Efficient shipping and fulfillment are some of the most important aspects of your online business. Not only does it create a great experience for your customers, but it helps your team improve sales. If you’re feeling unlucky with your logistics, it’s time to make some changes. Here are seven ways you can improve your shipping and fulfillment.
Address inefficiencies to streamline your eCommerce fulfillment process including overproduction of inventory, waiting times in the receiving and picking process, and unnecessary transporting or “touches” of product.
Keep warehouse space clean to ensure efficient order picking, packing, and processing. In addition, do a routine evaluation of how inventory, supplies, and packing stations are organized to further improve productivity.
Forecast for the spikes in your business and prepare your fulfillment accordingly. This includes securing additional warehouse space if needed, evaluating staffing needs, and stocking up on shipping supplies.
To streamline your returns process, begin with evaluating your return management capabilities for handling incoming orders and the cost of processing returns. It may make sense for you to hire a specialized returns facility or instruct your customer to dispose of a product rather than returning it to your warehouse.
Take the time to hire and train the right warehouse staff. Fulfillment and shipping is the final component of your customer’s experience with your brand and leaves no room for errors in picking and packing.
Today’s consumer has high expectations when it comes to shopping online including fast delivery and free shipping options. Shipping customer orders from multiple fulfillment locations can make fast, free delivery possible.
Creating a great fulfillment and shipping experience for your customers as a growing business is not easy. Partnering with the right fulfillment provider can allow you to continue scaling your business while maintaining an exceptional customer experience from start to finish.
Rakuten Super Logistics (RSL) is the leader in eCommerce order fulfillment services and freight brokerage. RSL offers national fulfillment services and a network of 15 US fulfillment centers located in Anaheim (CA), Atlanta (GA), Austin (TX), Chicago (IL), Denver (CO), Houston (TX), Las Vegas (NV), Olean (NY), Reno (NV), Salt Lake City (UT), and Scranton (PA). Their state-of-the-art technology allows for integration with popular shopping cart platforms and online marketplaces including Amazon, Big Commerce, Channel Advisor, eBay, Magento, ShipStation, Shopify, Volusion, Walmart Marketplace, and WooCommerce.