If you are unfamiliar with the services, it cannot be easy to decide whether or not to outsource order fulfilment. We’ve created a guide for beginners on what to expect from order fulfilment partners. Here’s a simple, understandable introduction to each feature and how it will benefit your eCommerce business.
Hopefully, you will feel confident and ready to decide whether outsourced order fulfilment is right for you.
Order Fulfilment Services
ECOMMERCE INTEGRATION
ECommerce integration is the first step in integrating your eCommerce business with your 3PL (third-party logistics) partner. A top fulfilment company will provide software that can easily integrate your shopping cart (Shopify or Magento). This allows orders to be moved directly from your online store to a warehouse. This allows for seamless communication between your care team and the warehouse team so that your orders can be fulfilled quickly.
STORAGE
Your eCommerce fulfilment partner will integrate with your online shop and start storing your stock in their warehouse. Your stock will be stored safely and securely in racking, pallet and shelving. To avoid identical stock appearance, products will be organized by SKU (stock-keeping unit). They will also be staggered. 54% of warehouses plan to increase the number of SKUs in the next five years, allowing more storage space for growing businesses.
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Once you have everything in place with your partner, you can start to use their management systems. You will have access to an IMS (inventory management system), which allows you to monitor and manage stock from wherever you are. You can also track stock movements, forecasting, and other data using the IMS, including the most popular orders.
PICK AND PACK
Everything is set up for order fulfilment. Your first orders will be received, and they will now enter the pick-and-pack process. Pick and pack refers to picking up an item from storage and taking it to a packing station. Then, packaging it for shipping. With a WMS (warehouse management software), staff can be guided on the best pick route and will be able to locate the right products quickly.
DELIVERY
Once your item is packed according to your specifications, it will be labelled with the customer’s address. The customer can also choose from previously established delivery options (economy or urgent). 72% of customers will spend more if they can be certain of next-day delivery. You’ll also be able to deliver. It will allow you to sell your products around the globe without worrying about logistics.
