Streamlining different aspects of your business and platforms means you will be finally free to stop wasting your valuable resources trying to run multiple systems independently. Let a fulfilment company help you get back to doing what you do best – innovating and growing your business.
There are a number of things to look for when selecting the perfect warehousing and shipping partner.
Software integration
At the end of the day, the goal for outsourcing your warehousing and shipping is to streamline your business – not to add complications. Choosing a fulfilment business that has a software platform that seamlessly integrates with your website is key to achieving this.
Select a service that integrates with more than forty of the leading third-party shopping carts, payment gateways, and accounting packages. So whether you use Shopify or Magento, Netsuite or QuickBooks, they’ve got you covered. Also look for a service that offers a state of the art interface that easily integrates into your e-commerce site, directly linking to their in-house fulfilment, payment processing gateways, and shipping systems.
This means that when a customer orders on your website, it automatically notifies the fulfilment business and they start picking, packing and shipping the order to your customer, keeping everyone updated along the way as though the communications are coming from your business. Simple.
Provide tracking for you and your customers
Choose a fulfilment service that is not owned by a postal company so you can choose the best courier for each of your orders based on what your company values the most: tracking, international shipping, rates and speed.
Aim for a provider that processes, picks, and packs each order within minutes with guaranteed shipping within 24 hours. Ensure they focus on total accuracy by scanning items at every stage of the process. This eliminates virtually all traditional pick and pack errors.
Provide service and delivery guarantees
The bare minimum you should expect from your fulfilment provider is a guarantee on service and delivery. Find a provider that will give you a money-back guarantee.
Ideally, you want your orders ready to be shipped within two hours of receipt or they’re free and if they misplace your inventory they should replace it. Request that they pack your orders accurately or they are free. Ensure all queries are answered within two working hours.
Flexible
Your company is as unique as you are, so you want a fulfilment company that will not use a one-size-fits-all system for your business. Bouncing ideas back and forth with your outsourced warehousing and shipping company will ensure your products are picked, packed and shipped exactly as you would.
If you experience sales spikes, rapid growth, or other sales fluctuations, a fulfilment partner should be able to scale up or down with ease depending on your needs.
Manage returns
Handling and processing all of your returns through one single touch-point at your fulfilment company’s centre will free your business from the hassles and expenses of in-house reverse logistics. By offering fast and accurate returns management, it will help to keep your customers loyal.
Ideally, your fulfilment partner should have distribution centres across Australia and Asia to give your customers a simple return path.
In the online environment, most repeat business is won and lost on the basis of the shipping, handling and return process. If this aspect of your online business is humming, so too should your next sale be.
Good reputation
Do your homework and look for a fulfilment partner with a good reputation. They should be transparent with the companies they work with and openly share their reviews.
