While product development is already a stressful endeavor, many businesses with an online database consider employing the 3PL warehouse to lighten the load of online fulfillment. This practice helps them significantly for one main reason. Using a 3PL warehouse is an excellent first step to streamlining order fulfillment.
Nevertheless, to better understand the third-party warehouse, one must first understand the six dimensions that make online fulfillment. For the business owner, this would explain to them how useful this would be in the long run, knowing these are eCommerce fulfillment companies. As for the potential customer, it would be nice to know the processes an ordered item undergoes before arriving at their doorstep.
Warehousing
As with anything involving eCommerce, the business providing the ordered products needs an area to store their items in bulk, ready for potential deliveries. This would describe the first online fulfillment dimension, the third-party physical warehouse. As soon as the factories finish producing products, they are placed in these warehouses, and from here, the third-party business may offer a range of services.FTL & LTL Freight Shipping & Receiving
Full truckload (FTL) and less than truckload (LTL) freight are essential tools to help any business ship orders to commercial customers or wholesale orders to retailers. The freight services aid in shipping products between warehouses or one that is the closest to the customer.The online fulfillment company may guide businesses through the process by arranging the FTF and LTL loads and processing the freights while finding the best deals for the businesses.
Inventory Management
A benefit of a third-party fulfillment company is it eases the stressful nature of planning alone. The company helps manage stock in inventory management as they have learned to work with other eCommerce companies. Under inventory management, restocking levels, supply chain management, and ideal seasonal inventory levels are the aspects an excellent third party should be familiar with.Picking, Packing & Shipping
The very heart of the online fulfillment process comes from picking, packing, and shipping as a product is delivered to the warehouse. A picker does what their job entails by finding the ordered product, and a packer uses the perfect box for the size of the product involved. The packer also gives a shipping label, giving the package to the correct shipper who makes the deliveries.Kitting & Customization
Many businesses nowadays rely on subscribers to earn money, which means good business. Kitting and customization are done by third-party logistics companies such as Red Stag to deliver personalized products to the consumer. The employees may even assemble a product if it is demanded by the customer, giving them flexibility in products and deliveries.Reverse Logistics (or Returns)
In some cases, order fulfillment does not go as planned, mainly because of the possibility of returns. Of course, any eCommerce business would accept the reality of reverse logistics, but the variety depends on the type of product sold. For example, many returns come from clothing and shoes, including electronics and appliances. Facing this problem, the eCommerce fulfillment company may accept the returns from the buyer and process them quickly. From here, assessments will determine if they are damaged or returned to shelves.Running a product-based business is a taxing experience as one would need their delivery service to be just as good as the quality of their products. However, with an online fulfillment company of this nature, both company and third-party standards are upheld, leading to a more profitable business model and a satisfied customer. You can learn more about the numerous benefits of hiring a third-party logistics company for your business by visiting worldwidelogisticsltd.com.
