If you want to compete with e-commerce giants like Allegro, Amazon, Zalando or Empik (and win), you need to process orders as fast as they do. Only, unlike you, they have a huge advantage... Scale.
How do you compete with the biggest online shops?
The right size for a not only online shop usually means access to multiple suppliers, warehouses, competitive purchase prices, competitive shipping prices and sophisticated software used in preparing orders for customers. How to compete here? How to provide the same level of service as the resource-rich behemoths?
Against the odds, there is an opportunity for those smaller and even those starting out in e-commerce. It' s the automation of order fulfilment!
How do you optimise shipping?
Let's find out how to create a "wow!" effect with your customers, i.e. how to speed up the collection of goods, packaging and sending to the courier.
Order fulfilment automation is your future. Not convinced yet? Let's go into more detail.
Order fulfilment is the driving force behind e-commerce. This long process starts when the order is received and ends when the customer picks up the package and decides to keep it.
Advantages of automation
There are advantages to automating and streamlining many stages of this journey.
1. Faster processing and fast delivery times give buyers what they want.Your customers want promptness. In fact, 95% of buyers want same-day delivery* (E-commerce Report 2020), but only a few offer it. Slow or expensive shipping is also a major reason for shopping cart abandonment, meaning it can cost you the loss of closing the deal.
Join the leaders, automate all the steps leading up to shipping and get an immediate advantage.
2. Better customer service helps achieve better retention rates.
Intelligent automation helps to streamline the entire order fulfilment process, from faster parcel preparation, faster delivery to excellent customer service.
Every business is only as strong as its weakest link. If you eliminate the mistakes that are the result of your employees' manual work you will give them the chance to improve their customer service. This will allow them to spend more time on customer retention projects instead of soul-sucking repetitive operations that can be outsourced.
3. Streamlined processes are what secure your business for the future.
Customer expectations will not go back to the old, slow days. If anything, modern technology such as drones and driverless cars, along with same-day delivery, will continue to raise their expectations.
By streamlining your processes, you are setting yourself up for long-term success.
How do you prepare to implement automation in your online shop?
Firstly, you need to answer the question of what your current order fulfilment process looks like. How many operations do we do manually, how many systems do we click the same data in and what causes us the most problems.
By identifying what is working and what is not and where the process is experiencing delays, you can make better choices and start the automation process much faster.
Your success in automation depends on two main decisions. Let's take a look at both.
1. Choosing the right software
Software drives the modern online shop. IT in the economy is the nervous system through which different entities begin to communicate with each other. Everything from inventory management and shipping to pricing and customer service can be handled (or at least greatly improved) with integrated IT solutions.
To automate the fulfilment process, look for specialised software that handles the entire process from start to finish. (Way2Send is such a software, but we won't hint at it for you, because the best comes with effort ☺) This makes it easier to set specific rules and control them. Whatever supplier you choose, make sure it integrates with your business existing solutions.
2. Order Packing & Shipment
Packing parcels is so easy... or isn't it? The actual business of packing and shipping goods is the most time-consuming part of the fulfilment process. It is essential to ensure that it runs as smoothly as possible.
Whether you perform fulfilment in-house or use an outsourced solution, there are steps you can take to speed up the flow.
Managing your own order fulfilment
Managing your own order fulfilment has clear advantages. It makes it easier to add a personal touch to your brand and can help ensure the quality of your packaging.
If you fulfil orders through your own warehouse, here are some things you can do to streamline your process:
If you do not want to or cannot prepare parcels yourself, take advantage of the extensive range of fulfilment companies in Poland. Outsourcing parcel preparation services provides speed and cost advantages without investing too much time and money.
Remember, however, that by outsourcing your fulfilment services, you are handing over responsibility for the end result of your orders, i.e. quality control, to your partner. Therefore, you need to be sure that the chosen fulfilment operator is right for you, i.e. has the right technology to give you peace of mind.
Your logistics partner should use technology to automate customer order preparation processes to streamline its own processes. Remember that the customer's satisfaction with the package they receive is now in the hands of someone else, so check how your chosen fulfilment centre will handle your orders before you start working with it. Find out what control tools you will have.
Prioritise fast shipping for VIP customers. Prime is the new standard. You should offer free two-day shipping everywhere you sell and familiarise yourself with Amazon's, Empik's or Allegro's new fast shipping programmes.
Use software that communicates with your shop, invoicing system and warehouse. You need to synchronise your inventory management software, so make sure all solutions talk communicate with each other.
Check how your customers rate you. So-called 'social proof' matters. Check reviews and make sure that the partners you choose will do everything possible to minimise damaged parcels and poorly fulfilled orders.
You should also make sure that any charges are transparent and straightforward in their rules. For example, a typical 3PL operator may charge for receiving, storage, packaging, number of products in a parcel, label printing, shipping and more. Look for a partner that makes all this billing as simple as possible.
Prepare for success
Streamlining and automating the customer order fulfilment process is about finding holes, bottlenecks in the system and eliminating them. Don't just limit yourself to what a logistics company employee tells you. Think about optimising your shop's processes all the time and the results will come by themselves and make you feel really good!
