Tag: ecommerce fulfillment

To survive the competition, your company needs to deliver exceptional products, fast.

That’s why it’s important to think about ecommerce fulfillment. From the submission of an order through processing to the physical delivery of the product, everything must be on point.

But how do you measure yourself against the rest? That’s a question that many brands have struggled to answer.

We’re here to help. It’s more than possible to measure your ecommerce fulfillment. Here are the tactics you should be using.

Analyze Your Internal Logistics

The first step forward in improving your ecommerce fulfillment is a look backward.

The major logistics you need to look at all depend on what your company does. But, in general, ask yourself a few questions.

What shipping needs are ideal for you, and how does reality line up with expectations? What could go better before any product is sent out, and how can you contribute to that betterment? Is there anything that pops into your head and makes you cringe when you hear “shipping logistics”?

You need to make sure that the ship is upright before you can fix it, so take the time to patch up any glaring holes. Then you can move forward and reach out to the people to whom fulfillment matters the most.

Check in with Customers

At the end of the day, the point of improving your fulfillment is to improve your perception in the eyes of customers. If you want them to keep coming back, you’ll need their approval, right? So you should find out what they’re feeling.

Customer satisfaction is always relevant, but fulfillment gives you a streamlined perspective on it. How happy are your customers with the products they get?

This question comes down to two answers. You need to know what customers are feeling about the quality of your product, and if it lines up with their expectations. It’s one thing for them to be OK with the package they receive–but are they fulfilled?

That sounds more philosophical than it is. In the age of the internet, it’s easy to find out what customers are thinking.

Head to the many places online where your products are reviewed by customers. Amazon, Yelp, or Google are fueled by emotional customer reviews. Whatever opinion a customer has, they’re more than likely to be open about it in an internet comment.

So, brace yourself and head to a website where you can see reviews from your customers. If you aren’t being reviewed on those sites, send out a survey–that’ll be sure to summon the most negative opinions.

Because the positive opinions are nice but unhelpful. If you can find a problem with your packages–maybe it arrived damaged, or stolen–then you can fix it. So, stick to the negative ones and adjust.

The second question is about the efficiency of the delivery. When are your packages arriving, and how could you make them arrive in a faster manner?

Find a Third Party That Tracks Packages

The answer to package-tracking nowadays is tougher than it initially seems. In the old days, it was not possible like it is today. Sure, you could contact truck drivers or receive phone complaints, but the communication was simply not what it is today.

If you’ve ever received a package from Amazon, you must have looked into just how detailed package tracking can be. You can see where it is every day at different specific times, following its journey from point A to point B with precision.

It’s so advanced, in fact, that you probably can’t do it alone. Instead, reach out to a third party, if you don’t already have one.

Many companies specialize in tracking packages for companies like yours. With their information, you’ll be able to tell how quickly anything you send gets to a customer, and whether it’s before or after the promised deadline.

That information will allow you to analyze the efficiency of your delivery, a key component of fulfillment. And you can adjust to improve.

Track Reverse Deliveries

One way to be sure that your measurements of delivery speed are accurate is to track reverse packages, too. In a perfect world, a customer will never send you something.

But, every once in a while a customer will want a refund. And they’ll end up sending back whatever you originally sent.

One silver lining about that refund? The returned package will travel through the exact same shipment route that it first went through, but backward. So, you’ll get another chance to keep track of the different locations and times that are marked during the shipment.

If you find yourself in a panic, checking your email while waiting for a package, yikes. That feeling is exactly how some of your customers are feeling while waiting for your shipments.

And, if the returned shipment comes back fast, you’ll know you’re on the right track. But don’t be afraid to adjust.

Make Changes for Better Ecommerce Fulfillment

The point of measuring fulfillment is to improve your company. Eventually, you’d like to be the perfect company. However, it’s unlikely that those changes will come overnight.

By taking gradual measurements, you’ll make gradual adjustments. You’ll be able to make subtle changes over time without disrupting the day to day functions of your company.

And, with that patience in mind, you should get a start on improving your business.

It’s Time to Fulfill

When you can track your ecommerce fulfillment, you make positive changes for your company in two ways. On one hand, you’ve better organized how your company works, which allows you to function better.

And the customers will notice. Better ecommerce fulfillment means associating your brand with efficiency and speed. A rock-solid brand is one of the most important tools you have in your arsenal to advance your company and grow into the future.

Looking to up the ante with your fulfillment? Reach out to our team. We can get you started on maximizing your potential today.

What are you waiting for?

Fulfillment is the backbone of e-commerce.

As more shoppers browse online, they expect the products they order to arrive safely. However, the three most common problems consumers encounter online all involve shipping.

Top complaints are late delivery, damaged products, or missing orders. Even e-commerce giants like Amazon and eBay were guilty of these missteps.

You can avoid making the same mistakes by planning out an efficient way to ship your products.

Here’s how to manage your ecommerce fulfillment and avoid snags before they become big problems.

What Makes a Successful Ecommerce Fulfillment Structure

Getting your product in the right place at the right time takes a lot of detailed planning. Unfortunately, ecommerce fulfillment has the potential to generate devastating problems for your business.

To really succeed, you need:

• Fast processing

• Accurate order fulfillment

• A reliable return system

• International shipping capabilities

• The ability to scale your system up to match your business growth

• Mobile-integrated technology–especially since mobile is poised to take over 45 percent of the e-commerce market by 2020

• Failsafes that will kick in if you see a surge in shoppers

• Affordable costs that will allow you to keep your prices competitive

You have several different options for achieving these goals, but most e-commerce businesses choose from one of three ecommerce fulfillment models.

The Dropshipping Fulfillment Model

In this model, you market and sell goods stored at another facility.

This is a common option for Amazon resellers or other businesses that don’t produce a unique product. With drop shipping, your product is manufactured, stored, and shipped from an entirely different facility.

Your dropshipping partner handles the logistics for each order. When a customer makes a purchase, they’re notified immediately. They pack and ship the product and handle any returns.

All you have to handle is the marketing side of your business.

The Benefits of Dropshipping

You don’t purchase or produce products you don’t need. Instead of buying in bulk and hoping you hit your sales goals, you only pay your supplier for the products your customers buy. That’s an efficient way to do business.

Best of all, you don’t need to worry about the logistics of ecommerce fulfillment. You won’t need to plan out storage, hire a packing staff, or worry about returns. Your dropshipping partner handles those concerns for you.

The Drawbacks of Dropshipping

The entire dropshipping process hinges on you selling products another company has created. Since your end product is out of your control, you can’t use product quality to build your brand identity.

You also give up a lot of control over the fulfillment process with this model. If you find a good drop shipping partner to work with, that’s not a problem. If, however, your customers start seeing late deliveries, damaged goods, or the wrong items arrive at their doors, you’ll bear the blame for those mistakes.

Lack of product customization, poor product quality, and no control over the fulfillment process are all common concerns with the dropshipping model.

The Self-Fulfillment Model

In the self-fulfillment model, you own the entire shipping process in-house. You manufacture your product, store it in your warehouse, and pack and ship every order.

Many large-scale companies use the self-fulfillment model. It cuts out the middleman and gives you the ultimate say in the process.

Benefits of Using the Self-Fulfillment Model

You get detailed control over your shipping process and avoid paying fees associated with someone else handling your shipping logistics.

This is a good option for products that require a specific shipping procedure, like food, alcohol, or large items.

It’s also great if you want a personal say in every aspect of the shipping process.

Drawbacks of Self-Fulfillment

Self-fulfillment has one obvious drawback: It’s expensive.

Not many companies have the resources to launch a full-scale fulfillment operation right off the bat. If you don’t have an experienced logistics staff, it can break your business in no time.

For many e-commerce businesses, self-fulfillment is a goal to work for, not a first step.

The Third-Party Logistics Model, or 3PL

In this model, you either manufacture your goods or buy them in bulk before an order is ever made. Rather than ship them out yourself, you store them at a third-party fulfillment center. Every time a customer buys an item, your 3PL partner ships it out.

If drop shipping offers too little control over the process and self-fulfillment offers too much, the 3PL model is a good compromise.

You can sell your own product in the way you choose, but you’re not on the hook for the entire ecommerce fulfillment process.

Benefits

You don’t have to worry about shipping logistics. Instead, you can outsource logistics to your 3PL partner.

That means you can focus on running the client-facing side of your business while your 3PL company keeps things moving from behind the scenes.

This model is a good fit if you produce a unique product, but you don’t have the space, manpower, or expertise to handle your own shipping.

Drawbacks

Like dropshipping, 3PL relies heavily on the experience of your partner. If the shipping process breaks down at any point, your customers will blame you, not your 3PL company.

That’s why it’s essential you do your research before choosing a 3PL company to partner with. Ask about their warehouse conditions, inventory management, shipping rates, and customer service offerings.

If something goes wrong, you need to be sure your 3PL company will be there to help.

Ready to Talk to a 3PL Provider? Contact Marketplace Valet Today

At Marketplace Valet, we pride ourselves on our level of service in the 3PL marketplace.

We started as an e-commerce business in need of fulfillment. We learned firsthand what makes a successful fulfillment operation, and we’re excited to pass that expertise along to you.

Stacked up against our major competitors, there’s no comparison. We offer professional listing management, top-notch product storage, projected inventory needs reports, and more. Best of all, our customer service department is there to help solve any problems that arise.

Find out why you should choose us as your ecommerce fulfillment provider.