Order Fulfillment Archives - Fulco Fulfillment

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.

Unique Packaging & Custom Fulfillment

The customer experience for your product starts when they first see it on your website, and needs to continue through checkout and shipping. That’s where we come in: at Fulco Fulfillment Inc., we can provide unique and cost-effective packaging and fulfillment solutions for your product.

Box size

Every product has unique properties. We are not saying that your product needs to fit as perfectly as an iPhone in its custom and highly customized packaging, but we make sure a wide array of box sizes are stocked in order to prevent floating items in your outgoing shipments.

Box shape

Have a uniquely shaped product? We can supply specialty box sizes to ensure your product arrives to your customer the way you envision. Additionally, you can consider our sustainable packaging options. Using eco-friendly packaging can reduce your company’s carbon footprint and your shipping costs by using lighter materials. Learn more about the benefits of eco-friendly packaging here.

Box color

Typically, brown is what many associate with a shipping box. But we can work with you to stand out. Want your logo on every side, or the box to be a different color? You could make a colorful box a recognizable aspect of your brand for your customers.

Box tape

Want to use stock brown boxes but still splash your logo? A cost-effective way to accomplish this is by using custom tape. We print and stock the rolls of tape so you can be sure all of your shipments display your logo and branding.

Box filler

What do you want your customer to see when they open your shipment? We have a wide variety of box filler for you to choose from, including custom folded paper, air pillows, and newspaper. Let’s come up with a solution that impresses your customers.

Box content

Custom inserts are a great way to cross market and encourage future orders. We can work with you to identify what kind of custom inserts your customers should receive in their order.

No Box

If you’d rather not use a box, we can supply custom bags as well. We enjoy thinking up creative solutions to your product’s needs.

Fulco Fulfillment Can Help You Create Unique Packaging for Your Brand

Your packaging is an important part of your brand. After placing an order, your customer’s impression of you as a business can be affected by the appearance of your packaging. Fulco Fulfillment Inc. can help you make a positive impact on your customers through unique packaging solutions, and encourage them to place more orders in the future.

To learn more about unique packaging and custom fulfillment, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 973.361.1700.

Remote Fulfillment is a Reality with Fulco Fulfillment Inc.

As many companies permanently shift their employees to a work-from-home model, there is a growing and persistent demand for fulfillment that is reliable and also fully remote. With new tools, running a successful business remotely is possible thanks to the advances in cloud-based technology.

But possible is not the same as easy! Businesses that are using older technologies and rely on on-site equipment have been struggling to keep up. Fortunately, with help from Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI), you can have full view and control of your order inventory and fulfillment process—all from the comfort of your home office.

Is remote fulfillment reliable?

Handling fulfillment from any location can prove to be a daunting task: you will need to assist new clients, handle financial transactions, or look up the status of an order. It’s important to have the proper tools to access all of this information anywhere and anytime, whether through your own resources or the resources of a trustworthy third-party logistics provider (3PL) like FFI.

At FFI, our employees are on-site to ensure our remote fulfillment customers’ orders get picked, packed, and accurately shipped on time. Our enhanced functionality means our customers can access their order information anytime, anywhere, by logging into FFI’s order management system (OMS).

The Key Tools to Remote Fulfillment

Our OMS Provides Reliable 24-Hour Uptime for Client Order Processing

Our streamlined system means that you can focus on running your business rather than worrying about the reliability of your fulfillment warehouse. With our platform’s access to inventory, user data, and activity, your fulfillment will run smoothly in real time. You never have to worry if your orders will be processed because we meet and maintain your fulfillment expectations.

Our OMS Gives You Access to Critical Information and Important Routine Tasks:

Inventory history
Product quantities and usage
Package tracking links
Understock notifications
Order and shipping confirmations
Place online orders
Choose expedited shipping
Run data reports
Estimate average monthly usage

Real-time visibility is crucial in our industry. FFI’s client portal gives you access to your data at any time of day.

Remote Fulfillment Offers Great Flexibility

There are so many advantages to working remotely and now, thanks to FFI, you can add dependable, superior fulfillment of your orders to that list. Trust your business to an NJ 3PL with state-of-the-art technology, a dedicated staff, and a fulfillment process that has been finely tuned through years of experience. Contact FFI and see how we can help you begin the process of successful remote fulfillment.

Four Ways to Handle Order Fulfillment for E-commerce

When you store goods, pick orders, pack orders, and ship your products to your buyers, you are taking part in the act of order fulfillment. If you are an e-commerce business, then order fulfillment is an important, central function that you must focus on. You could handle fulfillment business on your own, but outsourcing to a fulfillment partner will prove to be an efficient, cost-effective operation that will be perfect for growing your business.

Let’s begin by talking about the order fulfillment process, and discuss some options you can take part in.

What is Order Fulfillment?

The term order fulfillment refers to all of the activities that are involved in shipping products to customers. Talking in the form of a workflow, order fulfillment begins with receiving the shipments, sorting stock, then locating inventory for efficient picking. Afterwards, as orders arrive, products are picked, checked for accuracy, packed correctly, and finally labeled for shipping.

Different Ways to Handle Order Fulfillment

Order fulfillment is truly a simple logistical process, but it can also prove to be a time-consuming and labor intensive one. Many of the new and growing e-commerce businesses find that order fulfillment can keep them so busy that it proves hard to perform other necessary tasks such as marketing, product scouting, and website maintenance.

You can go about your order fulfillment in a variety of ways, but here are the four most prominent ways of doing so as an e-commerce business.

In-House Order Fulfillment
You can manage a warehousing and shipping operation in your own facility using your own staff. Many merchants found success fulfilling orders themselves. However, many have also realized they are spending too much time handling order fulfillment to the point where they can’t leave their house without a label printer.
Outsource Your Fulfillment Needs
Your business can use order fulfillment centers like Fulco Fulfillment Inc., a larger-scale Third Party Logistics (3PL) company. We store, stock, pack and ship orders for you. The fastest way to speed up order fulfillment is to outsource it to professionals.
Drop Shipping
Use drop ship suppliers who will ship orders directly to your customers when ordered, and bill you only for the products that you sell.
Hybrid Order Fulfillment Solution
Using a hybrid solution that combines a few — or possibly all — of the above order fulfillment options is a popular solution for a growing business.

The Elements of an Order Fulfillment Operation

When you are selling your products online, you need to have a solid understanding of the order fulfillment process. Knowing how it all works is an essential part of keeping your costs low, whether shipping daily from your own warehouse, or handing it over to a fulfillment partner like Fulco Fulfillment Inc.

Order fulfillment and shipping operations need some important elements to work properly.

A location to receive, organize, and store products that ship

An order fulfillment operation will need organized product storage to make the process work. Make sure to organize your space with shelves, bins, bags, stacked boxes, or whatever is best to keep your products organized and handy for a fast picking process. This area is also known as the “quick pack area” or “flow shelves.”

A place to prepare and pack your orders for the shipping process

Often known as a packing station, this area can be anything from a series of tables/workstations in a warehouse environment to a stockroom counter. Overall, it is a place where packing materials (boxes, mailers, tape, fill and wrap, etc.) are kept and easily accessed.
No matter what the setup is, your picked items are checked for accuracy against a packing slip with the customer’s order details, or with a barcode scanning machine. After these items are checked, they are packed for shipment.

Shipping boxes or mailers

The packaging needs to be reviewed to determine the most efficient box or mailer when handling order fulfillment. FFI will help you choose a carton that will keep your product safe and the rate will be the lowest freight price.

Packing materials

Things such as packing peanuts, foam sheets, air pillows, bubble wrap, kraft paper, and plain newsprint are amongst the most common materials that are used to protect products as well as fill the voids in shipping boxes. After the type of packing material is decided, you will need a way to seal boxes and mailers. A good amount of envelopes and mailers are self-sealing. However, for boxes, you will need to use a strong packing tape and a good dispenser.

Invoices and/or packing slips

Having a printed invoice or packing slip that shows all the items that have been ordered is useful as a checklist for pulling out orders and checking for accuracy. A major difference between these two things is that invoices include prices, while packing slips do not. Whichever you use, you can print them from your e-commerce platform’s order manager or from a back-end order management software system.

A way to create and print shipping labels

The last order fulfillment step is printing shipping labels for packed boxes. For this you can use carrier websites, carrier-specific shipping software, or perhaps something like shipping rate comparison software that will let you find the best price for each shipment. Most of these sites and software support all types of printers: laser, inkjet, or thermal label printers.

An Order Fulfillment E-Commerce Partner is Crucial

Handling order fulfillment and its process is just as important as the sale itself. Retailers don’t want to hurt their reputation and sales if their products arrive late or packages go missing. To learn more about order fulfillment, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 973-361-1700. We will be more than happy to help you find the perfect order fulfillment solution that serves your business.

The Art of Flawless Order Fulfillment

Creating a smooth fulfillment process is ideal when striving for a foundation that leads to a positive business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) relationship. The term “fulfillment” encapsulates the whole procedure of processing, picking and shipping an order to a client or customer. There are a variety of methods to handle this whether it is by the company actually creating the product or alternatively having the process handled by a third-party logistics/3PL provider. No matter what the business itself classifies as there is an art to flawless order fulfillment.

But how do you begin? Start with a positive ecommerce fulfillment plan. This is imperative to the achievement of success in a competitive marketplace. Next, create a foundation of customer confidence. Obviously not every company is the same and possesses their own goals and needs so there is no universal fulfillment strategy that can be used for every situation. Because of this, there are a variety of factors that must be considered when deciding on what the best selection is for your company.

When Thinking about Fulfillment, Consider Your Sales Volume and Business Size

Every business should keep in mind the amount of products being offered in addition to the order size when it comes to determining which order fulfillment solution will be the best for your business.

Things to keep in mind:

How many products are being sold?
Are the products being sold through business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C) or a mixture of the two?
How many orders are being fulfilled month to month?
What is the prediction of growth for your products and orders over both the next quarter and year?
What are your product storage requirements?

For example, if you have a low volume of orders then it would not be the best decision to outsource your fulfillment process. Instead, you could opt to fill the orders on your own.

However, if you are predicting that your business is anticipating an uptick in order volume you need a plan to keep up with this increase in orders. With increased orders it may become difficult to maintain a self-fulfillment structure and eventually it will become near impossible to fulfill products flawlessly and in quick succession. This is the moment to switch and have a 3PL provider, like Fulco Fulfillment by your side.

Order Fulfillment Technology and Sales Channels

Things to keep in mind

What type of ecommerce platform are you using?
Is a marketplace, website, shopping portal or alternative type of online store/shopping being used? Perhaps instead you are using a combination of these or including a physical storefront?

Your fulfillment strategy should be capable of providing the necessary support for your different sales channels. This especially comes into play when using technology. This technology can assist your business with becoming both more cost-effective and efficient in addition to enhancing the customer experience and satisfaction of your customers. The implemented technology being used as a part of the order processing plan should complete the goal of making things easier rather than making things more difficult.

Once the technology has become integrated, it should have the capability of streamlining the process. An API integration is a reliable way to be sure that as soon as order has been placed it will seamlessly be available to your 3PL provider to then be picked, packed, and shipped as soon as possible.

It is also important to consider that your fulfillment process is using the correct type of inventory management software. An inventory management system should be able to report on all available inventory levels across all locations. Safeguards can also be put into place that will alert you if you are running out of stock.

Keep in mind also that warehouse management software or a WMS can assist controlling the daily warehouse operation which includes shipping, sorting, storage and inventory management. Your order fulfillment software of choice can assist with the difficult and time-consuming duties of inventory and warehouse management, order picking and processing, shipping and tracking and returns processing (reverse logistics).

Flawless Order Fulfillment Leads to Satisfied Customers

Discovering the art of flawless order fulfillment can happen inside your organization or outsourcing to 3PL provider. At the top of that list should be building a positive ecommerce fulfillment plan and creating a foundation of customer confidence. This will ensure the satisfaction of your customers.

Having a 3PL should give you the capability of supporting the growth of your business and assist with the navigation of the complexities that are oftentimes associated with supply chain and logistics. Most importantly, flawless order fulfilment will give your customers peace of mind by getting products into their hands as efficiently and accurately as possible. If you need help with order fulfilment, contact Fulco Fulfillment.