21
Dec
2022
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Ecommerce is indispensable to millions of companies all over the US, UK, and the entire globe at large. Today, entrepreneurs prioritize it because it facilitates faster buying through digital gadgets and online stores. Ecommerce also cuts costs by doing away with physical stores and allowing business owners to outsource their storage and warehousing needs.
Speaking of outsourcing, if you have an ecommerce business, you can hire third-party fulfillment services. What does that mean?
To run a business successfully, you need to deliver products to customers. That is where order fulfillment comes in. Without this element, your venture may fail to pick up speed, despite having a fantastic website, exceptional funneling strategies, and unique products.
That said, shipping and fulfillment can cost you a fortune, especially if you do it yourself. Expert opinion says businesses spend around 15-20% of their net sales on these aspects alone. But you can avoid such expenses by letting third-party logistics (3PL) companies tackle all your ecommerce fulfillment needs.
Why use ecommerce fulfillment?
You should incorporate ecommerce fulfillment in your operations because it can help you:
There are thousands of fulfillment companies in the world. However, no two are equal. Some are legit, reliable service providers, while others fall short of the mark.
With the above in mind, you can ensure the fulfillment center you pick is a good fit for your business by using the following to influence your choice:
The proximity of a fulfillment company's warehouses to customers.
Now let's check out service providers that are worth your consideration. We have compiled a list of the best fulfillment companies and categorized them depending on their suitability for dropshipping, small businesses, and startups.
The best dropshipping companies today include:
If you run a small ecommerce enterprise or a startup and need a fulfillment company that can cater to your needs, check out the following:
Reputable ecommerce fulfillment companies work with specialists who enable them to be exceptional in sustainable packaging and delivery.
Order fulfillment specialists have numerous roles and responsibilities, including:
Most fulfillment companies hire specialists with the following qualifications:
Additionally, many employers prefer order fulfillment specialists with particular skills. The first is excellent organizational and prioritization skills. These are indispensable because people in this occupation often juggle multiple tasks and are tasked with organizing warehouse floors. Others include:
The most common ecommerce fulfillment jobs found on platforms like ZipRecruiter and DHL include:
A fulfillment specialist has several vital roles, including receiving order information, locating a specific product in the warehouse, and shipping to customers. To get this job, you must meet basic requirements like keenness for detail and be computer proficient.
The average salary for a fulfillment specialist in the US is $36,939.
A fulfillment manager supervises all order processing activities in a company. For instance, they check packages to ensure they have the correct shipping addresses and oversee the execution of customers' orders.
The average salary for a fulfillment manager employed full-time is $73,587.
Fulfillment associates are often charged with organizing, stocking, and retrieving merchandise in a warehouse environment. They also offload delivery trucks and operate machines like forklifts and pallet jacks.
A fulfillment associate's average salary is $36,212.
An order fulfillment assistant job requires you to facilitate the order fulfillment process by handling tasks like order processing and delivery. People in this position also communicate with customers awaiting fulfillment and address their needs or concerns.
The Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) is a solution tailored for ecommerce business owners who need help with inventory storage and order fulfillment. When a store owner receives an order, SFN picks it, handles packaging, and ships it to the specified customer address.
Many entrepreneurs rely on SFN because it delivers within two days in the US, has predictable pricing, and builds customer trust through a simplified return process.
To set up Shopify order fulfillment, first, choose a method that suits your needs and preferences. Shopify gives you three options. You ship products by yourself, work with a 3PL or rely on a combination of said strategies.
Once you've picked a suitable method, the next step is choosing manual or automatic fulfillment. The former is ideal for businesses that make-to-order. On the other hand, automated fulfillment is fitting for ecommerce stores that want to use third-party shipping services for all their products.
Store owners can monitor fulfillment status by:
For more on Shopify fulfillment, visit Shopify's official page.
Below is a list of the best fulfillment centers worldwide.
ShipBob is among a handful of companies that have attained virtual unicorn status. Most business owners prefer this platform because it's easy to integrate with their stores, allows automated order fulfillment, and supports same-day shipping.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is yet another popular service provider. This solution is a favorite for many ecommerce entrepreneurs because it's low-cost, especially for lightweight inventory. Plus, it offers incredible discounts to repeat customers.
ShipMonk is a service provider known for reliable support, scalability, and warehouse automation. This software makes fulfillment and shipping relatively stress-free by integrating with your sales channels using industry-leading tech. Plus, it assigns a happiness engineer to each ShipMonk customer.
Bezos.ai is committed to helping businesses scale across borders with less hassle. It takes pride in its ability to address customer needs and transparent pricing. Bezos.ai is also easy to integrate, meaning you can connect it to various marketplaces and sales platforms.
FedEx Fulfillment is a configuration service provider that enables businesses to respond quickly to market changes through scalable solutions. Plus, it allows store owners to configure and design options that fit their needs and preferences.
The most common customer fulfillment models are in-house fulfillment, third-party logistics (3PL), and dropshipping.
As the name suggests, in-house fulfillment refers to a scenario where your team processes, picks, packs, and ships customer orders under your roof. Simply put, as a business, if you pick in-house fulfillment, your workers will be responsible for handling everything concerning order fulfillment.
Businesses that rely on in-house fulfillment face challenges with growing order volumes.
3PL is an ideal model for ecommerce businesses that prefer outsourcing fulfillment services from seasoned pros. You should consider it if you want to free up more resources and direct them toward business growth.
The only issue with this alternative is it involves giving up a lot of control, especially where packaging and product distribution are concerned.
Dropshipping caters to ecommerce enterprises that don't want to stock products. When you work with a dropshipper, the service provider facilitates the delivery of products from the manufacturer or wholesaler to the customer.
Business owners that want to reduce management overhead by ceasing to keep physical inventory can benefit immensely from dropshipping. The same applies to enterprises that prefer to let another party handle shipment tracking.