Are You Failing at eCommerce Order Fulfillment?

Posted September 11, 2020

In eCommerce, Fulfillment, Logistics, Shipping

The eCommerce order cycle is not complete without an efficient eCommerce order fulfillment service. With cut-throat competition in the eCommerce world, it often gets tough for businesses to efficiently meet their order processing needs.

With this year’s COVID-19 Pandemic causing huge breaks in the manufacturing and logistics supply chain, it is critical for businesses to focus on meeting supply and fulfillment needs.

Fortunately, outsourcing order fulfillment can help businesses successfully meet the order fulfillment needs of customers. However, your partnership with your fulfillment service provider will only succeed if they completely understand your business needs and objectives.

A Lack of Communication

Keeping your fulfillment partner up to date on your brand message and products is crucial if they will also be responsible for handling your customer service. It is important that they “sound like you” while dealing with your customers.

Additionally, you will need an uninterrupted mode of real-time communication with your fulfillment partner so that operations-themed questions are replied quickly and accurately, with the prime focus on customer satisfaction!

Poor Technology Access

Technology is everywhere. A business that lacks technological access loses out to the competition. When it comes to order fulfillment, you cannot ignore technological excellence because upon it directly affects the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of your fulfillment operations. A professional fulfillment provider has access to state-of-the-art technology and warehouse management systems for real-time inventory management. A good warehouse management system also ensures security for customer data and facilitates order tracking as well as picking packaging and shipping.

Not only that, a reputable warehouse management system will enable your third party fulfillment partner to provide you with the backend inventory management tools required for you to handle current inventory and forecast future needs.

Lack of Shipping Options

It is important that you have access to a variety of shipping options that can guarantee prompt delivery of shipments. The best thing about outsourcing order fulfillment is that you can get access to multiple shipping methods and greater access to freight lanes and volume discounts.

With some order fulfillment companies like Elite OPS, they have multiple warehouse locations to cover the entire United States to ensure 2 day shipping to any location. By outsourcing to a professional third party(3PL) provider, you can expect to see an increase in shipping service levels.

Related: 5 Ways Elite OPS eCommerce Fulfillment Can Help You.

No Personalization

Customers want something extra. Consumers today want to buy something (or an experience) that looks and feels like it was meant especially for them. A business that fails to exceed their customers’ expectations faces a risk of losing out to the competition. In order to stay competitive in the eCommerce space, it is important to give customers something extra that will entice them to return to you.

Personalized notes, customized labels and shipping boxes, and product customization options are some of the “extras” that can click with customers. A unique unboxing experience will also keep your brand in their minds at all times when they are looking for something to buy online.

A Disorganized Returns Process

Any kink in the order fulfillment process can be disastrous to your reputation as a retailer, even if you are selling a really great product. Returns are inevitable – and you need to plan a seamless returns (and exchange) process to keep customers happy. However, it is easier said than done.

It is important to figure out how your fulfillment partner manages the returns side of things. Do they refurbish returned items? Do they have a well-managed repairing, repackaging, reorganizing, and cleaning process to get the returned products back in shape for resale as quickly as possible? Do they have a process to track returns and identify solutions to why an item was returned? Can they pair returns with customer service inquiries? Remember, returns are as important as the pick, pack and ship process. You simply cannot overlook this aspect of order fulfillment!

Bottom Line

Order Fulfillment is an integral part of any business that sells a product. Without a good order fulfillment process, you are simply sending your customers to your competitors. It directly affects the bottom line!

Click here to Read about the Steps We Are Taking to ensure Business Continuity for Our Customers and Our Team.

Elite OPS has been a leader in Shipping and Logistics for over 25 years. Contact Us to find out how we can help you Save Time and Money on Procurement as a Service, eCommerce Order Fulfillment, and Kitting and Assembly.