Your eCommerce fulfillment process can make or break your business, so you must consider how you can improve to serve your customers better.
Fulfillment involves picking, packing, and shipping products to the customer, and errors in this area can significantly impact customer satisfaction. To avoid endless refunds and upset patrons, it’s time to improve your eCommerce fulfillment process and keep your customers returning for years.
If you’re wondering how to increase the efficiency of your order fulfillment processes, we’ve curated eight tips to help you streamline these operations.
- Align Your Fulfillment Process
Order fulfillment involves everything from receiving an order to delivery, returns, and exchanges. You should align your entire eCommerce fulfillment process from start to finish. The key steps of this process include:
- Receiving inventory.
- Organizing and storing inventory.
- Receiving an order.
- Warehouse picking.
- Packaging orders.
- Shipping.
- Exchanges, returns, and refunds.
Before you begin, establish your goals for fulfillment and make a list of your resources. If any areas are causing setbacks, you might want to consider outsourcing to fill in these gaps. This will help you reduce errors and streamline efficiency.
- Organize Your Warehouse
If you want to standardize your order fulfillment process, you need to first take the time to organize your warehouse. Redesign your warehouse floor plan to make fulfilling orders faster and your workflow efficient. A straightforward way to manage your inventory is to classify products by sales volume. This will help you easily see when stocks are running low.
Here are a few more tips for organizing your warehouse inventory:
- Use information labels and product photos.
- Store products that are commonly sold together near each other.
- Make use of vertical space by stacking inventory higher.
- Designate a section for seasonal products.
- Keep your best-selling products easily accessible.
- Prioritize Communication
Transparent and consistent communication with customers is essential in any flourishing business. Shoppers value interaction, so the more you reach out, the greater chance you’ll build trust with them. You can achieve transparency throughout the supply chain by implementing technology to deliver real-time status updates.
Your customers should receive notifications when their order is placed, in transit, and upon delivery. Additionally, follow up to see if they have any questions or concerns. You can also ask them to leave a review at this point.
Remember, more communication is always better. Communication enhances your customers’ confidence in your fulfillment process and assures them your supply chain is reliable.
- Deliver a Reliable Customer Support System
There might be cases when products are damaged, missing, or inaccurate in an eCommerce business. When problems arise, make sure your employees are ready to offer timely assistance. Having customer service representatives on-hand to mitigate complaints or fulfillment issues is paramount to having a satisfied customer base.
Globally, 60% of consumers shared they have stopped doing business with a company due to a poor service experience. A top-notch customer experience will encourage repeat purchases and build trust between your clients and your brand.
- Be Transparent About Delivery Costs
A recent study by Retail Wire shared that cost was the most critical factor related to shipping in a survey of 2,500 U.S. correspondents. If you want to encourage your customers to keep coming back, transparency in this area is key.
As an eCommerce retailer, you should make efforts to offer the lowest delivery costs and fastest speeds; however, we understand this isn’t always the most cost-effective solution for your business. Here are a few suggestions for how to reduce shipping expenses:
- Reduce the weight of your packages by using air-filled pillows as infill.
- Take advantage of flat-rate shipping when possible.
- Choose the right-sized packaging for your orders.
- Stay on top of carrier pricing changes.
- Offer local delivery or pickup.
- Make Data-Driven Decisions
As you upgrade your eCommerce fulfillment systems to improve processes, you will have access to more data about your business. Leverage this insightful data to make better decisions.
Data-driven insights include the patterns and trends that apply to your operations. For example, you can monitor your inventory performance to know which products need restocking and when. Data allows you to start making decisions based on the facts of your business instead of guesswork. As a result, you’ll see greater success.
- Build an Order Management System
An order management system (OMS) is a way to manage the entire lifecycle of an order. An OMS tracks information and processes such as sales, order entry, inventory management, fulfillment, and post-sales services. This system offers visibility to both the business and the shopper.
If you want your eCommerce business to reach new heights, an OMS can have endless benefits. An OMS can help control costs, generate revenue, and reduce errors by automating manual processes. Since consumers have such high expectations for how fast orders end up on their doorsteps, a multifaceted system will make sure they are content.
- Implement a Clear Return Policy
Returns, exchanges, and refunds happen, so it’s essential to cultivate the right attitude about them. When handling a return, always strive to deliver transparency and efficiency. Aim to work with suppliers that accept returns, don’t charge restocking fees, and can promptly process refunds and replacements.
As a retailer, your return policy is critical. It’s your job to keep your customers as happy as possible throughout each step of the order process, including returns. Make sure your return policy is fair, easy to understand, and blatant. When your customers know they’re in good hands, they’re more likely to return.
Streamline Your Fulfillment Process With MintFulfill
If you’re ready to transfer your eCommerce fulfillment process offsite, you need MintFulfill! We’re a fulfillment company that treats everyone like family, from customers to employees. When you ship with us, you’ll be able to avoid expensive hassles, free up valuable time, and increase your sales. Choose a custom fulfillment plan that best fits your needs for as little as one dollar.
Reach out today to take your shipping services to the next level!