Consolidation System FAQ

A consolidation system is a software platform that helps overseas Chinese and cross-border e-commerce merchants combine packages from multiple e-commerce platforms into unified shipments with customs clearance and delivery. It covers customer claiming/pre-advice, online consolidation, scanning & warehousing, packing & weighing, automatic settlement and shipment tracking across the full chain. Consolidation focuses on "merging multiple packages into one shipment before dispatch", while forwarding focuses on "forwarding packages directly by route upon arrival". The LANCENT International Consolidation System supports both combined-warehouse mode and direct-shipment mode, so either business model can be served. For a detailed comparison, see "Consolidation vs Forwarding" explained.

Three types of customers: first, consolidation companies serving overseas Chinese (Hong Kong, China; Taiwan, China; Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Europe & America, Southeast Asia, etc.); second, cross-border logistics companies whose core business is purchasing agent, group shipping and forwarding; third, self-operated e-commerce merchants that need combined shipping and unified logistics tracking. The system has served more than 800 consolidation companies, incorporating business processes refined over 10+ years of industry experience.

A mature standardized deployment process is used: environment configuration, data initialization and business parameter setup are typically completed within 1-2 weeks. The LANCENT team provides full deployment guidance and a free demo site for experience before going live. After deployment, one-on-one operation training is arranged so your team can get up to speed quickly.

A free demo site is provided for trial. Formal deployment is custom-quoted based on business scale and feature modules, with no hidden fees. We recommend contacting LANCENT first to get a demo account and experience the complete workflow, then choose the right plan according to your business volume. Phone: 15815560929, Email: 1951044896@qq.com.

Mainstream e-commerce platforms including Taobao, Tmall, 1688, Pinduoduo and JD.com are already integrated. Together with the self-developed native APP "Consolidation Assistant", users can pre-advice with one click the logistics information of purchased products. Packages are automatically associated with orders upon arrival at the warehouse, greatly reducing manual entry.

Customers can view real-time package status via WeChat or the APP. The system also supports smart push notifications through both WeChat and email channels, automatically notifying at four key stages — warehouse-in, sorting, outbound delivery and signed receipt — so customers stay informed in real time without repeated checking.

The WeChat channel supports official account / service account messages, and the email channel supports custom SMTP mailboxes. The two push channels can be configured separately with toggles and templates, flexibly set across the four stages (warehouse-in, sorting, outbound delivery, signed receipt) to ensure no important message is missed.

The system code has undergone strict security audits, and more than 90% of database operations are executed using stored procedures to ensure data consistency and query efficiency. Private deployment to the customer's own servers is supported, so data is fully under your control. LANCENT holds two national software copyright certifications and is a formal, long-term dependable software vendor.

Complete go-live services are provided: free demo, installation & deployment, operation training, after-sales maintenance and version upgrades. The LANCENT team has deep experience in the consolidation industry for over 10 years, gained through hands-on on-site training at consolidation companies. Customer renewal and referral rates reach 98%.

Yes. Combined-warehouse mode suits consolidation businesses that merge multiple packages into one shipment before dispatch, while direct-shipment mode suits forwarding businesses that ship packages directly by route upon arrival. Both modes can be configured simultaneously to flexibly fit different customers and routes.

We recommend evaluating four dimensions: first, industry fit — whether the system embeds real consolidation and forwarding business flows; second, warehouse operation capability — whether inbound scanning, sorting, packing & weighing and shelving run smoothly; third, pricing and settlement flexibility — whether freight and surcharges can be configured by channel, country and weight tier; fourth, continuous iteration and after-sales — whether a dedicated team maintains and upgrades it long-term. The LANCENT International Consolidation System V16.0 has mature solutions across all four; see the buying guide.

For most consolidation companies, buying a mature system is more cost-effective than building in-house. In-house development needs simultaneous investment in product, R&D, testing and long-term maintenance, usually taking years, and industry details like customs clearance, combined warehousing and multi-currency are easy to get wrong. A ready-made system typically goes live within 1-2 weeks at far lower total cost. If you have special customization needs, secondary development on top of a mature system is also an option.

Both models fit different scenarios. SaaS hosting goes live fast with low upfront cost and the vendor handles operations — suitable for small and mid-sized consolidation companies starting quickly. Private deployment puts the system and data on the customer's own servers, giving full data control and deep customization — suitable for mid-to-large customers with high data-security and compliance requirements. The LANCENT International Consolidation System supports both models; choose by business scale.

A sound price must cover four cost parts: first-leg or trunk-line freight, destination-country customs clearance and last-mile delivery, warehousing and handling (inbound, sorting, packing), and system & service cost. The common practice is to bill by the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, and add surcharges for remote areas, sensitive goods and oversized items. LANCENT lets you flexibly configure freight templates by channel, country and weight tier, with real-time price updates to avoid manual errors.

Volumetric weight is generally converted as length × width × height (cm) ÷ 6000, and billing takes the greater of actual and volumetric weight (the specific divisor depends on the selected channel). Storage is usually charged by occupied slot volume or by days stored, with extra fees for overdue items. LANCENT automatically calculates volumetric weight and generates the fee at inbound weighing, reducing manual errors; specific rates depend on the selected channel and warehouse policy.

Whether sensitive, battery or liquid goods can be accepted depends on the selected logistics channel and destination-country policy; limits vary by channel. LANCENT supports configuring acceptable cargo types and declaration rules per channel, with compliance checks and risk prompts at the order stage. Customs clearance is usually handled by the partner channel or destination agent, and the system syncs tracking and notifies customers. Specific acceptable categories depend on the selected channel.

Yes. The LANCENT International Consolidation System provides a bilingual Chinese-English interface; overseas customers can order and track shipments via the English website and WeChat or APP. Currencies can be configured per business need, serving multilingual and multi-currency operations across Hong Kong, China; Taiwan, China; Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Europe & America. It already serves 800+ consolidation companies across multiple countries and regions.

Customers can view real-time package status via WeChat or the APP, with automatic pushes at four key stages: warehouse-in, sorting, outbound delivery and signed receipt. The system integrates mainstream logistics tracking channels; once a tracking number is entered, the trajectory is auto-fetched and the status updated, plus a tracking page so customers don't need to keep asking support. Specific integrable channels depend on the selected logistics provider.