The complexity of requesting tracking data

Ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of the data is a major challenge. This requires constant monitoring and updating of the tracking systems, which can be time consuming and labor intensive. The costs of retrieving and structuring the data can be high. Carriers can charge high fees for access to their tracking systems, which can quickly add up if multiple carriers are used. In addition, there may be additional costs for maintaining and updating the tracking systems.

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Outsourcing as a solution

Outsourcing the retrieval and structuring of tracking data to an external party, such as Tracey, can offer a solution. An experienced and reliable party like Tracey can provide access to their tracking systems and have the resources and expertise to ensure that the data is accurate and up to date. This can save time and money for the company and provide peace of mind that the tracking data is reliable.

Tracking data outsourcing can also help with a company's scalability. Collecting tracking data is not only time-consuming, but also a difficult task for an internal department to scale. A third party can easily handle the increasing demand for data, while also providing the company with better insights and analysis.

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Technical complexities of requesting data from carriers

‍Requesting tracking data from carriers involves a variety of technical processes and systems. One of the most important steps is to set up a connection with the carrier's tracking system. This can be done through various means such as API calls, web scraping, or direct integration with the carrier's system.

- API calls are the most common method of connecting to a carrier's tracking system. This method involves sending a request to the carrier's server and receiving a response with the tracking data. This process can be complex because it requires knowledge of the carrier's API documentation, which can be difficult to understand and requires constant updates. In addition, carriers may have different endpoints and response structures that must be handled separately.

• Web scraping is another method that can be used to retrieve tracking data from carriers. This method uses a script to automatically extract data from a carrier's website. This process can be complex as it requires knowledge of web scraping techniques and the structure of the carrier's website. In addition, web scraping can be unreliable, as the structure of the carrier's website can change and this can cause the script to fail.
• API calls are the most common method of connecting to a carrier's tracking system. This method involves sending a request to the carrier's server and receiving a response with the tracking data. This process can be complex because it requires knowledge of the carrier's API documentation, which can be difficult to understand and requires constant updates. In addition, carriers may have different endpoints and response structures that must be handled separately.
• Direct integration with the carrier's system is the most comprehensive and reliable method, as it provides access to real-time data, but it is also the most complex and expensive. This method involves making a direct connection between the carrier's system and the company's system. This process can be complex as it requires knowledge of the carrier's system and may also require additional hardware and software. In addition, direct integration with the carrier's system can be expensive because it requires maintenance and support.

In summary, requesting and structuring tracking data from carriers is a complex process involving several technical systems and processes. Establishing a connection to the carrier's tracking system can be done through API calls, web scraping, or direct integration. Each of these methods has its own complexities and challenges, and it requires knowledge of the carrier's system and constant updates.

In addition, these methods can also have limitations and be unreliable, which can make it difficult to obtain accurate and up-to-date tracking data. Therefore, outsourcing the task to an experienced and reliable party such as Tracey can provide a cost-effective and reliable solution to manage the technical difficulties and complexities of requesting tracking data from carriers.