Order Fulfillment Archives - Fulco Fulfillment

Nutraceutical Order Fulfillment

With the nutraceutical market rapidly growing and actively thriving, the need to fulfill orders through 3PLs is quickly rising in response to consumer demands. Your nutraceutical order fulfillment should be handled by a trusted partner who understands nutraceutical warehousing and inventory control, Amazon FBA prep programs, and nutraceutical direct mailings. It is crucial to team up with a 3PL provider partner with experience in the complexities that may come with nutraceutical fulfillment.

Efficient warehousing, inventory management, and distribution are essential for the success of nutraceutical order fulfillment. These three factors ensure product quality, optimized shipping, and customer satisfaction, which are top priorities for nutraceutical fulfillment.

Warehousing for Nutraceuticals

Warehousing plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of differing nutraceutical products. A well-organized warehouse with proper temperature and humidity control helps to prevent spoilage, degradation, or contamination, ensuring that each product a customer receives is of high quality.

Inventory Management for Sensitive Timelines

Inventory Management is another critical factor in nutraceutical fulfillment. Due to differing lot numbers, expiration dates, and the shelf life of many supplements, proper inventory tracking is necessary to prevent overstocking or understocking. It is helpful for your 3PL of choice to have a powerful order management system (OMS) with capabilities to track versions and expiration dates of nutraceuticals.

Distribution Efficiency Increases Customer Satisfaction

Efficient distribution impacts the delivery of goods as well as customer satisfaction. Fast and accurate distribution not only enhances customer experience but also builds brand trust, which is essential in the particularly competitive landscape of the nutraceutical industry. Choosing the right 3PL partner to ensure seamless order processing, timely dispatch, and reliable carrier partnerships can be difficult.

The right partner will deliver efficient warehousing, inventory management, and distribution in ways that can elevate your nutraceutical fulfillment.

Technology Integration Improves Nutraceutical Fulfillment

The most up-to-date technology integration is essential for optimizing nutraceutical fulfillment, improving efficiency, accuracy, and compliance. Seamless eCommerce integration with platforms such as Shopify, Amazon, and WooCommerce allows clients to automate order processing, reducing manual errors and speeding up the fulfillment process. At FFI, we also provide Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) services, where we handle the receiving, re-labeling, and preparation of full pallet shipments to ensure compliance with Amazon’s exacting requirements.

Outsourcing to FFI eliminates the time-consuming fulfillment process, allowing you to focus on the growth of your business. By leveraging technology, 3PL providers like FFI help nutraceutical companies improve accuracy, shorten fulfillment times, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

FFI Offers Nutraceutical Companies Cost Savings and Operational Efficiency

A scalable 3PL partner enables nutraceutical brands to expand seamlessly without logistical constraints. Flexible warehousing options allow businesses to scale storage space based on demand, product launches, or market fluctuations, preventing unnecessary overhead costs. By outsourcing your fulfillment to a trusted 3PL like Fulco Fulfillment, Inc., nutraceutical businesses can focus on growth while maintaining an optimized supply chain. Get in contact with the experts at FFI today to learn more!

Looking for Value-Added Kitting Services?

At Fulco Fulfillment Inc. (FFI), we provide expert warehousing and fulfillment solutions designed to help businesses streamline their operations, and we offer many value-added services as well. One of our most in-demand services is kitting– the process of assembling multiple products into a single package or SKU, making it easier to pick, pack, and ship.

While this may be an optional or small aspect of order fulfillment, it provides businesses with the ability to boost customer satisfaction, enhance brand presentation, and differentiate their business from competitors. Whether kitting for everyday order fulfillment, promotional bundles, or trade show events, FFI ensures a seamless and cost-effective process. Outsourcing kitting to a 3PL like FFI will increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall quality—helping your business scale with confidence.

How Kitting Can Be Beneficial to Your Business

Kitting is an optional service, but it can have numerous advantages for businesses looking to improve their order fulfillment process.

By pre-assembling products into ready-to-ship kits, businesses can reduce labor costs, minimize picking and packing errors, and speed up order processing.

Kitting also enhances branding opportunities by allowing for customized packaging and a more polished presentation, which can help to improve customer satisfaction and encourage repeat purchases.

Kitting helps to streamline inventory management by consolidating multiple SKUs into a single unit, making tracking and replenishment more efficient.

Kitting is especially valuable for event and trade show preparations, where time-sensitive shipments and precise organization are critical.

Whether you are bundling promotional items, assembling subscription boxes, or preparing for an event, kitting provides a cost-effective and efficient solution that helps businesses scale operations while maintaining quality and consistency.

Practical and Profitable Use of Kitting

Kitting is a versatile service that benefits businesses across various industries by simplifying order fulfillment and enhancing product presentation. No matter what industry you come from, there is a kit to be made for your business.

E-commerce companies frequently use kitting to bundle related products, such as gift sets, subscription boxes, or seasonal promotions, providing added value to customers.
Retailers and manufacturers benefit from kitting by pre-assembling inventory for faster distribution, reducing both handling time in warehouses and picking and packing errors.
In the marketing and events space, kitting is essential for assembling promotional materials, trade show giveaways, or corporate gift packages, ensuring all items arrive organized and ready for distribution. Notably, FFI helped the American Nurses Association with event kitting, ensuring their materials were professionally assembled and delivered on time for a seamless experience.
Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies use kitting for assembling medical supplies, sample kits, or educational materials, ensuring accuracy and compliance.

Whether it’s for streamlining fulfillment, improving branding, or preparing for an event, kitting provides an efficient and scalable solution tailored to a wide variety of business needs.

Outsource Kitting Services to Fulco Fulfillment

Outsourcing your kitting services can significantly improve operational efficiency and reduce overhead costs. Over the course of two decades, FFI has become experts in kitting: sorting, assembling, and packaging kits, using our dedicated team and advanced fulfillment technology to handle the process seamlessly. Our streamlined workflows help to minimize errors, ensure consistency, and accelerate order turnaround times- allowing you to focus on customer engagement and growth.

Additionally, our scalable solutions mean we can accommodate seasonal demand spikes, large trade show orders, or ongoing subscription boxes with ease. Reach out to us at 973-361-1700 or on our website to see how we can help your organization. By leveraging our expertise, businesses not only save on time and costs but also enhance their ability to deliver a professional and reliable experience to their customers.

Understanding FedEx, UPS, and USPS Delivery Times for Product Fulfillment

In today’s fast-paced world, delivery times matter. Whether you are shipping a package across town or across the country, understanding the delivery options provided by FedEx, UPS, and the United States Postal Service (USPS) can help you choose the best service for your business.

Prompt and reliable product fulfillment is crucial to keep your customers happy and your business running smoothly. Each carrier offers a range of delivery services and timeframes, and knowing the differences saves you time, money, and energy.

FedEx Delivery Times

At Fulco Fulfillment Inc. (FFI), FedEx is our carrier of choice and the shipping partner we recommend to our clients. They offer a wide variety of delivery services with an equally wide range of delivery times for shipping small parcel packages.

FedEx Services & EOD (end-of-day):

FedEx Ground delivers daily by the close of the business day, Monday-Friday, and is used to send packages to commercial addresses only.
FedEx Home Delivery is a similar service to FedEx Ground and is used for residential deliveries Monday-Sunday, operating from 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Evening Home Delivery arrives between 5:00-8:00 p.m., Monday-Sunday, and is designed to ensure you are home at the time your package arrives.
Standard Overnight delivers in most areas by 3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Priority Overnight delivers to most zip codes before 10:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.
First Overnight delivers to most zip codes before 8:00 a.m. Monday-Friday.

FedExTransit Times:

FedEx Ground: 1-7 business days, 1-5 days in contiguous states, and up to 7 days for delivery to Hawaii and Alaska.
Overnight Services: delivery next business day with Saturday delivery ability in some locations.

FedEx Tracking Abilities:

You can copy and paste your tracking number into their website or their mobile app to see the step-by-step scan log and watch your package travel through their network.

FedEx Holidays:

FedEx Ground services deliver on most U.S. Holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Check their holiday schedules online for changes and updates!

FedEx is a great service to use to get your product out to customers, however, depending on your business, you may require a carrier service with different shipping options.

UPS Delivery Times

UPS is the largest package carrier in the world. Although it does not offer the same range of shipping options as FedEx does, it still provides almost as wide a range of delivery times. Successful product fulfillment, including e-commerce fulfillment, depends on predictable, trustworthy shipping. UPS works best for some of our clients at FFI and their businesses. It is important to understand which carrier is the most cost-effective for your business and will also deliver small parcel packages to your customers quickly and with care.

UPS Services & EOD (end-of-day):

UPS Ground packages are typically delivered to residential addresses between 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Monday-Sunday.
UPS Ground shipments to business addresses are delivered during regular business hours Monday-Friday, and offer Saturday delivery if a business is open.
Next Day Air Early shipments arrive by 10:30 a.m. the next day Monday-Friday.
Next Day Air shipments arrive by 3:00 p.m. the next day Monday-Friday.

UPS Transit Times:

Most UPS Ground packages will arrive in 1-5 business days and up to 7 days for remote locations (Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico).
Next Day Air services will arrive on the next business day (ex: a package that ships out Friday will arrive the next business day, Monday).

UPS Tracking Abilities:

To track your package, you need a tracking number or reference number associated with that shipment.
You can either track via the UPS App or simply copy and paste your tracking number into their website.

UPS Holidays:

UPS does NOT ship on MLK Jr. Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Refer to their yearly list for updates.

UPS has a reliable global network, timely deliveries, and comprehensive tracking abilities, but it is important to know all of your options to make the best, educated decision for your business.

USPS Delivery Times

The United States Postal Service tends to be a popular choice for its affordability, especially for small parcel packages and residential deliveries within the U.S. The USPS has widespread coverage to all U.S. addresses, including P.O. boxes and military addresses, no matter how remote. At Fulco Fulfillment, we have a few clients that utilize USPS services rather than FedEx or UPS. It is a great choice for select businesses depending on demand, location, weight, urgency, and size of parcel.

USPS Services & EOD (end-of-day):

Priority Mail Express is a next-day to 2-day guarantee by 6:00 p.m., Monday-Sunday, but it is their most expensive option.
Priority Mail ships within 1-3 business days depending on where it is shipping from and to, Monday-Saturday, and tends to be their bestselling service.
USPS Ground Advantage ships within 2-5 business days, Monday-Saturday.
First-Class Mail is a service for standard-size, single-piece envelopes that mail in 1-5 business days, Monday-Saturday.
Postal carriers are supposed to finish their routes by 6:00 p.m., but during the busy seasons, they can make deliveries as late as 10:00 p.m.

USPS Transit Times:

Transit times for USPS are estimated and can vary based on different factors such as distance, package size, weather, and high-volume seasons.

USPS Tracking Abilities:

USPS offers tracking for Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and USPS Ground Advantage.
You can pay an additional charge for a tracking number for First-Class Mail letters or smaller mail being shipped.

USPS Holidays:

USPS is closed on all 11 of the major U.S. federal holidays.

While FedEx and UPS tend to be faster and more reliable, USPS is the right carrier of choice for specific businesses; it is especially useful for shipments to military bases and remote U.S. territories.

Get the Right Delivery Times For Your Product Fulfillment

Understanding your priorities – speed, cost, and/or reliability – will allow you to choose the right carrier service for successful, consistent product fulfillment. By aligning your shipping strategy with your business goals or personal requirements, you will achieve your fulfillment goals, encourage repeat customers, and grow your business. Stay informed, compare your options, and you’ll always have a solution for yourself and your customers.

Optimizing Holiday Order Fulfillment – Proactive Strategies for a Successful Season

The holiday order rush tends to sneak up on us unexpectedly, bringing a flurry of stress at the busiest time of the year. Develop a proactive approach to prepare for the season and its increased orders. Your holiday season can truly be the most wonderful time of the year if you use these four strategies to optimize holiday order fulfillment.

Fulfillment Success Strategy: Keep your Inventory Up-to-Date

Accurate, up-to-date inventory tracking is essential during the holiday season as it directly affects sales, customer satisfaction, and overall business efficiency. During high demand, real-time visibility into stock levels allows retailers to prevent stockouts and reduce excess inventory. This ensures that popular products are available for customers, enhancing their shopping experience and increasing the chances of repeated business. Additionally, effective inventory management streamlines operations, allowing businesses to allocate resources wisely and respond quickly to market trends, ultimately maximizing profitability during this competitive time.

Communication with Customers is Essential for Success

Effective communication will also optimize holiday order fulfillment. With increased demand and potential delays during the holidays, keeping customers informed about order status, shipping timelines, and any changes in inventory helps manage expectations and reduce frustration. Clear communication also allows businesses to showcase promotions, provide personal recommendations, and address customer inquiries promptly, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty. Prioritizing communication will improve customer satisfaction and encourage repeat business!

Successful Holiday Order Fulfillment: Understand your Shipping

Offering diverse shipping options can give customers much-appreciated flexibility. The ability to cater to many different customer needs can lead to increased sales during the holiday season. Establish strong relationships with your delivery partners and negotiate contracts early to secure better rates, priority services, and other resources needed during peak times. Before any major holiday, carriers often publish specific shipping deadlines to follow so that packages reach their final destination before the desired date.

Planning for Returns In the Holiday Season

The holiday rush often brings unexpected challenges, from supply chain disruptions to last-minute gift changes. A well-thought-out strategy helps ensure that customers receive their orders on time and that any returns are handled smoothly, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. This proactive approach minimizes potential losses and streamlines operations, allowing businesses to focus on delivering a positive shopping experience. Ultimately, a solid returns plan not only safeguards against the chaos of the season but also fosters trust and reliability in the eyes of customers.

Prepare Now for the Holiday Season with FFI

The holidays can be an extremely overwhelming time for businesses, so start in October to prepare yourself and your staff for the busy season ahead. Keep your inventory up-to-date, allow your customers to have visibility and clear communication on their orders, understand your shipping deadlines, and plan for returns.

By keeping these four strategies in mind before the rush of the holidays hit, you are destined to have a great season. Remember, you are not alone; Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. can help you optimize your holiday fulfillment. Please contact us on our site or call 973-361-1700 to get the support you need. We got this, you got this, we ALL got this! Let’s all make the 2024 holiday season the best one yet!

Fulfillment for the Promotional Products Supplier

As a supplier of promotional products, your clients need you to be accurate, fast, and organized … they depend on you. But who can you depend on?

Warehousing and Distribution of Promotional Products

Promotional product suppliers need to warehouse and manage the inventory of their products, apparel, and event materials; working with an experienced fulfillment company can streamline this process considerably. A fulfillment company that uses real-time inventory and 24/7 access to an ordering system will provide support during the busiest of seasons.

A Fulfillment and Management Platform That Easily Tracks and Send Materials

At Fulco Fulfillment Inc. (FFI), we have created a user-friendly fulfillment management platform that allows our clients to send their products to multiple customers at any time. Our clients can easily browse available inventory, select the items to reserve, and add any shipping instructions.

Portal Access Flexibility

The management platform is reached through a portal. Authorized pre-registered users are granted entry at various priority levels with parameters defining their access to materials. Order screens are pre-populated based on the login and each user has access to the portal 24/7.

Orders are entered into the order management system and captured with easy, shopping cart functionality. Once an order is placed, the customer receives an email acknowledging that the order has been received. They receive another email when the order ships.

Inquiries done on product details are in real time, and inventory reports can be generated through the portal. Users can keep track of their order’s historical data and package tracking information.

Using barcode technology, FFI accurately tracks and maintains inventory from receipt to inventory movement to picking and shipping. This kind of solid inventory management avoids pitfalls like running out of branded promotional products right before a scheduled tradeshow or convention.

FFI’s OMS also can prioritize orders by selecting a “rush” button, which sends the order directly to the customer service coordinator for priority processing.

Unique Promotional Products Ordering Portal

We also offer the ability for the promotional products supplier to have an online ordering portal to a potential “online swag store” for their customer’s use without the expense and programming hassle of an e-commerce platform.

How FFI’s Streamlined Approach Succeeds

A national home improvement company came to us for help with the packing and distribution of its branded promotional products and apparel. They had been handling all of these functions internally, but, as its network of authorized dealers grew, the demand was growing far beyond their ability to keep up. The order management system of FFI was a perfect fit for their needs. They also needed us to physically transition 100+ SKUs and set up an effective re-stocking program to avoid issues like product surplus or stockouts.

We accurately transitioned the 100+ SKUs into our warehouse in Dover, NJ and set up SKU locations for efficient picking. Besides promotional items, the diverse inventory included staff uniforms, marketing materials, signage, everyday brand ware, and prizes.

FFI learned the details of their inventory and requirements for packing and shipping and began handling all their branded promotional product and apparel fulfillment. The client was able to triple their network of authorized dealers!

Keeping Promotional Products Inventory Stocked

FFI keeps stock levels managed in real time. When a product reaches the understock level, an email notification gets sent to our customers, allowing ample time to order replacement inventory. Replenishment is shipped to FFI’s warehouse from the customer’s provider and the products are received into inventory for ordering visibility. This process prioritizes meeting customers’ demands, ideally without experiencing stockouts or overstock issues.

Swag Bag Assembly For Events

For goody bags or swag bag assembly, FFI has inventory management that ensures that your giveaways are correct and ready for all scheduled events. We work within your budget, providing packing materials as needed. Let our team of skilled and flexible assemblers make your products truly stand out from the rest.

Reliable Trade Show and Event Shipping for Promotional Products

Trade show exhibit management requires detailed service at all stages and extensive experience to meet specific “in-hand” dates. Our trade show exhibit management process includes consolidating shipping and secure packaging techniques. We assist in getting your exhibit and related products to trade shows in a timely, cost-effective manner. If you require specific delivery requirements, FFI will find creative ways to get your items to the convention floor.

Return Services Management for Trade Shows and Events

Our return shipment inspection procedures ensure that your materials will be returned correctly after the trade show. Using return labels that FFI provides in advance, shipping the show materials back to the storage facility is simple. Our warehouse team will then carry out inspections to evaluate the products, ensure they are intact and catalog all products back into inventory so they are visible in the portal for your next event.

Promotional Product Suppliers Depend on Fulco Fulfillment, Inc.

FFI has the inventory, warehousing and integrated systems to make us the perfect promotional products supplier partner. If you’d like to learn how we can help your business grow, give us a call at 973 361 1700 or fill out our contact form.

Outsourcing
E-commerce Fulfillment Can Help Grow Your Business

E-commerce businesses will find numerous advantages to using a 3PL for their fulfillment rather than keeping those processes in-house. Outsourcing fulfillment helps control costs and reduce expenses by leveraging a 3PL’s buying power, all while benefiting from its expertise.

3 PLs Provide Excellent Scalability

When you outsource inventory management, supervising warehouse staff, and packing and picking, you can then free up your time to focus on scaling your business, generating sales, and growing your customer base. As your business grows, the responsibilities and workload will too, so outsourcing to a reliable fulfillment partner will allow you to devote your time to new product ideas or marketing projects and effectively scale the e-commerce side of your business.

Get Lower Operating Costs with Outsourced Fulfillment

Outsourcing fulfillment comes with a cost, but so does picking and packing in-house. Outsourcing fulfillment can reduce your operational expenses: the man-hours you save packing and shipping eliminates the need to hire employees and manage HR. You can also save on any monthly fees you incur to store your inventory.

Save Time with Outsourced Fulfillment

Your trusted 3PL can store all your inventory for you, so you avoid having to take deliveries, handle the stock, and organize the products. Order fulfillment and logistics take up valuable time and energy that can be better spent in other ways.

Outsourced Fulfillment Provides Quality Returns Management

Managing returns is a major challenge for e-merchants. As with accurate order fulfillment, you need to establish return accuracy to meet customer expectations. Outsourced fulfillment providers are experienced in providing excellent customer service for returns. These providers will take care of and inspect returned orders, especially crucial during peak seasons when sales volumes increase, raising the number of returns as well.

3 PLs Can Lower Your Shipping Costs

Outsourcing fulfillment can also save you money on shipping. As high-volume shippers, third-party logistics companies often receive preferable rates from carriers. These savings can be absorbed or passed on to your customers, who can then be offered cheaper or even free shipping as a sales incentive.

Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. Is a Trusted E-commerce Fulfillment Partner

Outsourcing e-commerce fulfillment offers many benefits, including lower operating and shipping costs, scalability, and dependable returns management. Let Fulco handle your fulfillment so you can focus your energy on growing and managing your business.

Trade Show and Event Fulfillment

Coordinating a calendar of trade shows, events and conventions for your business can be overwhelming. Using a reputable fulfillment company is one way to make your trade show planning easy. To help generate valuable leads and visibility for your business, your materials need to arrive on time and in great condition. Fulco Fulfillment Inc. (FFI) takes care of your event materials as if they were our own by providing warehousing and storage until you are ready for them and then providing trackability of your show products and their delivery.

Event Fulfillment and Management Platform – Easily Track and Send your Materials

Our user-friendly event fulfillment management platform will save you valuable time. Using our web portal, send your products – printed materials, premium items, banners, booth, etc. – to multiple shows. Our clients can easily browse available trade show inventory, select the items to reserve, and add any shipping instructions.

Portal Access Flexibility

The management platform is reached through a portal. Authorized pre-registered users are granted entry at various priority levels with parameters defining their access to the tradeshow materials. Examples of access levels:

Sales team members
Event planners
Marketing managers
Elite super-user access

Authorized users will see only those products or perform only those tasks associated with their access level.

Swag Bag Assembly For Events

You may only have one opportunity to make a lasting impression. Your goody bags or swag bags need to be properly assembled and delivered to your event on time. FFI has inventory management that ensures that your giveaways are correct and ready for all scheduled events. We work within your budget, providing packing materials as needed. Let our team of skilled and flexible assemblers make your products truly stand out from the rest, freeing you to focus on more strategic aspects of your events.

Reliable Trade Show and Event Shipping

Trade show exhibit management requires detailed service at all stages and extensive experience to meet specific “in-hands” dates. Our trade show exhibit management process includes consolidating shipping and secure packaging techniques. We assist in getting your exhibit and related products to trade shows in a timely, cost-effective manner. If you require specific delivery requirements, FFI will find creative ways to get your items to the convention floor.

Return Services Management for Trade Shows and Events

Our return shipment inspection procedures ensure that your materials will be returned correctly after the trade show. Using return labels that FFI provides in advance, shipping the show materials back to the storage facility is simple. Our warehouse team will then carry out inspections to evaluate retractable banners and their stands for breakage, booth components to ensure they are intact and catalog all products back into inventory so they are visible in the portal for your next event.

Proper Trade Show Fulfillment Leads to Success

Attending a convention or event can be a great way to boost your company’s profits and expand brand awareness; the key to making it all work is to choose the right fulfillment service. Let the experienced professionals and careful service of FFI make your next convention or event a huge success. Just call us today at 973 361 1700 or fill out our contact form to see how our fulfillment services can make your next convention or special event shine.

What are APIs and How Can They Help Order Fulfillment?

Certain aspects of the fulfillment process may initially sound intimidating. Application Programming Interface, or API, sounds complicated, but in fact, its operation will make things less complicated for you. An API acts as a middleman in the information systems used to run a fulfillment company, transferring and translating code between the systems, allowing shipping capabilities to be communicated and accessed across multiple applications. APIs are commonly used by logistics companies to automate processes and data transfers allowing an instantaneous flow of information among 3PL providers and customers’ platforms. These could include an e-commerce website, shipping carriers, warehouse management systems (WMS), or order management systems (OMS).

An API can save employees valuable time: they no longer need to transfer the information by a file upload.

APIs provide their customers with three main advantages:

1. The Automation Advantage

An API provides a seamless connection that shares information across systems. Along with this automation comes the ability to customize. Every business is unique, and having an API that adapts to your specific needs can improve your workflow. An API will integrate with different shipping systems and provide the analytics that you need, which can improve customer experience, drive sales, and increase your ROI.

2. An API Improves Customer Experience

An API can improve your customer’s experience by giving them easy access to valuable data. An API can allow the customer to:

Extract product details from a database, including product descriptions, product IDs, specifications, images, pricing, quantity in inventory and so much more.
Look up order details–the API syncs order imports and export status.
Check on the status of an order and eventually access the tracking number.
Receive up-to-date information about where their products are and estimated delivery times.
Sort and filter the order data according to the date of packaging and shipping.
Cancel orders, return orders, create bulk import orders, and add inventory for an ordered product.

Further parameters can be added as the customer’s needs evolve.

With all that data so readily available, you’ll be able to utilize the information for customized output, API integration, and reporting. Customers have access to data and reports 24/7, 365 days per year. The dynamic reporting tool enables non-technical users to build custom reports without programming. Once created, reports can be generated on the fly or scheduled to be generated and delivered automatically.

3. APIs Adapt to Your Business

Every business is unique, and every business is continually changing. With an API, scaling is always an option because you don’t have to worry about outgrowing a homegrown system. Your system will stay up-to-date with the latest technologies as they emerge. Because APIs are completely customizable, you are able to specify the reports to fit each and every need that your customers may have.

Fulco Fulfillment Offers Excellent API Systems Integration

At Fulco, we know that there is never a one-size-fits-all solution for data transfers, which is why APIs are so valuable. Our order management systems uses Veracore, which integrates with various platforms including Amazon.com; Ultracart, BigCommerce, Shopify, Volusion, Magento, and WooCommerce.

The automation, adaptation, and customer service a good API affords will allow your business to run smoothly today and keep up with your changing business needs tomorrow.

If this sounds like the type of solution you have been looking for, reach out to Fulco by giving us a call at 973.361.1700 or filling out our contact form. Let us show you how an API can streamline your order fulfillment and increase your ROI.

How We Handle Product Version Control

Product version control and expiration tracking are paramount details for meeting unique business requirements. Luckily for our clients in the healthcare industry, Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI) has software with sophisticated capabilities that supports tracking expiration dates on regulated products.

Organizing inventory according to expiration date is not only extremely important for healthcare companies, but for financial and manufacturing customers too. Product version control is the process we use to identify and track major or relatively minor revisions and version changes made to any kind of product. Using settings defined by our customers’ business parameters, we make it easy to aggregate goods based on their lot, expiration date, or version.

Product Version Control Relies on First In, First Out

Every version of a product is assigned a sequential number. The FFI order management system (OMS) automatically funnels through these numbers from the top down, until it finds the current version, otherwise known as FIFO (first in/first out). Inventory rotation can be set as FIFO or FEFO (first expiring/first out) which captures serial numbers. Another feature our system offers is the ability to turn versions on or off.

Think about your everyday visit to the store, and you’ll see the FIFO method in practice. When an employee restocks products, they put the newest inventory items on the back of the shelf and the oldest inventory in the front. That makes it more likely that all the stock will be sold before the product expires.

FFI uses the FIFO model for physical inventory flow in order to rotate incoming inventory. Stockers place newer items at the back of the shelf and move the older ones to the front. When a customer places an order, the picker will pick the older stock from the front of the shelf, so inventory moves out in roughly the same order in which the warehouse received it.

When the order for the product is fulfilled, the correct product version is picked, packed, and shipped. For example, the OMS sees your product as a bottle of vitamins, but the warehouse management system (WMS) sees it as two separate products, or two separate versions. Each of these versions have a distinct SKU (stock keeping unit). When an order is placed for the bottle of vitamins, the OMS will automatically select its current version. Picking and packing will be performed with confidence knowing that the most current bottle of vitamins is shipped to the consumer.

Since successful inventory management comes from traceability, we keep careful inventory of how many units of each SKU remain in our distribution center. If the expiration date passes, you will receive an alert from FFI’s OMS. You can then decide what to do with the spoiled inventory in our warehouse. Customers can choose to return the product, destroy the product, or do something completely different. Ultimately we want to see our customers succeed with up to date and accurate product version control.

Trust FFI with Your Product Version Control

We understand how important it is to keep your stock of products up to date so consumers aren’t receiving expired or old products, and you’re meeting your regulation requirements. You can trust our sophisticated software and your dedicated Customer Service Representative team to faithfully serve your account. Your team is composed of professionals who understand your business and can address urgent needs immediately. Contact FFI to learn how we can make product version control a breeze.

How Your Product is Packed in Shipping Containers Could Save You Money

When it comes to e-commerce fulfillment, there are different ways to load and pack shipping containers with your product. Shippers are either utilizing palletized or floor loaded shipments. The shipment can either be full truck load (FTL), or less than a full truck load (LTL). Using our top-of-the-line work force, Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI) can handle either method efficiently, and probably save you some money. Here’s some information on what the difference is between floor loaded vs. palletized shipping, and why you should know which your product is currently using.

Palletizing Shipping Containers

Palletizing your products means to simply stack and ship your products on wooden pallets. With pallets you will find there is more ease of movement and is a safer way of transmitting items from one place to the next, but it can be quite expensive as well.

Your decision to palletize will depend on factors such as fragility of your cargo, the destination of your cargo, and the mode of transit by which your cargo is being shipped. The pallet provides a stable and load-bearing bottom for each unit, which can then easily be moved and loaded with a pallet jack, forklift, or other handling equipment. Once the products are stacked together, they are held up using straps or plastic wrapping. After this, it is ready for shipping.

Pros and Cons of Palletizing Shipping Containers

Pro: pallets are great for shipping products both nationally and internationally.
Pro: pallets can protect more delicate cargo. Using pallets allows the shipper to turn a bundle of smaller sized boxes into a stronger single unit that will be able to provide more support.
Pro: pallets are faster and easier to load and unload because you can use machinery to move them.
Pro: pallets can protect cargo from water damage. The pallets protect the shipment en route by keeping product off the floor with its elevated surface, creating a barrier for the products inside from soaking in the event of a leak from an overseas voyage.
Pro: palletization can work for both LTL and FTL freight.
Con: palletizing can come with significant cost implications since the pallet itself increases the weight of overseas shipping containers.
Con: you can fit less product in each shipping container because the pallet takes up extra space.

Floor Loading Shipping Containers

In contrast, floor loaded containers are when the contents are loaded onto the floor of the container directly. This can also be known as floor stacking and it allows you to fill the entire container from the floor to the ceiling with the contents.

With floor loading, you will be able to load larger items at a significantly lower cost. Typically this would be more time consuming because manual loading and unloading is required, but with Fulco Fulfillment’s experienced team, this issue is absolutely minimal.

Pros and Cons of Floor Loading Shipping Containers

Pro: floor loading your products significantly decreases freight costs because the entire container is being used to ship the products in question.
Pro: you save money by not paying for pallet. You will also be less likely to need more containers when shipping out your product.
Pro: you reduce the carbon footprint of shipping your products because each container is packed as efficiently as possible.
Con: more delicate products can be damaged. Floor loading your products is not the most suitable option for every product that you may be offering. With floor loading comes an increase in the likelihood that the products could get damaged during transit. Because of this, floor loading is typically done with heavier and bulkier items such as construction equipment, furniture, etc.
Pro: palletization can work for both LTL and FTL freight.
Con: there are additional labor costs associated with loading and unloading a freight shipment off of the container. It also takes extra time to load and unload the shipment in question.
Pro: however, experienced warehouses like FFI are efficient floor loaders. We keep these additional costs to a minimum with our top-of-the-line work force who have years of expertise handling floor loaded shipments.

FFI Can Help You Optimize How Your Shipping Containers are Packed

The most important thing to remember when choosing between the two options is to do an in depth cost-benefit analysis to see what works best for your business. With FFI as your e-commerce fulfillment partner, we can help you determine whether palletization or floor loading is the best option for getting your products quickly and safely to your customers. To get started, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 973.361.1700.