Every eCommerce business has a different requirement, and there is a fulfillment service provider that can cater to your specific needs. First, however, it is necessary to find out whether the fulfillment service provider is competent to handle your products and fulfill orders quickly. In addition, the service provider must ensure on-time delivery and offer you the best rates possible. Therefore, you must consider some factors before choosing an ideal fulfillment service provider for quick deliveries within the US. Here are some of those factors that should be on the list.
What is a Fulfillment Service Provider?
A fulfillment service provider is a company that helps deliver products to customers. These services are available in various forms, but they all have the same goal. The objective is to help you deliver your products quickly and efficiently.
Strategic Location
The location of a fulfillment center is very crucial. It plays a significant role in the speed and cost of delivery. Therefore, you want to choose fulfillment centers closer to your shipper, receiver, shipping carrier, and airport.
The closer the fulfillment center is to your receiver or shipper, the faster customers will be able to receive their product after purchase and hence increase customer satisfaction. For example, if you ship products from China directly through USPS, it makes sense to locate your warehouse near an international airport. The packages can be easily picked up by couriers who deliver them internationally on time without delays due to customs clearance procedures. In addition, there will be fewer chances of bad weather conditions, which may delay flights into or out of some airports during certain times of the year.
Services Offered
One of the most important things you should look for in a fulfillment service provider is their services. A fulfillment service provider offers various warehousing, shipping, and logistics services. Their services include:
- Shipping Services
- Warehousing
- Logistics
- Returns Management
Scalability & Flexibility
- Ability to scale up quickly and the ability to scale down quickly as well.
- The capability to scale up and down in case you want to change the size of your fulfillment service at any point in time.
- It is made possible by several factors like a flexible technology platform and the right set of people on board. These people must possess enough knowledge about how everything works together. It will allow them to work together seamlessly towards a common goal. A smooth operation that’s scalable can handle whatever workload comes its way.
- Scalability must also include the amalgamation of systems so that you can fulfill the constant needs of your customers.
Expertise in Handling Your Specific Products
Remember, you are about to entrust the pride and satisfaction of your customer in the hand of the service provider. Therefore you must choose a fulfillment service provider with fair experience in the field. The service provider should be able to handle your specific products. You don’t want to have a frustrated customer because of someone else you have trusted upon.
Customer Support
Customer support is a component of a fulfillment service you should look into, especially if you’re working with a company that provides international shipping. The last thing you want is to be stuck without customer support when there’s an issue with your package delivery.
Many fulfillment companies provide 24/7 customer service. However, it’s necessary to ensure this option is available throughout the holiday season and not just during normal business hours. If you run into trouble during non-business hours, at least one representative should be able to help you out.
Warehousing and Storage Capabilities
Warehousing and storage capabilities are crucial for a fulfillment service provider because they are an integral part of the fulfillment process. You can use warehousing and storage capabilities to manage inventory, order processing, returns processing, and packaging services.
One way to determine if a fulfillment service provider has adequate warehousing and storage capabilities is by looking at their logistics network. It should include distribution centers that have access to ground transportation networks. These distribution centers must connect with all major cities in the United States since they will likely be shipping products across state lines.
Relationship with Major Transportation Companies
When choosing a fulfillment service provider, you should look into their relationship with major transportation companies. It can help you ensure your products arrive at their destination on time and in good condition.
Having a solid relationship with the major shipping companies is one of the best ways to ensure that your customers receive their orders as quickly and efficiently as possible. In addition, a good fulfillment company can take advantage of these relationships by getting discounts for customers who choose them as their fulfillment service provider over other options.
Finding a fulfillment service provider with strong ties with major shipping companies isn’t always easy. However, if you research beforehand and find out which companies they work with most often, you can narrow down your list of potential options.
Track Record with Similar Shipper Types and Sizes
As you are looking for a fulfillment service provider, it is necessary to check their track record with similar shipper types and sizes. You should look at how they handled the volume of shipments and ask them about customer reviews. In addition, ask if the fulfillment provider has customer retention statistics that you can use as an indicator for future success with other customers.
To Wrap it Up
Every eCommerce business requires logistical support to flourish. To ensure you meet the requirement of your customers, you must focus on an uninterrupted last-step service process. Fulfillment service providers give you all such facilities; the only thing you have to do is choose a fulfillment service provider that meets your requirement.
We hope this article has helped you in your quest to select an ideal fulfillment service provider for quick deliveries within the US.
