The term order fulfillment refers to every step a company takes from the moment it receives a customer’s order until that order is delivered accurately and safely into the customer’s hands.
For most online businesses, the fulfillment process looks something like this:
- Step 1: Company receives an order through their eCommerce shopping cart or marketplace
- Step 2: Customer is notified the payment has been received and the order is being processed for shipping
- Step 3: Order is automatically sent to the fulfillment warehouse through an order management software
- Step 4: Order is picked, packed, and prepared for shipping
- Step 5: Order is shipped
- Step 6: Customer is notified that the order has shipped
- Step 7: Order arrives at the customer’s location
As you can see, just from the number of steps involved, developing an efficient order fulfillment process is more than crucial to your business. Poor order fulfillment practices can lead to damages, returns, and overall unhappy customers.
I Can’t Emphasize This Enough
Shipping is a challenge, and it can make or break a business in myriad ways. Unfortunately, many new eCommerce entrepreneurs don’t give much thought to shipping and fulfillment. They think it’s easier just doing it themselves, but more often than not, they end up creating more problems for themselves.
But…
At ShipMonk, we’ve tailored our fulfillment services and pricing structure specifically with small e-commerce businesses and startups in mind. It’s not uncommon for us to talk to a business owner—one who’s seemingly happy fulfilling orders internally—but who then, after reviewing ShipMonk’s services, recognizes that outsourcing fulfillment can not only save a lot of time but also save a whole lot of money.
The Bottom Line
So here’s the deal: We honestly would not recommend using a fulfillment center because by now, you already know it’s in your business’s best interest to use one. No recommendation necessary!
Once you get that light bulb realization that outsourcing fulfillment is a no-brainer, just call us. You’ll be totally blown away at how easy it is to sign up for a free account with ShipMonk and start taking advantage of all the benefits we have to offer!
