In the world of ecommerce, getting orders delivered successfully is a key factor in success. So if you’re a retailer or a manufacturer that doesn’t have it’s own warehouse and distribution facilities, then choosing a third party to handle your fulfillment can be a helpful solution.
In this article we’ll look at five distinct areas for consideration when selecting a fulfillment partner.
– what kind of services do they provide?
– where are their facilities located?
– how will the order flow from ecommerce, to them and finally to you?
– who do they serve? And finally,
– how much does it cost? Let’s dive in…
1. What kind of fulfillment services do they provide?
There are many different options available when it comes to fulfillment services. Here are some examples:
– Pick and pack (a subset of fulfillment that include order preparation, i.e. packaging.)
– Order consolidation
– Order expansion – also called the 10 foot shelf, meaning the ability to ship items from other retailers in addition to your own.
– Specialty and personalized fulfillment (e.g., gift baskets, large or heavy items)
– Ship from store
– Reverse logistics (includes returns processing and reverse logistics for disposal of returned goods.)
2. Where are their facilities located?
When selecting a fulfillment partner, it’s important to consider the location of their facilities. For example, if you’re a retailer that has a significant brick and mortar presence as well as an ecommerce business, then the ability to pick from ers, then it might make sense to choose the least expensive option that will still get your orders to you on time.
5. How much does it cost?
It’s a good idea to determine how much fulfillment is costing your business before you start shopping forers, then it might make sense to choose the least expensive option that will still get your orders to you on time.
5. How much does it cost?
It’s a good idea to determine how much fulfillment is costing your business before you start shopping for fulfillment partners. If the current provider is charging more than they should, then there are likely other options available that can give you not only better pricing but also faster delivery times.
You’ll find that some fulfillment centers are more expensive than others simply because they have higher costs to cover due to geographical location or technology investments. However, if your current provider is charging you significantly more, then it’s time to shop around.
As you can see, the selection of a fulfillment partner requires taking into account many factors – how much it costs to service your business, where they’re located, what services you need and who they serve.
Researching the right partner is key to revenue growth. fulfillment partners. If the current provider is charging more than they should, then there are likely other options available that can give you not only better pricing but also faster delivery times.
You’ll find that some fulfillment centers are more expensive than others simply because they have higher costs to cover due to geographical location or technology investments. However, if your current provider is charging you significantly more, then it’s time to shop around.
As you can see, the selection of a fulfillment partner requires taking into account many factors – how much it costs to service your business, where they’re located, what services you need and who they serve.
Researching the right partner is key to revenue growth. local fulfillment centers can make a big difference in delivery time. This is especially true for those orders going to customers on the east coast which may be closer to your partner’s facility than yours.
3. How will the order flow from ecommerce, to them and finally to you?
The path an order takes from Point A (eCommerce) to Point B (customer’s doorstep) is very important. For example, if you’re a retailer that also has a brick and mortar presence, then having your fulfillment partner handle the transfer of orders from your ecommerce business to their warehouse makes sense. After all, there’s no need for you to have a second facility that handles only ecommerce orders when they could be handled by your existing distribution center.
4. Who do they serve?
This is an important factor in selecting a fulfillment partner as it requires an in-depth knowledge of your order fulfillment requirements.
If you have a very specialized product, then serving your unique needs may be the most important consideration in selecting a partner. On the other hand, if you’re selling commodity products that are widely available from several different providers, then it might make sense to choose the least expensive option that will still get your orders to you on time.
5. How much does it cost?
It’s a good idea to determine how much fulfillment is costing your business before you start shopping for fulfillment partners. If the current provider is charging more than they should, then there are likely other options available that can give you not only better pricing but also faster delivery times.
You’ll find that some fulfillment centers are more expensive than others simply because they have higher costs to cover due to geographical location or technology investments. However, if your current provider is charging you significantly more, then it’s time to shop around.
As you can see, the selection of a fulfillment partner requires taking into account many factors – how much it costs to service your business, where they’re located, what services you need and who they serve.
Researching the right partner is key to revenue growth.
