Advice for drop shipping issues

Hi all,

I am seeking for some advice on how to manage my drop shipping business better. I have multiple suppliers from different locations/countries.

1. Shipping cost: For example, when a customer orders 5 pieces of clothing from 5 different suppliers, I have to pay 5 shipping costs $8 x 5 = $40. On the other hand, when a customer orders 5 pieces of clothing from 1 supplier, I pay only 1 shipping cost $8. For both cases, my shipping setup is first item costs $8 and additional item costs $3, so the shipping cost is $8 + $3 x 4 = $20. Customers from the first case may not be happy with the shipping cost, but I suffer some loss. Customers from the second case also may not be happy, but I make some profit. Nowadays, there are more customers who buy from different suppliers than from the same supplier. Does anyone has a better idea to manage this so that everyone is happy? Ideally, a shipping module based on category (or supplier) would make this situation better but it is not available.

2. Delivery time: For example, a customer orders 10 pieces of clothing from 10 different suppliers. This means the customer will receive 10 different parcels from different locations at different time. How do I inform them their shipping status? Informing them multiple times might not be a good idea because it adds up my work. Customers also complain why their orders are incomplete and why their orders are still marked as Pending. Does anyone has a better idea to manage this so that everyone is happy?

Thanks in advance.