Choosing an internet fulfillment company can be an arduous task, full of potential pitfalls and wrong turns.
Picking the wrong company can mean a lot of extra cost for no benefit or worse, a damaged reputation. So how can you identify the internet fulfillment company that best meets your needs?
Characteristics of the Best Internet Fulfillment Services
Obviously you’ve already checked out the reputations of the companies you’re considering partnering with, but your short list is still pretty long.
Once you account for location and distribution speed, you should look for these characteristics:
- They handle merchandise like yours. Some items need a lot more care than others, but if you sell perishables like cosmetics or vitamins, for example, it’s vital that you work with a 3rd party logistics company or fulfillment house that is set up to rotate stock by expiration date.That way, your oldest stock is always sold first and less has to be trashed due to expiration.
- They work with businesses your size. Not every fulfillment service will work with every size business. Many have minimum or maximum order limits in place or require a specific amount of storage be in use. These are important considerations, especially if you hope to expand.You want a 3PL that’s not only happy to work with you now, but able to keep up with your growth, no matter how explosive it might be.
- They treat every order like their own. Every package deserves a little TLC and a whole lot of accuracy, but what about a personal touch? This doesn’t work for every brand, but if you’ve been using your packaging as a part of your marketing, you’ll want to be sure that your fulfillment company will continue to do the same thing.An in-house print shop can help provide custom-designed materials for any promotions you might have in mind, as well.
- They’re very invested in data and reporting. Data is everywhere these days, and for good reason. There’s plenty to learn from data in logistics, including ways to improve processes that make them faster and cheaper.If your fulfillment company isn’t interested in tracking and analyzing their data, they’re probably already behind the curve.
The needs of your company are unique, that’s why it’s so important to find the right fit in an internet fulfillment company. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all fulfillment package or fulfillment house, be sure to ask the important questions to ensure that your business is a good match for your future logistics partner.
