1. One request format, many carriers
Your team should describe a shipment the same way every time, regardless of which carrier ends up handling it.
2. Match the request to the order
A label is only correct if the shipment it describes is the shipment the customer actually ordered. Matching happens first.
3. Generate, don't click
Carrier portals are for humans; APIs are for Digital Employees. Ideally your team never sees the portal at all.
4. Push the tracking number everywhere
The label is not the deliverable. The tracked promise is. Marketplaces, customers and your own systems all need the tracking number back.