Staying on top of order fulfillment, especially when you’re working at a high volume, is essential for operating a successful business. But you don’t have to leave everything up to your already maxed-out labor — you have options. Automating order fulfillment processes can be an excellent first step into getting your facility running more efficiently. However, you don’t need to stop there. Outsourcing this process can be even more efficient, helping to drive sales, lower costs, and increase the overall profitability of your business. Through third-party logistics, you can take the guesswork out of your order fulfillment process.
What Is Automated Order Fulfillment?
If order fulfillment is how a company gets the purchased goods into the hands of their customers, then automated order fulfillment is the automation of this process. Rather than all aspects being managed by employees who can easily miss a step, automation keeps things from getting skipped.
Technology enables the fulfillment process to be faster and more accurate. While we’re not using robots to fully pick and pack orders, automation helps with a lot of processes that could otherwise take a long time or be more complicated by keeping the human element involved.
How It Works
With automation, inventory can be better managed, and orders can go out much quicker. When an order is placed, that information can be updated in real-time via shopping cart integrations directly to the warehouse. At that point, the order is ready to start. There is no need to call in the order or send paperwork or documentation over to the warehouse — both of which take extra time.
Once the orders are at the warehouse, they can be batched together to make the process of putting orders together easier for the human hands that have to assemble them. Rather than running up and down warehouse aisles, order pickers can follow a pre-established pick path, fulfilling multiple orders back to back with system directed picks. This can help ensure orders go out as quickly as possible, meeting daily shipping time deadlines and requirements.
Our technology also works to automate slotting, which helps warehouses be as organized as possible to maximize space and increase shipping speed for high velocity SKUs. Quick moving products can be placed closer to pack stations and slower moving products or off-season inventory can be moved to higher rack. Organization is a crucial component in making sure orders can be fulfilled efficiently.
How Automated Fulfillment Saves You Time and Money
First and foremost, automating even part of the process increases efficiency. Efficiency in general helps with labor costs because less time is spent sorting and organizing orders. When the orders are all ready to get packed up, and the order is available to the warehouse right away, that helps streamline the process — which ultimately saves time and money.
However, in addition to saving money, automated order fulfillment also helps make you money by reducing customer churn. Since it helps process orders more efficiently, orders are fulfilled faster. This increases customer satisfaction, and satisfied customers are more likely to be returning customers.
Finally, warehouse management technology is expensive. It’s expensive to own, andcan be very expensive to operate as well. You need skilled workers who are aware of how the technology works, and this can involve extensive and expensive training for them. Training also takes workers out of your warehouse, leaving you short staffed for a time.
Outsourcing this automation technology takes the major expense of its operation out of the equation right away. It saves you the time and money it takes to have the trained staff to operate it, too. Because many companies aren’t high enough volume to support all this extra cost, outsourcing automated order fulfillment and utilizing freight brokerage services is a major benefit!
WSI Is About Solutions
According to eMarketer.com, US consumers will spend $933.30 billion on Ecommerce in 2021, an 18% increase from 2020. Many supply chain companies have been able to grow their online sales as part of the Ecommerce boom, and this explosive growth has also had an impact on how businesses fulfill their orders.
When your business depends on fulfillment and you’re looking for external support, you need a third-party logistics provider (3PL) that focuses on end-to-end logistics, not just your bottom line. Your 3PL needs to have the experience, space, and technology necessary to keep your business moving forward and your customers satisfied.
Let’s look at how WSI checks all the boxes when it comes to order fulfillment.
WSI AND ORDER FULFILLMENT
Timely product delivery has a direct impact on your business. Remember, reliability is everything™. From order to delivery to returns, we support our customers with a broad range of seamless fulfillment solutions that allow you to focus on your day-to-day business.
FLEXIBLE AND SCALABLE
It’s a flex and it’s true: we operate over 14 million square feet of operational warehouses all throughout the country. With strategically located distribution centers, we can offer flexible and scalable warehousing for Ecommerce businesses with both B2B and D2C needs. We even offer same-day or next-day delivery services to most of the continental US.
Our fulfillment centers are also staffed with knowledgeable order pickers, IT professionals, customer service reps and other supply chain experts. Our team represents decades of logistics experience and a commitment to effective and efficient practices.
BUILT FOR MODERN DEMAND
Thanks to the growth in Ecommerce, the expectations for supply chains have never been higher. To optimize your fulfillment logistics with efficient and effective processes, you need a 3PL that can be your one-source provider. Our warehouse fulfillment centers are equipped for virtually any type of product, and we operate by our philosophy that your product should always be delivered in the right condition, count, and time™.
Working with a 3PL can save your business time and money, but only if your logistics partner is set up to expand with modern demands and market changes. The partnerships we develop with our clients allow us to get to know their needs more intimately. This relationship ensures that as their business grows and shifts, we are prepared with the resources and strategies needed to grow and shift with them.
FULFILLMENT SOFTWARE
The need for technology in a fulfillment strategy is no longer optional; it is imperative. Complete visibility throughout the fulfillment process allows businesses to track all touchpoints and identify any potential disruptions or inefficiencies. Overall, supply chains need to leverage technology that connects purchasing and manufacturing to sales and product demand, driving revenue and growth.
Here at WSI, we have invested in purchasing and implementing the latest warehouse management technology to keep up with growing demands and overcoming disruptions and inefficiencies. These technologies have streamlined and improved fulfillment centers’ capabilities, allowing us to take a holistic approach to our customers’ operations and let them get back to doing what they do best.
LET’S TALK!
Here at WSI, we understand the time and expenses that go into running a business. From owning or leasing a facility, all the costs associated with labor, attending meetings and conferences, maintenance, keeping inventory stocked, and any miscellaneous expenses, running a business can be costly. You don’t need to let the added expense of automation technology drag you down.
By outsourcing automated order fulfillment technology, you are setting up your business for maximum efficiency, allowing you to focus on growing your business, not on the logistics. We will help orders get fulfilled quickly, ensure your warehouse stays organized to maximize storage and space, and help your customers remain satisfied. Through innovation, WSI can help to make your fulfillment dreams come true so that you can focus on your business.
If your looking for more insights on related topics, you might be interested in understanding the benefits of third-party logistics and how it can streamline your operations.
We have a wide range of experiences, experts, and innovations that help us help our clients. We’re dedicated to leveraging our expansive distribution network and exceptional customer service to serve your needs no matter what they are. For more details about who we are and what we can do for you, reach out.
