn or stiff competition. Going global allows brands to introduce their products to different cultures and lifestyles, opening up opportunities for innovation and adaptation. It's like casting a wider net in the ocean of opportunity, and that's why brands are eager to make the leap.

The Global OMS app developed by Sunrise Integration for Pitney Bowes let's all merchants easily expand their international sales. The app application is being used by many high-profile Pitney Bowes clients on Shopify, such as Rebecca Minkoff, BeBe, RevTown, Good American and Frame. 

After seeing the success of Global OMS and how many Shopify merchants started using the solution, Pitney Bowes enlisted us to advise their team on the development of e-commerce applications. As their long standing partner, we look forward to building more solutions to encourage their continued growth. 

Looking to the Future

Advances in technology will likely continue to have a major impact in international sales and shipping. Automation and digitalization will continue to streamline the shipping process, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. The future of international shipping is set to be exciting and transformative, shaped by technology, e-commerce growth, sustainability, and global trade dynamics. Sunrise Integration is excited to be a development partner for PItney Bowes and we look forward to shaping the world of shipping together.