What “limited customisation” usually means<\/h2><\/div>\nThe concern, in plain terms: ShipBob runs everything one standardized way, so if your packaging, kitting, or workflows fall outside the norm, you either force your business into that mold or you go elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The assumptions underneath it usually sound like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Custom packaging and kitting are limited or hard to set up<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Complex or high-mix product catalogues won’t be handled well<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Once you’re onboarded, you can’t change how orders are routed or fulfilled<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Automation means losing visibility and hands-on control<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Teams running their own systems (an ERP, a custom stack) have to work inside ShipBob’s tools instead of their own<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n
This is the misconception:<\/strong> that “standardized” and “flexible” are opposites, and that choosing ShipBob means trading control for consistency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\nHow ShipBob approaches flexibility: automation by default, override in your hands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nEvery layer runs on automation by default: order logic, inventory placement, even courier selection, so your team isn’t reviewing every order by hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every one of those layers is also something you can open up and change yourself, or build around with your own tools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
“Inflexible” is usually code for a narrower worry: whether you can change course once you’re in. Being able to overrule automations is the real question, and with ShipBob that override stays with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the difference between a traditional 3PL and a platform that lets you set the process, then automates it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/10\/a5f86df696bda1b4cb0335023c8f36da.jpg?w=845\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA closer look at what you can actually control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Flexibility shows up in four places most often: order rules, packaging and kitting, your own integrations, and overrides on the automated layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOrder rules that run your fulfilment logic automatically<\/h3><\/div>\nOrder rules let your fulfilment logic run automatically on every order, so growing your volume doesn’t mean adding operations headcount just to keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You set the logic once, in the ShipBob dashboard, and it applies going forward. You can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Set packaging preferences and requirements per product.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add marketing inserts to specific orders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Split orders by product or destination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Control how orders route across fulfilment centres.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
So when an order falls outside the norm, like a stockout or a shipment that needs to move a particular way, the rule you set handles it instead of it becoming a manual fire drill. An item out of stock in one location can ship from another, or ship partially, based on the rule you chose, not a one-off decision someone has to make that afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe have several rules set up in our ShipBob dashboard to make sure the right orders get the right customizations. When an order comes in, it gets tagged based on what kind of order it is. Then ShipBob\u2019s system will automatically add the right customizations for each tag to each order, and the packer will know what inserts to include or packaging to use.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs long as we\u2019re using the appropriate tags, it\u2019s seamless. In the past, there\u2019s no way we could have achieved and automated the level of customisation we wanted, and had it actually work successfully \u2013 but with ShipBob Plus, we can.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nOscar Gutierrez, Operations Fulfilment Manager at goPure\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\nPackaging, inserts, and kitting you configure at the SKU level<\/h3><\/div>\nPackaging and kitting sit right at the centre of the customisation question, and both are set up at the product level rather than requested as a favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through ShipBob’s Customisation Suite<\/a>, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Ship in your own branded boxes and mailers, stored, and assigned as their own SKUs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Set packaging requirements per SKU, so a given product always ships the way you intend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add marketing inserts and gift notes (standard or premium) to orders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Request value-added services like kitting and bundling as work orders directly from the dashboard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Kitting is specifically worth highlighting, because it’s the classic complex requirement merchants worry about losing. You can build kits and bundles, break cases down, and manage those as work orders, so a multi-piece set or a subscription box is handled as one configured product. For a full walkthrough, see ShipBob’s guide to kitting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nAroma360<\/a> is a luxury scent brand ships a wide variety of products with a lot of customisation, and its Director of Logistics, Melissa Mosheim, described the result this way:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n“ShipBob’s team has done an amazing job at learning our business, and the technology that drives ShipBob’s packing process ensures that every order gets fulfilled to our particular specifications.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nShipBob’s step-by-step packing flow shows packers which dividers go with which candles, which box each combination needs, and how to package it, down to reference images for each step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Complex presentation, in other words, is configured once and then runs automatically: standardized execution of a setup you defined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2024\/11\/032873b3a5c3fd21f5462c3a331301ba.webp?w=845\")
Bloom Nutrition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/172a67ec3663d57fe13e00db1419960c-scaled.jpg?w=845\")
Cowboy Colostrum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/5c9cc891c30b09f3dd1cca1beba863f6.jpg?w=845\")
Our Place<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\nYour own tools and integrations through the developer platform<\/h3><\/div>\nTeams that run on their own systems can keep working in those systems rather than moving into ShipBob’s tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your team runs on NetSuite, Adobe Commerce, or a custom ERP, ShipBob’s Developer Platform<\/a> gives you more than 90 endpoints across nine resource areas, so you can create orders, submit warehouse receiving orders, pull inventory and tracking data, and process returns from the systems you already use. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWebhooks keep those connected systems in sync automatically, so your source of truth stays current without manual exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a workflow doesn’t fit a standard integration, you can also work directly with ShipBob’s Solutions Architecture team to build the custom integration your business needs. The flexibility here lives in the API and the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“We used ShipBob\u2019s Developer API<\/mark> to have our developers set up a direct integration to route orders into ShipBob, as we bring on new customers who need smart technology kits shipped to their home. ShipBob\u2019s platform is easier to use than our prior platform. Submitting an inbound request, tracking inventory, and reporting and analytics in ShipBob are all very helpful as well.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nSimon Farrugia, Chief Product Officer at Honey Insurance.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\nOverrides on the automated layer: couriers, inventory, and returns<\/h3><\/div>\nA smart default is only reassuring if you can step in when you want to, and on ShipBob you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Couriers:<\/strong> ShipBob’s transportation network chooses the courier that balances cost and speed on each order. If you don’t want a particular courier in the mix, turn it off, and the engine works around your choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n“ShipBob\u2019s software has a courier selection algorithm that automatically chooses the fastest, most cost-effective courier for each unique package, and they work with the same, plus many more highly vetted couriers (for which they\u00a0monitor\u00a0performance and optimise lanes at the postcode level).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLeveraging ShipBob\u2019s intelligent courier mix, vast network, and algorithms, our actual per shipment rate is at least a dollar less than it was before. Combined with every kind of fee being lower, switching to ShipBob has saved us $1 million dollars in one year alone.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nGregory Frye, VP of Operations at Hi-Altitude Brands\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Inventory placement<\/strong>: The Inventory Placement Program<\/a> (IPP) distributes your inventory across ShipBob’s US fulfilment network automatically, using demand patterns to move stock closer to your customers. If you disagree with how it’s allocated, you can adjust it yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n“Expanding our warehouse network from 2 to 4 warehouses has translated into $1.5 million in freight cost savings for Our Place. It also cut our fulfilment and shipping times in half, from 5 or 6 days to just 2.5 days.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nAli Shahid, COO of Our Place<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2024\/08\/image-1-2.png?w=845\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nReturns<\/strong>: When an item comes back, you decide how that SKU is treated, whether it’s restocked, quarantined, or disposed of. It’s a short, clear decision per SKU rather than a black box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n“Through the ShipBob dashboard, we can set up our preferences for each SKU that indicate exactly how we want ShipBob to handle a return \u2013 whether we want the item quarantined or disposed of \u2013 and ShipBob will automatically follow those rules so we don\u2019t have to manage every customer-initiated return ourselves.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nNeil Blewitt, SVP of Operations at Bloom Nutrition<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Across all three, the approach is identical: a smart default you can overrule the moment you have a reason to.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Standardized doesn’t mean rigid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The perception gets one thing half-right. ShipBob is<\/em> standardized: every fulfilment centre runs on the same technology and the same service standards, which is exactly why accuracy and speed hold up as you grow across locations. You can see how <\/a>ShipBob approaches accurate, consistent fulfilment<\/a> in a separate guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFlexibility is the other half of the same coin. The standard platform is what makes your customizations reliable: a packaging rule, a kit, or a courier preference behaves the same way in every fulfilment centre, every time. Consistency and control, not one at the expense of the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/03\/7415f6c87e34c95315a7d9d497406de6.png?w=1280px\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/698d51a19d8a121ce581499d7b701668-e1777485247791.jpg?w=845\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSee what you’d actually control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The useful next step is to hold your own workflows up against what’s covered here: your packaging and kitting, your integrations, your routing and inventory preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Explore the Customisation Suite<\/a> for packaging, inserts, gift notes, and kitting<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Review the developer documentation<\/a> if your team builds on an API or ERP<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- See how IPP<\/a> handles US inventory distribution, and where you’d adjust it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Click the button below to connect with ShipBob’s team and walk through how much of your operation you’d actually set and control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The concern, in plain terms: ShipBob runs everything one standardized way, so if your packaging, kitting, or workflows fall outside the norm, you either force your business into that mold or you go elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The assumptions underneath it usually sound like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Custom packaging and kitting are limited or hard to set up<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Complex or high-mix product catalogues won’t be handled well<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Once you’re onboarded, you can’t change how orders are routed or fulfilled<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Automation means losing visibility and hands-on control<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Teams running their own systems (an ERP, a custom stack) have to work inside ShipBob’s tools instead of their own<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n
This is the misconception:<\/strong> that “standardized” and “flexible” are opposites, and that choosing ShipBob means trading control for consistency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
How ShipBob approaches flexibility: automation by default, override in your hands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nEvery layer runs on automation by default: order logic, inventory placement, even courier selection, so your team isn’t reviewing every order by hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every one of those layers is also something you can open up and change yourself, or build around with your own tools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
“Inflexible” is usually code for a narrower worry: whether you can change course once you’re in. Being able to overrule automations is the real question, and with ShipBob that override stays with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the difference between a traditional 3PL and a platform that lets you set the process, then automates it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA closer look at what you can actually control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Flexibility shows up in four places most often: order rules, packaging and kitting, your own integrations, and overrides on the automated layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Order rules that run your fulfilment logic automatically<\/h3><\/div>
\nOrder rules let your fulfilment logic run automatically on every order, so growing your volume doesn’t mean adding operations headcount just to keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You set the logic once, in the ShipBob dashboard, and it applies going forward. You can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Set packaging preferences and requirements per product.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add marketing inserts to specific orders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Split orders by product or destination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Control how orders route across fulfilment centres.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
So when an order falls outside the norm, like a stockout or a shipment that needs to move a particular way, the rule you set handles it instead of it becoming a manual fire drill. An item out of stock in one location can ship from another, or ship partially, based on the rule you chose, not a one-off decision someone has to make that afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cWe have several rules set up in our ShipBob dashboard to make sure the right orders get the right customizations. When an order comes in, it gets tagged based on what kind of order it is. Then ShipBob\u2019s system will automatically add the right customizations for each tag to each order, and the packer will know what inserts to include or packaging to use.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As long as we\u2019re using the appropriate tags, it\u2019s seamless. In the past, there\u2019s no way we could have achieved and automated the level of customisation we wanted, and had it actually work successfully \u2013 but with ShipBob Plus, we can.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oscar Gutierrez, Operations Fulfilment Manager at goPure\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Packaging, inserts, and kitting you configure at the SKU level<\/h3><\/div>
\nPackaging and kitting sit right at the centre of the customisation question, and both are set up at the product level rather than requested as a favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through ShipBob’s Customisation Suite<\/a>, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Ship in your own branded boxes and mailers, stored, and assigned as their own SKUs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Set packaging requirements per SKU, so a given product always ships the way you intend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add marketing inserts and gift notes (standard or premium) to orders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Request value-added services like kitting and bundling as work orders directly from the dashboard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Kitting is specifically worth highlighting, because it’s the classic complex requirement merchants worry about losing. You can build kits and bundles, break cases down, and manage those as work orders, so a multi-piece set or a subscription box is handled as one configured product. For a full walkthrough, see ShipBob’s guide to kitting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAroma360<\/a> is a luxury scent brand ships a wide variety of products with a lot of customisation, and its Director of Logistics, Melissa Mosheim, described the result this way:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
“ShipBob’s team has done an amazing job at learning our business, and the technology that drives ShipBob’s packing process ensures that every order gets fulfilled to our particular specifications.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
ShipBob’s step-by-step packing flow shows packers which dividers go with which candles, which box each combination needs, and how to package it, down to reference images for each step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Complex presentation, in other words, is configured once and then runs automatically: standardized execution of a setup you defined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Bloom Nutrition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Cowboy Colostrum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Our Place<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n Your own tools and integrations through the developer platform<\/h3><\/div>
\nTeams that run on their own systems can keep working in those systems rather than moving into ShipBob’s tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your team runs on NetSuite, Adobe Commerce, or a custom ERP, ShipBob’s Developer Platform<\/a> gives you more than 90 endpoints across nine resource areas, so you can create orders, submit warehouse receiving orders, pull inventory and tracking data, and process returns from the systems you already use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Webhooks keep those connected systems in sync automatically, so your source of truth stays current without manual exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a workflow doesn’t fit a standard integration, you can also work directly with ShipBob’s Solutions Architecture team to build the custom integration your business needs. The flexibility here lives in the API and the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
“We used ShipBob\u2019s Developer API<\/mark> to have our developers set up a direct integration to route orders into ShipBob, as we bring on new customers who need smart technology kits shipped to their home. ShipBob\u2019s platform is easier to use than our prior platform. Submitting an inbound request, tracking inventory, and reporting and analytics in ShipBob are all very helpful as well.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simon Farrugia, Chief Product Officer at Honey Insurance.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Overrides on the automated layer: couriers, inventory, and returns<\/h3><\/div>
\nA smart default is only reassuring if you can step in when you want to, and on ShipBob you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Couriers:<\/strong> ShipBob’s transportation network chooses the courier that balances cost and speed on each order. If you don’t want a particular courier in the mix, turn it off, and the engine works around your choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“ShipBob\u2019s software has a courier selection algorithm that automatically chooses the fastest, most cost-effective courier for each unique package, and they work with the same, plus many more highly vetted couriers (for which they\u00a0monitor\u00a0performance and optimise lanes at the postcode level).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leveraging ShipBob\u2019s intelligent courier mix, vast network, and algorithms, our actual per shipment rate is at least a dollar less than it was before. Combined with every kind of fee being lower, switching to ShipBob has saved us $1 million dollars in one year alone.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gregory Frye, VP of Operations at Hi-Altitude Brands\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Inventory placement<\/strong>: The Inventory Placement Program<\/a> (IPP) distributes your inventory across ShipBob’s US fulfilment network automatically, using demand patterns to move stock closer to your customers. If you disagree with how it’s allocated, you can adjust it yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“Expanding our warehouse network from 2 to 4 warehouses has translated into $1.5 million in freight cost savings for Our Place. It also cut our fulfilment and shipping times in half, from 5 or 6 days to just 2.5 days.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ali Shahid, COO of Our Place<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nReturns<\/strong>: When an item comes back, you decide how that SKU is treated, whether it’s restocked, quarantined, or disposed of. It’s a short, clear decision per SKU rather than a black box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“Through the ShipBob dashboard, we can set up our preferences for each SKU that indicate exactly how we want ShipBob to handle a return \u2013 whether we want the item quarantined or disposed of \u2013 and ShipBob will automatically follow those rules so we don\u2019t have to manage every customer-initiated return ourselves.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neil Blewitt, SVP of Operations at Bloom Nutrition<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Across all three, the approach is identical: a smart default you can overrule the moment you have a reason to.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Standardized doesn’t mean rigid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The perception gets one thing half-right. ShipBob is<\/em> standardized: every fulfilment centre runs on the same technology and the same service standards, which is exactly why accuracy and speed hold up as you grow across locations. You can see how <\/a>ShipBob approaches accurate, consistent fulfilment<\/a> in a separate guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flexibility is the other half of the same coin. The standard platform is what makes your customizations reliable: a packaging rule, a kit, or a courier preference behaves the same way in every fulfilment centre, every time. Consistency and control, not one at the expense of the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSee what you’d actually control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The useful next step is to hold your own workflows up against what’s covered here: your packaging and kitting, your integrations, your routing and inventory preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Explore the Customisation Suite<\/a> for packaging, inserts, gift notes, and kitting<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Review the developer documentation<\/a> if your team builds on an API or ERP<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- See how IPP<\/a> handles US inventory distribution, and where you’d adjust it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Click the button below to connect with ShipBob’s team and walk through how much of your operation you’d actually set and control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Review the developer documentation<\/a> if your team builds on an API or ERP<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Explore the Customisation Suite<\/a> for packaging, inserts, gift notes, and kitting<\/li>\n\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/)
<\/div><\/div>