NEW E-FULFILLMENT CORPORATION STUDY EXPLORES CHALLENGES, TRENDS at phoenix fulfillment

Posted on April 30, 2012

NEW E-FULFILLMENT CORPORATION STUDY EXPLORES CHALLENGES, TRENDS at phoenix fulfillment

E-commerce and multichannel retailing are placing greater demands on order fulfillment corporation, according to a new study. ThePhoenix Fulfillment  Trends Report examines how companies today are addressing the challenge of providing efficient, cost-effective, service-driven fulfillment service

The report is based on online survey responses from 160 retailers, distributors and manufacturers involved in fulfillment service functions. It explores best practices, common challenges, and emerging trends in e-fulfillment nationwide. Research highlights include:

The rise of e-commerce fulfillment service has elevated order fulfillment serviceoperations to a critical business function. The practice now requires sophisticated processes, state-of-the-art resources, and an in-depth understanding of multiple sales channels of fulfillment corporation.

There is a distinct trend toward multi-channel retailing (i.e.in store, catalog and online) as the majority of respondents (56.87%) use more than one sales channel.

The demand to deliver perfect fulfillment service at Phoenix Fulfillment orders and a consistent brand experience from channel to channel can be challenging for many companies. Processing time for outbound orders (35%), system integration (29.4%), and upholding service standards (29.4%) are particularly weighty responsibilities, according to respondents.

To accommodate the increasing sophistication of Phoenix Fulfillment practices, 39.4% of respondents outsource some or all of their e-fulfillment operations. The most widely mentioned advantages were “alternative to investment in overhead/infrastructure” and “opportunities for cost savings.”

“THE DATA POINTS TO THE GROWING COMPLEXITY OF THE ORDER FULFILLMENT PROCESS,” SAYS JEFF JONES, VICE PRESIDENT, SALES AND MARKETING, FOR PROLOG LOGISTICS, A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF SADDLE CREEK CORP. “TODAY, E-FULFILLMENT AT PHOENIX FULFILLMENT HAS EVOLVED TO A LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION THAT REQUIRES CAREFULLY PLANNED PROCESSES, SCALABLE OPERATIONS, STATE-OF-THE-ART SYSTEMS, EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION AND SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. GIVEN THESE DEMANDS, IT’S NOT SURPRISING THAT MANY FULFILLMENT CORPORATION ARE TURNING TO OUTSOURCING TOPHOENIX FULFILLMENT MANAGE SOME OR ALL OF THEIR FULFILLMENT FUNCTION.”