Cross Docking vs. Drop Shipping: What Is the Difference? It’s impossible to overstate the importance of inventory management for e-commerce businesses. Between keeping warehouses appropriately stocked, order shipping, and managing returns, there’s a lot to consider and a lot of moving parts that need to be synchronized to ensure all goes well. Smaller and mid-sized manufacturers need to consider solutions that reduce the need for managing inventory. Two solutions that are immediately applicable for these businesses include cross-docking and drop shipping. It’s up to each business to decide which works best for them. (more…)Cross Docking vs. Drop Shipping: What Is the Difference?
Cross Docking vs. Drop Shipping: What Is the Difference? It’s impossible to overstate the importance of inventory management for e-commerce businesses. Between keeping warehouses appropriately stocked, order shipping, and managing returns, there’s a lot to consider and a lot of moving parts that need to be synchronized to ensure all goes well. Smaller and mid-sized manufacturers need to consider solutions that reduce the need for managing inventory. Two solutions that are immediately applicable for these businesses include cross-docking and drop shipping. It’s up to each business to decide which works best for them. (more…)Order Fulfillment Services Cost and Prices—How They Work
What Is Fulfillment Cost? If you have a product that you sell to customers, you’re already operating in the order fulfillment industry. That means you’ll need to be able to ask and answer questions like “What is a fulfillment cost?” and know precisely all of your product fulfillment fees. If you are a new company, it’s imperative you do not underestimate the financial significance of knowing your order fulfillment prices. The cost of shipping a package from warehouse to a customer’s doorstep can determine your profitability. For more established companies, there’s always room to grow and find ways to better...
How e-Commerce Product Return Management Saves Money and Earns Business
Importance of Product Return Management for Your e-Business As a business owner, you likely already know how frustrating the entire returns process can be. In e-commerce, you are likely to reach more customers than brick-and-mortar stores, but that also means that returns will be more prevalent. However, it’s a fair trade off if your e-commerce product returns management system is sound. It may surprise you to know that a recent survey showed that an unclear return policy is at the top of the list for cart abandonment, followed by the customer simply being distracted. From the consumers’ perspective, they are...How to Reduce the Pain of e-Commerce Product Returns Management
There are numerous reasons why an e-commerce customer would return a product ranging from ordering the wrong size to simply changing their minds. E-commerce orders face a higher rate of returns than brick-and-mortar store purchases, so there will always be a need for effective e-commerce product returns management. The importance of an effective returns management strategy is quite simple. If done well, you can recapture value from the products and minimize the costs associated with the process. If customer returns aren't managed properly, then you face an unpredictable scenario where you can't reliably trust how much of your sales profits...
10 Quick Tips on Logistics Strategies
Whether you have a large or a small business, a new company, or an establishment that has been around for decades, if you are shipping products it is essential to have a logistics system in place that safely and efficiently gets those products from point A to point B. With the number of variables involved in shipping products, this is not always the easiest task to get accomplished. Logistics involves several different people from various departments and industries, and it can also involve knowledge of multiple systems throughout the delivery process. But implementing some fairly simple strategies can make the...
Understanding Dimensional Weight and Its Impacts on e-Commerce Order Fulfillment
If your e-commerce order fulfillment company performs its own shipping, then you likely think about delivery costs in relation to product weight and size. After all, a product's weight has a direct impact on the amount of fuel needed to transport it, so there is a very real benefit to keeping shipments light when possible. When using UPS and FedEx as your e-commerce shipping companies other considerations—in addition to physical weight—need to be taken into account to proper calculate costs. This is called "dimensional weight," and understanding its use and calculation is essential for mastery of e-commerce shipping solutions. (more…)
Using Direct Mail to Increase Restaurant Revenue
Restaurant Direct Mail Marketing Americans are moving at a rate of over 40 million people each year. That’s a lot of customers lost and potential customers gained for local businesses. Seeing how approximately 80% of these movers will try a new restaurant before or after their move, getting out in front of the competition is paramount to nabbing these new consumers. Direct mail marketing is a great way to get this done, particularly brochure mailing to introduce consumers to your restaurant. As a restaurant owner, your chances to engage these movers are best when they first move in. Statistics show...
How to Avoid the Packing Bottleneck in Order Fulfillment
A "bottleneck" is a situation where the flow of your order fulfillment process slows down and orders build up faster than they can be processed, resulting in inefficient activity. Order picking and packing bottlenecks are one of the most common types of this phenomenon in product fulfillment, and reducing packaging bottlenecks is a big part of improving fulfillment performance and efficiency. (more…)
Top Reasons to Outsource Your Warehousing and Distribution Needs
Costs are tight in fulfillment, meaning you have to save money wherever you can. If it’s difficult to pinpoint where to cut costs, consider outsourcing your warehousing and distribution as a catch-all solution to save money. Here are some reasons why outsourcing can be the cost-efficient answer. 1. Reduced Capital Investment You might have the desire to do your own warehousing or own your own warehouse/storage unit, but with the fees for warehouse and fleet management, security, temperature controls, and other related costs, you may want to think twice. Having a third party handle it for you can save you...How Direct Mail Marketing Helps Reactivating Dormant Customers
The debate as to whether it is wiser for a business to focus on acquiring new customers rather than on customer retention will always be a source of contention. That debate becomes even tenser when the focus shifts to waking up dormant customers. Those are customers who have previously bought a product or used your service, but have been inactive customers for quite some time. Either way, there is a case to be made for both practices. And a healthy business should find the proper balance between reaching for new customers and devising strategies for reactivating dormant customers. The payoff...
