Revamp your e-commerce business by focusing on order fulfilment

E-commerce is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, with companies experiencing massive sales after the pandemic. Considering the event that pushed for innovation, global retail e-commerce is expected to reach more than eight trillion dollars by 2027, according to Statista. 

As internet sales are close to surpassing retail transactions, businesses must always update their approaches to stay one step ahead of the competition. However, things are easier said than done because balancing good customer service, enhancing logistics, and facing the competition puts massive pressure on brands. 

Luckily, companies can work on one essential sector through their departments and up their business - order fulfilment. Here’s how to do it. 

Upgrade order processing

When done right, order processing ensures that all customer receive their orders on time. This includes the processing of preparing and delivering products in centres or warehouses. Most companies use manual order processing, but this is prone to human errors, so a mix between this and processing software is best. 

For example, Monta leverages management software to streamline operations, track orders live, and manage returns effortlessly. The solution is also based on smart cloud technologies, so it uses intelligent software to minimise disruptions and promote innovation. 

The order processing workflow involves several steps that must be done flawlessly to make the process efficient, such as the following: 

·       Receiving orders and determining an appropriate warehouse for shipping;

·       Order picking and ensuring the productivity of the order processing workflow;

·       Sorting items based on their destination;

·       Packing in the appropriate shipping boxes and weighting them;

·       Shipping the product to the final destination;

Perfect packaging

Being mindful as a business for your packaging is important, especially since customers are also interested in the topic. Clients appreciate companies that provide attractive and purposeful packaging, and most importantly, they make it environmentally friendly. Long gone are the days when you could pack absolutely anything in plastic. 

That’s why your fulfilment centre should be prepared to assess socially responsible packaging and meet customers’ needs. Of course, it’s essential to provide the information architecture that makes your brand identifiable and consider accessibility and inclusivity.

For example, have you considered customers with dexterity issues or physical impairments? If not, try to account for them and make the product packaging design as accessible as possible through loops and even hinges. 

Moreover, try to use as much sustainable packaging as possible because many clients prefer it. There are plenty of options on the market, including bioplastic, recyclable, and cellulose. Of course, the most sustainable options at the moment include paper and biodegradable and recyclable padded packaging, but depending on your business size and intentions of adopting sustainability, you can expand the range of green packaging. 

Improve customer experience

The easiest way to keep loyal customers and save money in the long run is to up your customer experience approach. Of course, with efficient fulfilment, you can impress anyone, so make sure to provide top-notch services when it comes to: 

·       Clear communication of the customers’ order status through email or SMS;

·       Easy returns with prepaid return labels and user-friendly tutorials on the website;

·       Personalisation for every customer by leveraging purchase history for future recommendations;

·       Accessible feedback resources to allow clients to voice their opinions;

Advance supplier relationship

Every e-commerce business has to collaborate with numerous vendors and suppliers to keep up with the competition and sustain its products and services. However, working with the right collaborators can be challenging, mainly due to communication problems.

Of course, your business should be the first one to clear out any concerns with suppliers and let them know all the details of the contractual agreement. If communication is clear and consistent on both sides, you can do so by working with them.

Overcome challenges

As you seek improvement in your order fulfilment department, your company will face several challenges.

For example, a lack of inventory accuracy can lead to high levels of customer dissatisfaction and, eventually, lost revenue. You can overcome this issue by implementing a robust inventory management system that updates stocks in real-time. 

On the other hand, manual picking errors are prominent as manual labour is still widely needed across e-commerce. Until we reach higher levels of automation and AI integration, we need to implement standard picking and packing procedures to reduce the likelihood of errors. 

One of the worst customer experience issues is linked to shipping delays and damage.

While there are instances in which businesses cannot control the factors that lead to this, it’s always best to prevent it by working with reputable shipping carriers. Investing in high quality packaging materials can also lower the chances of the package getting damaged, and offering real-time tracking updates offers relief to customers.