Is it time to choose a fulfilment company?
01/10/2020 | Share:
Are you a small e-commerce business that currently ships its own products to customers? Is ecommerce fulfilment becoming too much of a headache? Or perhaps you wish you could improve your order fulfilment services? Here’s how you know it’s time to get a fulfilment company involved:
What is a Fulfilment Service?
Definition and Purpose of a Fulfilment Service
A fulfilment service is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider that takes care of the storage, packaging, and shipping of products for ecommerce businesses. The main goal of a fulfilment service is to streamline the order fulfilment process, ensuring that products reach customers quickly and efficiently. By outsourcing these tasks to a 3PL provider, ecommerce businesses can focus on what they do best—whether that’s marketing, sales, or product development—while leaving the logistics to the experts.
Benefits of Using a Fulfilment Service
Using a fulfilment service can offer a multitude of benefits for ecommerce businesses. Firstly, it significantly increases efficiency. Fulfilment services are equipped to process orders faster and more accurately than in-house teams, reducing the risk of errors and delays. Secondly, they can lead to substantial cost savings. Fulfilment services often have the leverage to negotiate better rates with carriers and suppliers, which can lower shipping costs and improve your profit margins. Thirdly, improved customer satisfaction is a major advantage. With faster and more reliable shipping options, your customers are more likely to be happy and loyal. Lastly, fulfilment services offer scalability. They can handle large volumes of orders, making it easier for your business to grow without the growing pains.
Types of Businesses That Can Benefit from a Fulfilment Service
Any ecommerce business, regardless of size or industry, can benefit from using a fulfilment service. However, certain types of businesses stand to gain the most. Online retailers with high volumes of orders can streamline their operations and reduce the burden on their in-house teams. Businesses with limited storage space or resources can take advantage of the extensive warehousing options fulfilment services offer. Companies with complex or time-consuming packaging requirements can benefit from the expertise and efficiency of fulfilment providers. Additionally, businesses that need to ship products internationally will find fulfilment services invaluable for navigating the complexities of global shipping.
Are you overwhelmed by order fulfilment?
If order fulfilment and logistics are draining all of your time and increasing your workload, it may be time to consider hiring a 3rd party fulfilment company like Ogden Fulfilment. Fulfilling orders is a crucial part of your business’ success. However, we both know that packing boxes and arranging deliveries is not what you signed up for when you started your business! As an owner or manager, you should be putting your expertise and experience into running and overseeing your business.
By working with Ogden Fulfilment, you’ll free up all that time you spent packing boxes or sending out parcels and get back to what you enjoy most about your business. From single packages to multiple pallet loads, our fulfilment centre will provide a comprehensive fulfilment service. We’ll pack, store and deliver for you.
Are the fulfilment costs too expensive?
Transporting and delivering orders can be expensive due to various fulfilment costs if you’re not dispatching in bulk. For a small business sending out its own orders, the costs can soon add up and become a burden. Ogden Fulfilment has existing contracts with transport providers and delivery services that reduce the costs of delivery for businesses that work with us.
Another way to reduce costs is to purchase in bulk rather than source your products on an order by order basis. By storing more of your products within our secure warehouse, you can purchase in bulk and save your business money in the long run.
As an added bonus, lead times for deliveries will also be a lot shorter, meaning happier customers!
Looking to expand?
Have you outgrown your current storage space, but don’t want to invest in a warehouse of your own? We offer comprehensive ecommerce fulfilment services with a dedicated, spacious warehouse where you can keep all of your stock, regardless of whether it’s 1kg or 1000kg. Our warehouse offers bin storage, shelving storage, racked storage and bulk/call off storage. Is your inventory disorganized?
Sometimes, if order fulfilment has been overwhelming or there’s no robust system in place, things can become a little disorganised. You may find yourself struggling to locate products or finding things in the wrong place. With a disorganised inventory, you run the risk of delivering incorrect orders, which only makes the struggle worse.
We’ve been delivering goods for over 130 years and over that time we’ve fine-tuned our methods of warehouse management. When you enter a partnership with Ogden Fulfilment, you gain the benefits of our experience and expertise in all of our service areas. You’ll always know what your stock levels are and our efficient storage and picking system will ensure the right products are delivered on time.
Are you receiving more complaints regarding shipping and customer satisfaction?
Are people starting to complain more about the speed of delivery? Perhaps you’ve got a pile of returned items that is only growing day by day. With the help of 3rd party logistics, this will be a thing of the past.
Ogden Fulfilment is able to quickly process orders as they come through and arrange different speeds of delivery. We’re also able to process returns for you, manage international shipping services, and update the stock levels as appropriate.
Want to keep up with the competition in ecommerce businesses?
Nowadays, people’s expectations from e-commerce businesses are much more demanding. People expect matters to be resolved quickly and orders to be dispatched the same day. By working with a fulfilment company, online sellers can make sure their e-commerce business keeps up with the competition and more importantly the big e-commerce giants.
Essential Features of Fulfilment Companies
Industry-Leading Pick and Pack Warehousing
When choosing a fulfilment company, it’s crucial to look for industry-leading pick and pack warehousing capabilities. This includes advanced inventory management systems that track stock levels in real-time, preventing overselling and ensuring you always know what you have on hand. Efficient picking and packing processes are also essential to minimize errors and delays, ensuring that orders are fulfilled accurately and promptly. Secure and climate-controlled storage facilities are a must to protect your products from damage, whether they’re sensitive electronics or perishable goods. Real-time tracking and updates provide transparency and visibility throughout the fulfilment process, so you and your customers always know the status of an order.
When selecting a fulfilment partner, ecommerce businesses should seek providers that offer flexible and scalable solutions, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service. It’s also important to consider the company’s experience and expertise in handling products similar to yours, as well as their ability to integrate seamlessly with your ecommerce platform and sales channels. By choosing the right fulfilment company, you can ensure a smooth, efficient, and cost-effective fulfilment process that supports your business’s growth and success.
Think it’s about time? Contact us today for more information.
