Print on demand fulfillment provides the complete order experience, from the time the customer places the order to when it is delivered to their door. However, your company is doomed if it does not have a solid print on demand fulfillment process. As a result, outsourcing fulfillment is a good option if you want to focus on the core of your business and grow it quickly.
6 STEPS IN THE PRINT ON DEMAND FULFILLMENT PROCESS
Many ecommerce fulfillment centers are split into two sections: inbound and outbound.
Fulfillment management’s inbound side:
● Vendors’ inventory is received.
● Inventory is placed in bins/shelves for short-term storage.
● Quality control inspects the inventory to ensure that it is of high quality.
When a customer orders an item from the fulfillment center, the outbound side begins:
● Selects items from carts or shelves where they are kept.
● Items are packed separately for each order.
● Ship items to the customer directly.
BEST TIME TO INVEST IN PRINT ON DEMAND FULFILLMENT
Small business owners may find that handling order fulfillment in-house is more cost-effective. It is especially true for companies with a low order volume or selling custom products. Furthermore, when a company’s sales volume makes managing order fulfillment promptly difficult, it’s time to invest in print on demand providers. It ensures an excellent customer experience of quick delivery and, ultimately, customers who return based on that experience.
WHY DOES ECOMMERCE ORDER FULFILLMENT COSTS AS MUCH AS THEY DO?
Because of the labor required to receive, stock, quality check, pick, pack, and ship orders. According to Conveyco, labor accounts for 65 percent of the cost of an eCommerce fulfillment center. More than half of that labor is dedicated to outbound functions such as picking, packing, and shipping. It’s important to remember that most businesses will never compete with the Amazon Effect. Furthermore, Amazon creates unrealistic shipping and delivery expectations for its customers by incurring a $7 billion annual loss in shipping costs. According to one study, only 3% of customers are willing to pay more than $3 for expedited shipping. As a result, it makes it more difficult for small businesses to compete with Amazon and other online marketplaces.
BIGGEST CHALLENGES
● The company that manufactures your store’s latest inventory shipment could be closed down for causes related to the pandemic.
● The container carrying your store’s inventory order that is leaving the country could be detained in customs or be delayed due to unforeseen events abroad.
● The truck transporting your inventory from the port to the first distribution center may be delayed.
● The distribution center between your vendor’s warehouse and your eCommerce fulfillment center may be understaffed, causing delays in proper inventory routing.
● Due to disorganization, damage, or theft, the order fulfillment center may lose a portion of its inventory.
● Any of the several trucks transporting items from the fulfillment center to their final destination could be delayed, or the shipment could be lost or damaged.
Any problem during any stage of the order fulfillment process can impact your company’s revenue. Moreover, the best print on demand fulfillment services tracks all of the necessary analytics to ensure maximum efficiency. By analyzing every aspect of data in order fulfillment, centers can fine-tune every process step, ensuring the shortest time from order to shipment and delivery possible.
HOW TO DEVELOP A FULFILLMENT STRATEGY?
The strategy for smaller eCommerce stores can be simple. You are in charge of your in-house fulfillment center’s receiving, stocking, quality control, picking, packing, and receiving. Alternatively, you could have a small inbound and outbound team, with two people receiving stock inventory and four people in picking, packing, and shipping orders.
A warehouse should be part of your strategy if your company wants to store large inventory quantities with limited online orders. In addition, if your store needs to quickly move large amounts of inventory, from receiving it in stock to shipping it to a customer, consider print on demand services.
LAST THOUGHTS
Your company’s print on demand fulfillment process is crucial to its success. Remember that there are numerous ways to improve your current fulfillment process to provide an exceptional customer experience. In conclusion, quick shipping times and on-time deliveries are effective ways to boost customer satisfaction and retention. Find out how a top eCommerce fulfillment company like Fulfillplex can provide the best experience for you and your customers if you want to supercharge your fulfillment process. Contact us and get a quote right now.