The Importance of Improvement in Order Fulfillment

Is Your Order Fulfillment Company Striving for Excellence?

Sure, you don’t want to be that finicky business owner that micromanages everybody. Nobody wants to be that guy. However, it becomes necessary to take a step back and reevaluate your processes occasionally to make sure everyone is doing their job. If you’re order fulfillment company isn’t reaching for the stars, you may need to get rid of them and find a new one. 

The Importance of Improvement in Order Fulfillment

The importance of continuous improvement cannot be under-estimated in any order fulfillment company. So, if you’re just reviewing the statistical data your current order fulfillment company is supplying you with, you may not be doing enough to maintain quality. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make sure the company you are outsourcing your fulfillment needs to is doing the best they are capable of.

·         Check your customer reviews. If you’re selling on Amazon, Ebay, or your own site, you need to know what customers are saying about you. Hopefully, you can get good feedback on your products this way, but also on your service. Since the bulk of your customer service is coming from order fulfillment services, pay close attention to anything customers say about that. Another key component is shipping speed. Customers generally have no hesitation when it comes to complaining about shipping speed, so take special note of anything they say about that.

·         Check in with your order fulfillment company’s warehouse to make sure they are providing adequate security for your products. If your inventory numbers don’t seem quite right, it never hurts to just stop in for a quick visit to monitor the process. 

·         Hold weekly or monthly meetings with a member of your order fulfillment team, just to let them know of your needs and expectations. This will also help you get a feel for the processes of how things are getting done. 

·         Be a team player. No company is perfect—not even yours. Don’t be too hard on your fulfillment company, and allow them to do their job. If managing them is taking as much of your effort as it would to just do the job yourself, you need to develop some trust. Keep in mind that fulfillment companies hire a team of employees who specialize in either processing orders, packing and shipping goods, or dealing with customers. You do your job and let them do theirs. 

As long as you and your order fulfillment company have a mutual understanding about what is expected of them, everything should be fine. Continue to strive for excellence and watch your company grow.