Kitting services can effectively lower your shipping costs, speed up fulfillment and boost sales for your ecommerce business. Here are the benefits to using kitting services provided by your 3PL.... View Article
Continuous process improvement strategies can make or break businesses in the order fulfillment industry. But with day-to-day operations as complex as they are, it can be challenging to rethink processes in order to find and fix inefficiencies. If you find yourself struggling with improving your fulfillment capabilities, stop and look closely at these essential areas. Costs per order Group and measure your fulfillment expenses into categories of Freight Management Direct and indirect labor Facilities (including operating expenses like utilities and security) Shipping supplies By understanding the financial impact each area has, you’ll be better prepared for identifying where improvements will…... View Article
Expanding an ecommerce business is more than just expanding product catalogs and opening more distribution centers. The administrative strategy and operational support functions of your back office are vital – and their capabilities need to scale alongside business growth for overall success. In this blog post, we’ll cover some fundamental elements to consider when evaluating your current back office’s capabilities and ensuring they keep pace with the growth of your business. Customer Relations You need more than just a well-designed website to provide a great customer experience. Accessible and attentive customer service shape the final perception of unsatisfactory experiences…... View Article
So, you’ve decided to partner with a third-party logistics provider. Compared to trying to juggle 100% of fulfillment duties in-house, you’ve most likely seen several KPI improvements since contracting outside help. However, do you have a methodology in place to more objectively evaluate your 3PL’s performance – and make a case for either renewing that partnership or seeking out a new one? Although every ecommerce business has different goals and priorities, you can use these broad considerations to help determine whether the terms of your current 3PL partnership should be reevaluated: Size If your company has grown significantly, it may…... View Article
As your ecommerce business grows, the pressure increases to obtain more SKUs, staff, and facility upgrades. There are two paths you can take to invest in your growth: in-house managed expansion, or outsourced expansion through a third-party logistics provider (3PL). Generally, your available resources, immediate needs, and planned rate of growth all factor in to deciding which path offers the better ROI. Since each strategy has its pros and cons, choosing between the two can be harder than it sounds. To help you decide which expansion path is best for your business and long-term strategy, you should consider the following…... View Article
At some point, every ecommerce business asks itself, “is it time to partner with a 3PL provider?” The answer depends on several variables such as your long-term business goals, availability of internal resources, and your level of operational efficiency. Every business has different needs and priorities, so 3PL partnerships aren’t the best answer for everyone. However, if you find yourself dealing with any of the following challenges on a regular basis, it may be time to bring in a 3PL provider. Growth Third-party logistics and fulfillment providers are among the best strategic options for helping ecommerce retailers (especially new ones)…... View Article
Since order fulfillment is a “behind the scenes” process, newcomers to ecommerce don’t usually have a strong strategy in place for efficient fulfillment processes. In this post, we’ll cover some fulfillment fundamentals to help beginners avoid the costly mistakes of over-stretching or over-complicating their fulfillment operations. Free shipping vs. fast shipping Yes, offering free shipping is a surefire way to increase sales. However, it’s not free for the seller – and the costs can add up. Fortunately, there are many strategies you can use to reduce or recoup the costs of free shipping. For example, increasing the transit time decreases…... View Article
Improving the efficiency of your fulfillment operations is something you should always be striving for. Because the peaks in your annual sales cycle test the maximum capacity of your operations, these times are an excellent opportunity to identify challenges or inefficiencies. Unfortunately, this can be almost impossible to do while you’re in the thick of things – even outside of peak season. A 3PL provider is an invaluable solution to this common problem. Not only can they objectively analyze your current operations, but they can also leverage their experience to find solutions that work for your unique situation. In this…... View Article
There comes a time when ecommerce start-ups must decide whether to expand their internal fulfillment capabilities, or outsource to a third-party logistics and fulfillment provider. However, making that decision requires more consideration than a simple cost-analysis. While an internal fulfillment department comes with flexibility advantages, a partnership with a 3PL company also has perks that can benefit an ecommerce company as a whole. [more] Cost per order: It’s not always true for every internal fulfillment vs. 3PL comparison, but a 3PL partner is often able to leverage their specialized focus and industry relationships to get a lower cost per order.…... View Article
With more than 15 years of experience providing customized fulfillment services, we’ve fielded our fair share of questions from clients. Below are some quick answers to our most frequently asked questions. Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. [more] Q: Do we get shipping discounts because of our volume? A: Yes. In fact, Fulfillment Works offers the most aggressive pricing every day and we regularly, relentlessly negotiate with all our suppliers and pass the discounts on to you. Q: Is our warehouse climate controlled? A: Yes it is. Additionally, our warehouse is equipped to…... View Article
