4 Ways Your Order Fulfillment Center Can Improve Your Customer’s Experience

Posted on by
Share

Customer SatisfactionUsing fulfillment companies that keep the end user in mind is crucial for giving your customers the experience they expect or hopefully an experience that exceeds their expectations. After a customer makes a purchase online, they normally can’t wait to receive their product. Not meeting their expectations can not only be a letdown, but can keep them from coming back and placing orders with your company. Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. We order a high end product, we wait weeks on end for it to get here and then when it finally does arrive, the box is smashed, the product is just thrown in there, you can’t even tell if it’s your order or not. Your excitement level has completely diminished. Don’t let this be your customer’s experience.

As an order fulfillment center , we are constantly looking for ways to help our clients bring the experience they envision for their customers to a reality. There are a couple of things that fulfillment companies can do to help improve the customer experience:

1. Create a good experience through presentation- Talk to your order fulfillment center about whether or not they can offer custom packaging solutions. Companies can do small things like having a custom box or branded tissue paper which can go a long way. Not only does this enhance the customer’s experience but it’s a great marketing opportunity. If custom boxes are not for you, consider inserting marketing materials in the package that’s being sent. Maybe include next month’s catalog or a coupon for their next purchase. Most order fulfillment centers have the ability to integrate these types of requests without any hassle or big increases in costs. Work with your order fulfillment center to determine what the most cost effective ways are to improve your customer’s experience.

2. Have quality checks in place to ensure accuracy- There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than receiving the wrong order and having to return it and waiting another week for it to get there. Have quality processes in place for every stage of the order. Your fulfillment services play a crucial role in getting the product to the customer in a timely and accurate way. Make sure they understand your expectations.

3. Send tracking information to keep the customer informed- When people place an order online, they want to see exactly where their order is at every stage, whether it is preparing to ship, assigned a tracking number or on its way. Using an order fulfillment center that has the capability to provide this information will help keep your customers happy.

4. Good customer service goes a long way- Mistakes are bound to happen even with the best order fulfillment centers and it’s important that when they do happen you are able to keep the customer happy so that they’re returning customers. Make sure that when a mistake is made your order fulfillment center is able to correct the problem in a timely manner. Having an order fulfillment center that can keep track of this type of information is important when it comes to analyzing your business and how to improve.

Fulfillment companies are one of the last touch points that companies have before a customer receives the product. Make sure your order fulfillment center understands the importance of your end users experience and works with you to make sure those expectations are being met.

Thinking About Outsourcing Your Order Fulfillment?

Posted on by
Share

order fulfillment
Outsourcing order fulfillment is a major operational decision that affects your business drastically. Having a clear understanding of the pros and cons and how it can affect your business is a must when making the decision of whether or not to outsource. Clients come to us for various reasons whether they are trying to save money, grow their business, or are unsatisfied with the current fulfillment services they are receiving. We have found that the problem that most clients have is that they don’t have the proper systems in place that creates the visibility necessary for effective order fulfillment analysis. This post takes a look at that tools needed in order for companies to fully understand and analyze the costs associated with this part of their business and to help determine whether outsourcing is the right decision for your business.

When making operational decisions with regards to order fulfillment and debating whether or not to outsource there are many things to take into consideration but the bottom line is whether or not outsourcing is going to help your business grow. If right now your order fulfillment is taking up so much time where you cannot focus on sales and your core competencies then it is very likely that your fulfillment is holding your business back significantly.

Why Outsource?

Visibility
It is important that a company has systems in place that create visibility where they have the ability to analyze their cost of fulfillment, cost of inventory, freight costs, kitting and assembly costs, among other things. Systems that can keep track of order trends and inventory levels are important when being able to forecast demand and making informed businesses decisions based on that. If the visibility is not there, then your business is most likely making decisions based on blind assumptions.

Cost savings
When looking for an order fulfillment center it is important to pay close attention to their cost structure. Many clients have come to us expressing frustrations with their current order fulfillment centers. Confusion about what they are actually being charged for and hidden fees are not uncommon. When looking at outsourcing your order fulfillment it is important to know what to expect. Some common costs that you may see include: storage fees, order charges, line item charges, receiving charges, kitting and assembly charges, and monthly minimums. It is extremely important to have a clear understanding of what you are being charged for before entering an agreement.

Pricing can look overwhelming when looking at quote sheets, but there are in fact several advantages to outsourcing your order fulfillment. In most cases, companies can save a significant amount of money even for small companies. The cost of the systems necessary to handle inventory and order fulfillment effectively can be extremely expensive. For that reason alone, many companies come to us looking for a solution. Other cost savings can be seen with freight and personnel. Since order fulfillment centers are constantly shipping, they often have negotiated rates with freight companies that give them large discounts that they can pass on to their clients. When it comes to personnel, paying a salary for one person to handle your order fulfillment is probably costing you over $30,000 conservatively. That $30,000 can go a long way when using outsourced fulfillment services. Order fulfillment centers normally have the ability to scale up and down with temporary employees which gives your company more flexibility to focus on growing business without the worry of hiring and firing personnel.

Value added services
Using an order fulfillment center that can provide more services than just fulfillment can be a big plus when it comes to convenience and quicker turn times that can be passed to your customers. Look to see if the fulfillment center you are using or looking at using can offer you services such as kitting and assemble, custom packaging, and any other services that could be valuable to your company.

Using order fulfillment centers that offer a complete solution meaning they have a solid warehouse management and inventory management systems in place, kitting and assembly capabilities, freight discounts, and good customer service is extremely important. Order fulfillment centers should want a good partnership with your company because when done right, the more successful the company is and the more orders coming in, the more money the order fulfillment center will be making. Have a clear understanding of not only the fulfillment center’s cost structure, but also their additional services that can bring value to your business.

Large Format Printing Gets You Noticed

Posted on by
Share

Pardner-3D-SignLarge format printing is an effective way to create visibility for your company. Most consumers are visually driven and whether a company is trying to increase brand recognition or increase sales, large format printing may be the answer. Using a commercial printing company allows organizations to take advantage of their expertise that gives them the opportunity to have unique cost effective advertising opportunities. Highlighted below are some of things that can be accomplished with large-format printing, the benefits of doing so, and what should be considered when planning your large format printing projects.

Large format printing capabilities:
Banners
Signage
Posters
Wall graphics
Building wraps
Window graphics
Vehicle wraps
Back lit signs
Point-of-Purchase displays
Tradeshow graphics
Flags

Benefits of large format printing:
Makes a statement- One of the great things about large format is its size and flexibility that has the ability to make a statement. Whether it’s a building wrap, window graphics, or point of purchase displays, large format print is hard to miss.

Cost effective- Companies are constantly trying to figure the best way to reach customers. Often times they take on various strategies that can be expensive. For example when taking on direct mail campaigns, companies have to include the cost of printing the marketing materials, buying a mailing a list, and paying for postage and other expenses. By using large format printing services, companies have the ability to reach a large audience by doing things, such as wrapping a vehicle, which can turn out to be just as effective as other methods and much less expensive.

Things to consider when planning your large format printing with a commercial printing company:
File resolution- It’s important to send your files in a high resolution in order to ensure that the image is a sharp image when blown up.

Indoor vs. Outdoor- A banner or poster that is going outdoors requires extra consideration. When going outside you have to take in several external factors including the sun, rain, and wind. UV inks, laminates as well as heavier hanging devices may be required.

Durability/lifespan of the material- How long are you expecting the print to last? This needs to be conveyed in the initial conversation. The material used and the way it is produced can vary greatly. Typically, the longer you need it to last, the more expensive it will be.

Cost- Make sure you ask exactly how your printing company will produce your project. Often times some sort of laminate or other finishing will need to be put on. When producing large format print such as banner printing, there are many finishing options including sewing the edges, taping the edges, and using Velcro. Be clear with what you are looking for.

Turnaround time- When doing last minute projects be sure to ask what the turnaround time is. When needing it the next day, some of your options may be limited.

Tips on what to look for when choosing a commercial printing company with large format printing services:
Quality- Does the printing company that you are using for your large format printing have a reputation for top quality? Consumers will look at your large format printing and associate your business with it. It’s important to have a professional high quality look.

Equipment- A commercial printing company needs to have printers that can meet customer’s diverse needs when it comes to size, quality, substrates, and flexibility. Ask the printing company what kind of equipment they have and how they would run your particular project.

Flexibility- Commercial printing companies should be able to offer flexibility by offering a variety of substrates including: gatorboard, vinyl, coroplast, styrene, fabric and much more. The more options available, the more ways a customer can play around with creativity and cost.

Experience- Choose a commercial printing company that has enough experience to be able to give you recommendations that can balance cost and quality as well as provide solutions or alternatives to some of your unique projects that go outside the standard realm of large format printing.

Value added services- Does the printing company that you use have other services that you can take advantage of such as print on demand? Value added services is sometimes overlooked but can be extremely beneficial and can provide convenience and faster turnaround times.

When considering how to develop the most effective large format printing for your company, consider the cost, the method of production, the flexibility that your printing company has to work with. Contact Cerqa today to learn more about our large format printing capabilities.

Optimized with InboundWriter