With the growth and expansion of small e-commerce businesses comes a necessary reconsideration of shipping logistics and capability to fulfill a surge in order quantities – but this can often be easier said than done.
That’s why today, our friends over at Action Storage are offering up some handy tips on how to ensure a steady correlation between your business and shipping expansion, ensuring a logical and efficient system that keeps customers satisfied.
First, you will want to consider overall logistics.
When outsourcing shipping, it’s important to find one that meets your specific requirements – both in terms of cost and capabilities. Envision what sort of delivery experience you want your customers to have and combine this with the logistical considerations of your chosen industry (what shipping requirements your product demands, for example) to obtain a better understanding of what exactly your shipping needs are.
Communicate these ideals with your outsourced shipping company to ensure you’re on the same page from the get-go, as this is the key to a long-lasting partnership that eliminates any issues early on in the process. Once you’ve found a company that fits your logistical requirements, you can begin to iron out any creases to ensure an efficient system that has both your business and shipping company working in harmony to deliver the same goal.
With this in mind, it’s important to remember to factor in whether the shipping company works for the customer, as well as your business. Though these will often go hand-in-hand, this isn’t always the case. As such, ensure you are able to offer the right shipping rates and options to your customer in order to maintain their business.
Next, you will want to enable efficient communication.
An efficient communication system is of fundamental importance to any successful form of shipping management. As such, ensure a functioning stream of communication between all necessary contacts to streamline operations by minimizing the risk of miscommunication and subsequent error.
The need for a refined communications system is particularly true for small businesses, as outsourcing your shipping means your chosen company won’t necessarily be aware of the ins and outs of your business and various processes. As a result, enabling ease of communications between internal and external operations is vital to a streamlined and smoothly running e-commerce process.
Finally, you will want to constantly monitor stock.
An efficient shipping system relies heavily on an optimized stock management system to minimize chances of disruption and unfulfilled orders. To ensure you can constantly monitor stock accurately, implement a digital stock control system such as RFID that enables you to cross-reference e-commerce sales with inventory management and consumer demand.
There are a variety of benefits to implementing a digital stock management system – primarily, digital stock management enables far greater reliability and, consequently, efficiency. Live, accurate data can be transferred between contacts at each stage of the chain instantaneously, meaning everyone involved in the operation remains in the know.
Implementing these tips will ensure an outsourced shipping system that complements your business’s growth by fulfilling a growing quantity of orders.
Additionally, it will guarantee that this process is smooth and efficient, from warehouse to your customer’s front door.
