Cosmetics require more thought when it comes to packaging and shipping than many other product types. Here are the Top 3 cosmetic supply chain challenges--and solutions for your brand to consider.... View Article
When it comes to order fulfillment, the weight and volume measurements of products are a major factor that affects shipping costs, warehouse capacity planning, and more. With this in mind, more and more fulfillment centers are “dimensioning” their inventory – using specialized technology to determine the exact cubic and weight measurements for each SKU, recording that data, and incorporating it into a warehouse management system (WMS). After dimensioning each SKU in your inventory, you’ll have valuable data for optimizing your facility. By leveraging your dimensioning data strategically, you can greatly improve areas such as: Shipping cost estimates Because the…... View Article
Inventory that isn’t carefully tracked and managed can create big problems down the road. Excess inventory occupies warehouse space and can tie up your working capital, while stockouts can contribute to a decrease in sales and an increase in dissatisfied customers. To keep the state of your inventory healthy and profitable, you should incorporate the following best practices into your day-to-day inventory management. A.B.C. – Always Be Checking In order to get the most robust picture of your inventory and how it moves, you should keep your data up to date with daily stock checks. Ideally, this should be an…... View Article
If you want to implement a backordering system on your ecommerce site, communication is key – not just with your inventory managers but with your customers as well. Before allowing customer to place backorders on your site, you should have a detailed understanding of your inventory management. Keep the lines of communication open and active with your fulfillment team to help determine the volume of backorders you’d be able to manage. Without this foundation, your backorder system could quickly start causing problems. Once you’ve established that basis for working with backordered inventory, you’ll need to focus on the customer experience.…... View Article
The more retailers that you sell your products through, the more challenging it is to manage that inventory – and the costs of sub-optimal B2B inventory management can be steep. In 2015, CNBC reported that stockouts accounted for $634.1 billion in lost retail sales for the year. Those losses can easily pass on to you. If retailers are not confident in your product availability, they will find other suppliers. Preventing stockouts with well-done B2B inventory tracking goes beyond keeping an accurate SKU count. Ideally, your inventory management software and staff should have the following capabilities. Detailed tracking information Your inventory…... View Article
Fulfillment Works is a full-service, end-to-end fulfillment company serving start-ups and Fortune 500 giants alike, across North America and beyond. We’ve attracted these clients by showcasing our strengths as a company – including our 99.9% warehouse inventory accuracy. [more] Maintaining this kind of track record starts from within. Among our core values as a company is a recognition that our employees largely contribute to our success. We strive to provide a work environment where staff members don’t simply come to work, but come to excel. By combining the expertise of individuals with the driving force of teamwork, we have all…... View Article
Many ecommerce amateurs tend to think of back-orders as “sales about to happen.” But when you look at the big picture, the hidden costs behind backorders reveal why it’s important to have top-notch inventory management. [more] The longer a product stays on backorder, the longer you are dealing with: Lost sales If the product is not exclusive to your company, customers will move on to a competitor in order to get the product shipped faster. Strained call center resources The longer an item stays on backorder, the more customer calls you’ll receive asking either when the order will ship, or…... View Article
