When you’re in the e-commerce business, one thing is clear – you need an efficient process for getting orders to your customers. You can have products that leave your competitors in the dust, but you’ll quickly lose your edge if those products are being shipped to consumers with issues such as:
To help minimize these issues, and to free up time to focus on core business responsibilities, many sellers choose to outsource their e-commerce fulfillment activities to a third party – but how do you know which company to hire? We know how challenging it can be to find a trusted partner when the options seem endless, so created a list of the # top qualities you should look for in an e-commerce fulfillment services provider.
But first, let’s explore some of the basics…
E-commerce fulfillment refers to the full process of getting online orders to consumers, encompassing every step of the journey from right after the point of purchase all the way to delivery. E-commerce fulfillment services (which can be completed by a third party for the seller) often include receiving, storing, picking, packaging, and shipping products.
E-commerce fulfillment refers to fulfillment for any orders that are placed online, whether that is through a manufacturer’s website, a retailer’s website, a retail marketplace, or social platforms. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) fulfillment specifically refers to fulfillment of orders sent from a company such a manufacturer or retailer directly without traditional retail intermediaries.
They are often used synonymously as the vast majority of eCommerce orders go to consumer but businesses also place orders online.
Whether you’re an individual seller or a large-scale business operation, an efficient fulfillment solution can help you optimize your warehouse, inventory, and shipment workflows to keep your orders moving at maximum timeliness, accuracy, and efficiency.
Some of the benefits of an effective e-commerce or DTC fulfillment solution can include:
Not to mention, when you hire an expert third party such as a third-party logistics company (3PL) to handle your e-commerce or DTC fulfillment, your team can focus energy on the responsibilities that are core to your business, such as product design, manufacturing, branding, marketing, and more.
As you begin your search for an e-commerce fulfillment partner, it’s important to remember that not all service providers are created equal. There will be some providers that extend a more robust offering of services that better align with your needs as well as a greater level of logistical expertise. Here are a few qualities to consider in your search.
Your fulfillment provider should offer a commercial warehousing solution that can address your needs in a number of ways, including:
Your warehouse location is an integral part of your fulfillment process, as this is where your products are being initially delivered, sorted, housed for potentially long periods of time, and shipped from. The facilities should be clean, secure, and ready to house your inventory.
With large-scale warehouse locations in Atlanta, Savannah, and Tampa that handle numerous types of storage needs, Porter Logistics is a leader in commercial storage in the southeastern U.S. We have a network of partner sites throughout the country.
Storage is only one piece of the entire fulfillment journey. A good e-commerce fulfillment services provider can assist with a variety of needs, whether it involves custom packaging, advanced transportation requirements like transloading and international shipping, or assistance with returns. Additionally, if your business handles both DTC and B2B orders, it can be helpful to choose a partner that can handle both types of orders, allowing you to keep all your fulfillment logistics under one roof.
A one-stop-shop can maximize convenience for your team and help you better streamline your supply chain operations to reduce hassle for your team while boosting business efficiency.
Porter Logistics is a 3PL services provider that fits this bill with a diverse range of services (for both D2C and B2B customers), including warehousing, picking, kitting, custom labeling, order imports and exports, reverse logistics, inventory overflow logistics, and much more.
The most efficient partners are those that use state-of-art technology to streamline the fulfillment process, leveraging minimal input for maximum output and saving everyone time and energy through the process. When it comes to e-commerce or DTC fulfillment, it’s best to work with a 3PL that provides access to software that helps you:
With the right technology, you can take the guesswork out of your fulfillment logistics and increase transparency and accuracy when it comes to your orders and inventory. And don’t forget to ask any prospective partners if their technology integrates with other platforms you use.
At Porter Logistics, our clients gain access to our proprietary 3PL technology and valuable tech integrations. Through our dashboard and warehouse management system, you can easily track your warehouse inventory and optimize your workflows. We offer pre-built integrations with more than 50 shopping carts and marketplaces.
In the world of e-commerce, speed is a necessity, especially when you’re competing with multi-billion-dollar companies that ship to customers in one to two days by standard. Make sure to look for a fulfillment center that can deliver a well-thought out supply chain strategy that can keep your products moving on schedule so you can keep customers happy.
Porter Logistics offers same-day order processing with a 99.9% accuracy rate. This speed and efficiency empowers businesses to meet their two-day shipping service level agreements (SLAs) and maintain high customer satisfaction.
You shouldn’t have to guess whether the e-commerce center you’re working with is playing by the rules and meeting regulatory and industry standards. Choose a company that undergoes regular audits by governmental and private agencies and has the certifications to show for it. This is especially important if you sell products within a highly regulated institute, such as food and beverage items and pharmaceuticals.
Porter Logistics is committed to meeting the highest quality, safety, and cleanliness standards in the industry, undergoes regular third-party auditing, and maintains numerous certifications and compliance achievements, including but not limited to:
Porter Logistics can handle all the details so you can focus on growing your business. Our team is equipped to help you refine and execute your fulfillment process from start to finish. Learn more about Porter Logistics and how we can help you take your e-commerce operations to the next level.
