Running an online store is by no means a cakewalk. On top of that, having to fulfil those orders through an in-house facility means you can very quickly be running a costly and busy operation.
Luckily, no activity in this world comes without an alternative, and this self-fulfilment can also be replaced with a range of viable alternatives, many of which may be more economical than you would expect.
Yes. We do mean choosing an outside vendor to take care of this part of your business. You can outsource this job to another company and sit back and relax while they deliver those orders for you, or more realistically use the time you will be saving to concentrate on other objectives!.
Having trouble picking the right fulfilment solution and provider? Read on to find out how you can choose a suitable one for your business needs.
How To Choose A Suitable Fulfilment Solution?
Selecting the one vendor that will be perfect for your business needs is tricky.
After all, the basic service provided by each is the same. They package and deliver your product in a timely manner and safely to its buyer’s final address. And yet, an order fulfilment solution may be right for one company and inappropriate for another.
Then how do you go about deciding who is a suitable delivery partner for your establishment? Here are some points you need to consider.
Location(s) of Warehouses
Many small businesses instead of going for a fulfilment vendor simply use their local courier company to make the drop as the order volume is relatively low. This is often also the case when the customers for their store are restricted to a certain region.
Larger companies, however, cannot work like this. They have a much higher volume of orders to be packaged and delivered on a regular basis and spread over a wide area — sometimes even internationally. And as you already know, customers these days expect a quick delivery regardless of where you’re sending from.
This means you must cut your shipping time and what better way than shipping the order from a warehouse close by? While choosing the correct vendor for fulfilment services, it is essential that you take the locations of their warehouses into consideration. If they do not have a storage facility in or near a region where you have the highest concentration of your buyers, it might not be a good idea to use their services.
Minimum Order Requirement
Fulfilment service providers often ask for a minimum order. This is because several businesses hold large quantities in their warehouses for easy and timely packaging and shipping.
This ensures that there is no rush to pick up the product from the seller every time an order comes in. They can always maintain that minimum quantity in their storage unit to avoid any last-minute hassle.
Doing this enables the fulfilment vendors to carry out their operations in a sustainable manner.
Availability of Free Trials
Many service providers out there offer free trials to their prospective customers, i.e. the online businesses. This lets you check the quality of their services before you sign them on for your regular order fulfilment.
It is notable that not all vendors provide you with such trials. Ensure that you check availability with your shortlisted companies. It is only beneficial for understanding the service provider and their order fulfilment tools and systems.
Shipping and Delivery Speed
Modern customers expect their orders delivered quickly. With the one and two-day delivery options being extended by many online retailers, that is what is being expected from the other online businesses as well.
Even in cases where shipping and delivery are not possible within a two-day period, a quick shipment is still expected. Buyers are unwilling to wait 10 days or more just to receive a package. If the delivery speed offered by your fulfilment service provider is low, it is going to affect your business as customers would rather purchase the product from a seller who supplies it faster.
Shipment Tracking Facility
Chances are, you will have ordered from eCommerce giants like Amazon and eBay at some point. You must have noticed the way they keep you updated on the status of your item’s delivery. That is known as shipment tracking and is rapidly becoming a much sought-after facility by customers around the globe.
Being able to track whether one’s order has been shipped out or not and when it would be delivered is important to the buyers. It’s also important for sellers to be able to monitor whether your deliveries are being fulfilled on time. Today, fulfilment centres have started providing dashboards and tracking facilities for both the online businesses as well as the customers. The order fulfilment software used by each such vendor can be different and may extend a slew of other services as well alongside the tracking.
This boosts trust between the parties and allows each to know exactly where a product is at any given time.
Return Processing and Management
Did you know that approximately 30% of all online orders see a return request raised soon thereafter? And just like the fulfilment of all orders may not be a feasible option if kept in-house, processing and managing the return requests and collecting products from each customer may not seem viable either.
Although the returns are significantly lesser in number than the orders shipped, they are an important aspect of online business and should be handled in a timely manner. Check if your shortlisted fulfilment vendors provide returns management as that is a major requirement of business. It allows you to focus on other core activities of the business rather than focusing on the simple incoming and outgoing of products.
Wrapping Up
Ultimately, what is needed of a fulfilment service solution is the ability to assist you with your product packaging, shipping, and delivery in a manner that eases your job and frees up your time. These tips should help you select the best provide for your business.
Author bio: Virginia Andrus is an independent Digital Marketing Consultant with 6+ years of marketing experience. Virginia is a chef by heart. In her free time, she is either writing marketing copies for brands and agencies or experimenting with new recipes at her home. Connect with her on Twitter: @andrus_virginia.