Fulfillment drives success for ecommerce business owners and
drop shippers. Hence, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve with the
processes and tools you rely on to get the job done. As you consider
maintaining efficiency at every stage of order fulfillment, you may ask
yourself questions like: how do I ensure orders are always delivered on time?
Are there gaps in my current process?
Answering these questions sincerely will help you save
money, work efficiently, and guarantee satisfied customers who receive the
right thing in the right packaging at the right time. No matter where you
stand, there’s always room for improvement. Therefore, we’ve put together the
top 8 order fulfillment best practices to help you step up your business.
Ecommerce
business: Prioritize Your Inventory’s Accuracy
If you look at it from a customer’s perspective, which do
you think is annoying? Seeing that a product is sold out before you order it,
or ordering and paying for a product that’s listed as in stock, only to find
out later that the product was not actually in stock.
Most customers would prefer bad news upfront. Inventory
inaccuracies invite a host of customer frustration that your business would
surely prefer to avoid. Have it at the back of your mind that the more accurate
your inventory, the more success you’ll have in delivering the right products
in time.
Increase
Data Visibility
Before you can start improving, you need a vivid
understanding of your team’s current performance. Real-time updates and
visibility into operational efficiency, timelines, and supply levels mean
accurate shipping times, consistent packaging quality, and clear expectations
across the board.
Also, good internal visibility helps you identify critical
process gaps that could negatively affect your business down the line. Data
insights help you find patterns and anticipate problems, so you can mitigate
challenges before they occur and provide better estimates of delivery times and
quality.
Automate
Key Processes
Manual operations may be the most feasible and
cost-effective option for ecommerce and dropshipping businesses, but they can
quickly become a risk as you grow. You’ll probably run into human error and
still rely on manual processes that prohibit the same level of performance.
Replace manual tools like spreadsheets or pencil-and-paper
lists with innovative automation tools. Automated tools help streamline
decision-making for all inbound, warehouse, and shipping processes and rapid
yet sustainable growth.
Organize
Your Inventory And Warehouse Operations
To ship and deliver orders with maximum efficiency, you need
more than a quick turnaround time or a centrally-located fulfillment center.
End-to-end warehouse organization supports how well you store, pick, pack, and
ship orders out to your customers. A great way to step up your shipping game is
with order consolidation. Order consolidation will help you meet demands and
optimize order fulfillment.
Use Order
Fulfilment Software That Integrates with Customer Service Software
As your business grows, you’ll eventually turn into some
kind of order fulfillment software. When you do, choose the one that integrates
well with your customer service software. You surely don’t want siloed information
systems that can’t communicate with each other.
Unify
Data Systems
The accuracy of your product data relates to the accuracy of
each order you fulfill. Robust, real-time data help to ensure you store, pack,
and ship products correctly and keeps vendors accountable for supplying you
with the correct number of each unit, tracked by accurate unit and serial
numbers.
Choose a WMS (Warehouse Management System) that can collect
and store comprehensive data related to product size, unit information, storage
requirements, packaging guidelines, etc. Then use the insights to shape your
order fulfillment processes.
Increase
Follow-Up
The only way to be sure you have a happy customer is to ask
them what they think. Follow up orders with quick text messages or emails to be
certain that the customer is 100% satisfied. Try to resolve any issue if it
arises. This doesn’t only build a good relationship with your customers, but it
also helps you to prevent chargebacks.
Keep
Returns in Mind
An inevitable aspect of online sales is order returns. The
way you manage the returns process affects your revenue, warehouse workflows,
and customer satisfaction. Instead of addressing each return on a tedious,
case-by-case basis, create a cost-effective, hassle-free returns process that
will benefit you and your end-buyers alike. Define a convenient, user-friendly
return policy and support it with a reliable WMS.
The right WMS can manage the entire returns process,
including sending a return label with the package, tracking return status for
client communication, and streamlining the inventory management process. That
makes the barriers and costs of returns as low as possible for customers and
keeps you firmly in control.
Take Away
Order fulfillment is more complicated than the name implies.
It encompasses much more than tossing a product into a box and dropping it
inside a mail. But are you ready to dive into an actionable solution for your
order fulfillment process?
If yes, then you shouldn’t miss out on implementing these 8-order
fulfillment best practices that have been discussed. To improve every of your
business, like revenue, speed, and order accuracy, start by taking a closer
look at the driving forces behind each success metric, then work proactively to
optimize them at a high level.
Do you need a reputable order fulfillment services company
for your ecommerce business? Contact us today at E7 Drop shipping fulfillment
agent. We provide a wide range of services including Global Fulfillment, China
Sourcing, Drop Shipping, Third Party Logistics, and lots more. Our trusted
experts will be happy to speak with you and provide suitable answers to your
questions and concerns. A fantastic experience awaits you.