Fulfillment Company Perspective: What Is Order Fulfillment?

Every business aims to deliver its products to its customers both safely and promptly while minimizing shipping costs. Leveraging the services of a fulfillment company can address these needs, ensuring professional packaging, efficient shipping, and real-time tracking capabilities. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also boosts customer trust and satisfaction.

When a customer places an order, the process of order fulfillment starts. It includes various steps such as picking, packing, and shipping the products to the customers or any other location for pickup of the goods.

In order to ensure the customers are satisfied, the fulfillment companies need to handle the orders safely and maintain quick delivery. They also have to check if their inventory is updated, manage smooth transportation of the goods, and the handling of any returns and refunds by the customers to keep a swift process.

Importance of Order Fulfillment:

• Satisfaction of customers is very essential for any business. If the order fulfillment is not executed properly it directly impacts customer satisfaction which no business desires. If the orders are processed accurately it increases customer expectations, dependency on the same fulfillment company, and repeat of orders, and also it stimulates growth through positive word-of-mouth advertising.
• If orders are not properly executed, it results in delayed deliveries, loss or damaged products, and unsatisfied customers which affect the company’s reputation and leads to loss of business.
• Additionally, the essence of the company is lost if the order fulfillment is not processed accurately. Efficient order fulfillment reduces labor, inventory management, and shipping costs. This overall process of accurate order fulfillment can also help to increase sales and revenue.
• It has become more important for companies to ensure timely deliveries of goods due to the prevalence of e-commerce.
• Trust and loyalty between the customer and the company is essential. Good order fulfillment positively maintains good customer retention and brand loyalty to the company.

Fulfillment Company Insights: How Does Order Fulfillment Work?

Every fulfillment company has a standard flow of receiving, processing and delivering customer orders. The orders can be customized depending on the company’s requirements and the process for those custom orders might also vary. There are some common steps in the process which include:

Receiving

The very first step of order fulfillment is to collect customer information like shipping and billing addresses, payment details, and if there are any special requests. Often, people record the data manually or use an automated system to process and complete the order. In order to ensure the accuracy of the order and that the right customer information is provided, this step is necessary.

Storage

Facilities temporarily store ordered items on shelves, racks, or other storage systems for quick picking and easy packing. To accrue inventory levels, you must store the goods safely, securely, and maintain their good condition.The goods remain in good condition when kept in suitable storage conditions and necessary equipment is available.

Order Processing

The preparation and organizing of the necessary information and required materials to complete the customer’s order is order processing. The further step involved taking goods from the storage facility, starting the documentation, and preparing the goods for shipping. We ensure we have all the required details and customizations done before shipping. Then, we ship the products to the customer within a deadline to make sure our customers remain satisfied and happy.

Pick and Pack Replenishment

Picking involves selecting the products manually and taken from the storage to fulfill the customer’s order. Any mistake in sending the product to the customer can be a loss to the company so it is very crucial to ship the right product to the right customer.

Packing involves placing the picked items into the right packaging boxes or bags and preparing them for shipping. To reduce damages and returns the packages must be packed in a well-protected manner during transit. If the packages are packed precisely, it also helps meet the shipping requirements such as weight or size limitations.

Shipping

Transporting packaged items from the warehouse to the customer is shipping. Arranging the courier and creating labels for shipping with the customer’s address and tracking number which reduces any issues or delays in the delivery.

Delivering

This is the final step in order fulfillment in which the courier is physically delivered to the customer. This part of the delivery is very crucial because if the products are damaged it could lead to a return and leave a negative impression on the customer.

Return Process

This process allows the customers to return the products that did not meet the customer’s expectations. Make the return process easy and effortless. If the return process is difficult for the customers, it becomes frustrating for them. This may lead to them switching to a different provider impacting the company’s reputation, profitability, and profits.

What are the 4 types of order fulfillment?

Order fulfillment can be done in 4 different types depending upon the company’s needs and resources:

In-House

Using an in-house fulfillment service enables companies to oversee every facet of the order fulfillment process. The in-house order fulfillment process allows the companies to manage the quality of the products in a better and more effective manner, as well as keep the customer experience priority. It also provides real-time visibility and control over the whole process of order fulfillment. This makes the decisions quick and resolves any issue then and there to prevent any service failures from happening.

Dropshipping

The companies can outsource order fulfillment through dropshipping. A third-party supplier or manufacturer is responsible for storing and shipping the goods. The customers mostly shop through an online e-commerce store. The third-party ships the products directly to the customers without any company holding the inventory. It reduces the company’s storage and inventory management costs. Also reducing the risk of loss and unsold products. This makes the products reach the market faster and companies don’t need to invest in inventory before they start selling.

Hybrid

This is a combination of in-house and dropshipping order fulfillment. Some part of order fulfillment is done in-house while outsourcing is done by third-party suppliers or manufacturers. This benefits the companies to take both in-house and dropshipping order fulfillment options to minimize the risks.

Merchant

The company acts both as a retailer and supplier of the products in the merchant order fulfillment process. The company has ownership of the inventory and ensures all the aspects of receiving, storing, processing, picking, packing, and shipping orders. Merchant order fulfillment gives full authority and control over the inventory and order fulfillment process. Therefore, the companies have to ensure they have the products to fulfil the customer orders and give a quick response to any changes required by the customer.

Order fulfillment Challenges

Some major challenges faced by the businesses are:

Inaccurate Order

One of the issues is when the orders are filled inaccurately. An incorrect order is shipped to the customer. This might happen when the details of the product are wrongly recorded or it might occur during the pick and pack stage.

Stockouts

Keeping enough stock of items that likely give high turnovers is the key to meeting demand. But if you have frequent stockouts it will lead to loss of customers and a business loss.

Communication

Communication is the key to efficient order fulfillment. You have to keep clear communication with the suppliers to maintain items in stock, with the customers to solve any query, and own personnel to run things swiftly.

Overview of order fulfillment strategies

The order fulfillment process works around various strategies to efficiently handle customers’ orders from receipt to delivery. The choice of selecting an order fulfillment service depends on factors like business size, type of product, and customer base intending to achieve quick and timely deliveries which improves customer satisfaction and gains their trust. 

Customers’ experience of receiving the package is a priority for us. This is determined by factors such as timely delivery and presentation of the box contents.

The initial impression of customers is what sets us apart in the world of fulfillment.

12 Best Order Fulfillment Strategies to Scale your e-commerce business

Scale your e-commerce operations with In-house fulfillment strategies

• Optimize your warehouse layout and processes
• Implement Efficient Picking, Packing, and Shipping Processes
• Choose the Right Fulfillment Centers for Your Business
• Optimize Order Routing
• Implement an Automated Order Management Solution
• Streamline Shipping Processes
• Implement an effective returns management process
• Leverage data for forecasting and inventory planning
• Adopt Inventory Optimization Tools
• Offer multi-channel, free shipping option
• Simplify Reverse Fulfillment Logistics 
• Don’t Underestimate BOPIS and BOPAC

Feel free to reach out to us at 888-256-7790 today.