Q4 is here — and for many manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, that means a sharp increase in shipping volume, tighter carrier capacity, and higher customer expectations.
If your ERP and shipping systems aren’t fully integrated, the holiday surge can quickly expose inefficiencies: manual data entry, limited visibility, delayed shipments, invoice errors, and rising freight costs.
The companies that navigate Q4 successfully aren’t working harder. They’re working smarter — with integrated systems that connect order management, shipping, tracking, and auditing into a single workflow.
Here’s how to prepare.
NetSuite provides powerful ERP functionality across:
But when shipping operations live outside your ERP — in disconnected carrier portals, spreadsheets, or standalone tools — friction builds quickly.
FreightPOP, an AI supply chain software platform, integrates directly with NetSuite to create a seamless connection between orders, shipping execution, tracking, and freight auditing. Instead of toggling between systems, teams operate from one connected workflow.
When order data flows directly into shipping:
And during peak season, those efficiencies become critical.
If you ship goods to customers, your goal should be a truly integrated workflow — from customer order to final invoice — across all shipping modes.
Most shippers struggle with two core issues:
Without access to all negotiated carrier rates and real-time marketplace options in one place, you are likely overpaying.
When ordering systems don’t “talk” to shipping software, teams waste time manually entering data across multiple platforms. Every added shipping requirement — like international documentation or special handling — multiplies the opportunity for mistakes.
As volume increases in Q4, these inefficiencies compound.
Customer experience today is inseparable from shipping performance.
We’ve all read reviews where the product wasn’t the issue — the delivery was. A late package. A damaged box. A missed delivery window.
The negative review has nothing to do with the product quality or service team. But the damage to brand perception is done.
The real cost of shipping disruption isn’t just higher freight spend. It’s:
Companies that automate and optimize shipping processes are able to significantly reduce avoidable supply chain disruptions — especially during peak season.
Today’s shipping environment is complex:
If you don’t have visibility into all rate options in real time, you’re likely:
The best way to serve customers — and protect margins — is to use technology that provides:
When everything lives in one platform, you gain a true source of truth.
Most companies negotiate carrier contracts once per year.
Carriers, on the other hand, use sophisticated technology every day to optimize pricing strategies.
Without accurate shipping data, benchmarking, and analytics, you’re negotiating at a disadvantage.
Technology levels the playing field by giving you:
When you can quantify your shipping behavior and spend patterns, you negotiate from strength — not guesswork.
Shipping doesn’t exist in isolation. It touches:
When shipping data is fragmented, departments operate in silos.
An integrated ERP + TMS environment reduces friction across the organization by:
The result? Faster decision-making and better operational control during your busiest season.
Q4 magnifies operational weaknesses.
If your systems are disconnected today, higher order volume will amplify those gaps:
The companies that win during peak season are those that:
Technology isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about resilience.
Avoiding supply chain disruption in Q4 requires more than reacting to problems. It requires visibility, automation, and integration across your entire shipping workflow.
By combining NetSuite’s ERP capabilities with a comprehensive transportation management system like FreightPOP, businesses gain:
Peak season doesn’t have to mean chaos. With the right systems in place, it can mean stronger margins, happier customers, and controlled growth.