Providing prompt and high-quality service that fosters brand loyalty and keeps customers returning is more crucial than ever for e-commerce companies in this age of unprecedented demand. Here, you’ll learn how e-commerce businesses may rapidly expand their operations by utilizing reliable software to optimize the entire order fulfillment process. That would be from taking a customer’s payment to delivering the item to their door.
It’s no surprise that experts predict eCommerce sales will increase by at least 56% by 2026. This worldwide interest in internet-purchased goods and services directly results from an increasingly digital lifestyle.
However, a lack of communication between the many systems involved in the fulfillment process makes it impossible to keep up with the surge in demand without suffering from supply shortages, delivery delays, and other nasty business problems. As time goes on, it becomes more challenging to keep an eye on how things are doing behind the scenes.
Luckily, there’s reliable and available software to ease the typical issues of fulfilling massive orders. This article will provide insight into high-volume fulfillment software, how to determine if your business needs the software, and lastly, how it can enhance your business processes if you choose to employ it.
What is high-volume fulfillment software?
Automation is at the heart of order fulfillment systems, which work by bridging the gap between online storefronts and warehouse stock control systems. The order fulfillment software will take care of everything, from notifying your fulfillment firm partner when an order is placed on your eCommerce site to ensuring it has the right products to pick and pack.
Like any good technological solution, fulfillment software ought to work without any additional configuration on the part of business owners. While the term ‘fulfillment software’ can refer to a platform with a wide variety of logistics-related features, the most frequently seen ones are warehouse management systems, order tracking, inventory management, and order and shipping processing.
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How to determine the volume?
Your need for a third-party logistics (3PL) software provider should be carefully evaluated before you use one for order fulfillment. One of the best ways to tell if you require fulfillment services is to look at the minimum order size. Some businesses must meet an order minimum each month to do business with fulfillment services.
If your monthly order volume is under 1,000 items, you may want to fulfill it yourself or use a low-volume fulfillment option that doesn’t require a minimum order size. When a business engages in self-fulfillment, it receives and fulfills customer orders internally. The choosing and packing processes are included. With self-fulfillment, you can save money and time if you only send out a small number of orders each month.
Your company’s expected expansion rate in the coming years is another consideration, as is the kind of products it sells online. If you expect your monthly order volume to expand dramatically, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare to transition to a new fulfillment system.
Advantages of using high volume fulfillment software
Order fulfillment software can take several forms, as mentioned above, making it hard to categorize precisely. As a result, some owners of online stores don’t know where to start looking for primary characteristics in a piece of software to handle order fulfillment.
If you decide to work with a specific fulfillment provider, chances are that it’ll have an order fulfillment method and software. However, you should always ensure that a fulfillment system’s software is up-to-date.
Before entering into a discussion about order fulfillment solutions with a possible partner, be sure that they can provide the following:
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Compatibility with eCommerce websites
For larger eCommerce organizations, in particular, not being able to directly link their order management system with their existing eCommerce sales platform is a huge concern. Always be sure that the order fulfillment software you’re considering has access points for connectivity with your chosen eCommerce solution. Without this, reorganizing your online store and other sales channels will be more trouble than it’s worth.
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Ability to provide clear inventory information
If you’re using an order management platform for your eCommerce firm, you need to know as much as possible about your supply chain. You should know all there is to know about the warehouse you’re using to store goods, from the number of items to the date on which they should be restocked. Maintaining a well-stocked inventory and a well-oiled supply chain relies heavily on this type of clear visualization.
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Capability for automation
The time and energy saved by business owners because of the automation provided by order fulfillment solutions are substantial. It’s a red flag if the fulfillment service you’re considering doesn’t have automated tools to streamline the process. Automating as much of the business as feasible is crucial, including order processing, data collection from numerous sales channels, and communication with solution suppliers.
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Access to order history
Errors can be minimized by ensuring all data is shared openly between the eCommerce platform and the fulfillment software, especially when reviewing past bills and purchase records. There’s less chance of shipping labels being mixed up or orders being sent to the wrong area if the fulfillment center you partner with can check and double-check the order it’s processing.
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Able to modify orders
While a centralized order management system might help you keep track of new sales, it can cause problems in the customer support department if clients cannot modify or cancel their orders. Verify that you can change the customer’s information, order, and delivery fees within an allotted time frame. If you run an online store, you know that pleasing your customers is crucial to your success.
If your order fulfillment software is missing even one of these five features, it’s likely to cause issues for your company. You must be completely aware of your supply chain and the entire fulfillment process if you want to grow to the size of other major eCommerce platforms.
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Takeaway
The software can take many forms and features, from simple warehouse management to comprehensive order fulfillment. However, not all are created equal when assisting you in managing your eCommerce business. Studying your company and other software options can help you choose the best fit.
To consistently increase profit for your business, you must always be aware of all the tech trends and utilize them for your benefit. If you can provide better convenience for your customers than your competitors, you’re already slowly securing a better future.