Experiencing a boom in your online company is undoubtedly exciting. However, the business can take a downward turn if it overlooks the importance of scaling ecommerce fulfillment to meet consumer demands.
As a top provider of 3PL ecommerce fulfillment services, Streamline Fulfillment knows the importance of having a scalable fulfillment strategy. Here, we explain several ways to scale your online business as it grows.
Why Prioritize Having a Scalable Fulfillment Strategy?
With more consumers buying goods online, scaling ecommerce fulfillment is essential for keeping up with shipments when orders surge. Customers will lose trust in your brand if you can’t ship goods on time or make mistakes with orders.
Common Challenges When Scaling Orders During Rapid Growth
Rising consumer expectations are one of the top challenges businesses encounter when scaling ecommerce fulfillment. People want fast orders and the ability to track their goods in real time. This demand puts stress on online enterprises because failing to accommodate expectations leads to customer dissatisfaction.
Many also worry about supply chain problems. Suppliers and logistics partners may have differing processes and requirements, which could cause delays when business booms. Clear communication with supply chain partners and standardized processes can help minimize issues.
Top Tips for Scaling eCommerce Fulfillment
Consider implementing the following tips to scale your online order fulfillment.
Stay on Top of Inventory Management
Before creating a scalable fulfillment strategy, you must streamline your inventory management. Disorganized inventory leads to shipping errors, delays, and stockouts, contributing to customer dissatisfaction.
To organize your stock, do the following:
- Give each product an easily trackable barcode to monitor inventory levels and locations.
- Perform manual inventory counts regularly to address discrepancies as soon as possible.
- Provide immediate access to best-selling products for swift pick and pack operations.
Embrace Order Processing Automation
Manual fulfillment may be suitable for small, infrequent, or steady orders, but it’s not sustainable. As your business grows, you’ll need automation to make processes quicker and more accurate. Sticking with the manual processes will increase the risk of errors and take up more time, which can cause orders to get backed up.
Consider Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
An experienced 3PL can handle your inventory warehousing, packing, and shipping needs so that you can focus on other business operations. Logistics providers handle order fluctuations and ship from multiple warehouses.
Optimize Your Warehouse
Warehouse optimization is necessary if you don’t have a 3PL. Create storage zones according to product size, type, or popularity. Use vertical space to keep the floor clear.
Incorporate Predictive Demand Forecasting
Predictive demand forecasting helps with inventory management. Your brand’s historical selling data can help you anticipate order fluctuations. The information will reduce the risk of overstocking goods or selling out prematurely.
Choose Streamline Fulfillment as Your eCom Business’s 3PL
Scaling ecommerce fulfillment is a breeze when you choose Streamline Fulfillment as your third-party logistics provider, thanks to our comprehensive services and commitment to helping small and medium-sized businesses nationwide scale their fulfillment needs as necessary.
We take the guesswork out of inventory management, order fulfillment and ecommerce fulfillment scalability. Call (509) 888-2880 today and schedule a consultation.