Tag: 3PL

The 3 Ps of Fulfillment


Sudden retail or e-commerce business growth can be very exciting for a company, but it presents many challenges as well. These can manifest in different ways, one of the most complicated of which is order fulfillment. In order to take advantage of the opportunities growth provides, many retailers–both large and small– partner with 3PLs.

Working with a successful 3PL will allow you to focus on expanding your business. Fulfillment companies can take care of storing your product, picking and packing the orders, and ensuring everything gets sent out on time. When a company is growing rapidly, order fulfillment is best left in the hands of a reliable 3PL.

How do you find the right 3PL for your business? There are “one size fits all” 3PLs, but since every business is unique, choosing a 3PL with a specialized approach that fits your company could give your business an extra boost. There are three easy ways to evaluate a fulfillment company.

The Best Fulfillment Starts with People

The most important of the three P’s is People. A team is only as good as its weakest link. The staff should be experienced and offer a dedicated client service manager. Experience in the fulfillment world and a focus on customer service will help your business to thrive.

Get the Right Platform for Your Fulfillment Data

If you’re running a growing business, you know how important it is to keep track of every order and ensure packages are delivered seamlessly. We have more access to information today than ever before, and all that data can become overwhelming. Before partnering with a 3PL, you may have felt buried under all the data.

Information paralysis is a serious issue. Thankfully, partnering with the right 3PL can deliver you information in the most digestible way possible. Working with a 3PL means they will focus on the back-end operations of order fulfillment, giving you the freedom to focus on the front end of the business.

Fulco Supports the Whole Order Fulfillment Process

The final P stands for the Process. Making sure that the order fulfillment process is run smoothly and effectively is vital. This starts with orders received, then continues to the picking, packing, and shipping process, and then to the warehousing, returns, and anything else that the customer needs.

Fulco Brings Together People, Platform, and Process

FFI provides the best of all three Ps. We have experienced, designated teams to troubleshoot any problems, up-to-date processing platforms, and a fantastic warehouse location allowing for unparalleled access to shipping anywhere in the U.S. and the world. While we work on perfecting the 3Ps, you can focus on growing your business.

If you’re having issues with your fulfillment process, we want to help you! Give us a call at 973.361.1700 or fill out our contact form.


How Does Working with a 3PL Save Money Long-Term?


There are many factors that contribute to your overall costs of fulfillment. Working with a 3PL (third-party logistics company) can keep these costs down because at each stage of the process, the flexibility and pricing that a 3PL offers provide advantages over internal fulfillment.

Warehousing

Utilizing your costly office space for storage isn’t an economical choice. Many 3PLs offer variable fees based on how much storage you require, allowing you to adjust your costs based on demand. Growth is unpredictable, so having the flexibility to increase storage space could save money and help to avert possible shipping delays. A good 3PL will have a reliable inventory process that keeps your goods organized and accessible.

Staffing

With in-house fulfillment, more than 50% of the total cost of fulfillment is labor. A company with heavy product fulfillment needs will see its staff costs soar. Hiring a 3PL to handle your pick and pack lets you rely on their staff so that you pay a predictable cost and can manage your cash flow. Finding and retaining the right 3PL with a well-trained, professional staff is the key to controlling your labor costs.

Bulk Packaging Savings

Do you use standard cartons? Your 3PL will purchase them in bulk and share those savings with you. In fact, they purchase many supplies in bulk: air pillows, packing tape, shipping labels, pallets, etc., keeping the cost of your supplies down.

Pick and Pack

In the early days of your business, you may have handled the pick and pack yourself, but as your business grows, you will want to outsource that to a good 3PL company that employs different strategies. The right pick and pack approach will be more efficient, saving you money and increasing customer satisfaction.

Freight

A 3PL allows you to lower shipping costs by using volume carrier discounts. An experienced 3PL will ensure the design and size of the shipment are the most cost-effective and don’t incur DIM freight charges. They can offer parcel presort discounts and many other money-saving options.

A Good 3PL Keeps Repeat Customers Happy

Good order fulfillment encourages your customers to remain loyal. On average, repeat customers bring more value than new customers. You don’t have to spend as much to convert them, and people familiar with your products are likely to make larger e-commerce purchases.

3PL Can Scale to Your Business

Growth is something that is very difficult to predict. You may not be prepared for a jump in sales, but you will want to take full advantage of it. Partnering with the right 3PL will ensure you are ready to seize any opportunity to grow your business.

FFI is a trusted, experienced 3PL that can help streamline your fulfillment, lower your costs and increase customer satisfaction. We are ready to help you grow.

If you are ready to save money and streamline your fulfillment process, our dedicated team is looking forward to working with you! Give us a call at 973.361.1700 or fill out our contact form.


Remote Fulfillment is a Reality with Fulco Fulfillment Inc.


As many companies permanently shift their employees to a work-from-home model, there is a growing and persistent demand for fulfillment that is reliable and also fully remote. With new tools, running a successful business remotely is possible thanks to the advances in cloud-based technology.

But possible is not the same as easy! Businesses that are using older technologies and rely on on-site equipment have been struggling to keep up. Fortunately, with help from Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI), you can have full view and control of your order inventory and fulfillment process—all from the comfort of your home office.

Is remote fulfillment reliable?

Handling fulfillment from any location can prove to be a daunting task: you will need to assist new clients, handle financial transactions, or look up the status of an order. It’s important to have the proper tools to access all of this information anywhere and anytime, whether through your own resources or the resources of a trustworthy third-party logistics provider (3PL) like FFI.

At FFI, our employees are on-site to ensure our remote fulfillment customers’ orders get picked, packed, and accurately shipped on time. Our enhanced functionality means our customers can access their order information anytime, anywhere, by logging into FFI’s order management system (OMS).

The Key Tools to Remote Fulfillment

Our OMS Provides Reliable 24-Hour Uptime for Client Order Processing

Our streamlined system means that you can focus on running your business rather than worrying about the reliability of your fulfillment warehouse. With our platform’s access to inventory, user data, and activity, your fulfillment will run smoothly in real time. You never have to worry if your orders will be processed because we meet and maintain your fulfillment expectations.

Our OMS Gives You Access to Critical Information and Important Routine Tasks:

  • Inventory history
  • Product quantities and usage
  • Package tracking links
  • Understock notifications
  • Order and shipping confirmations
  • Place online orders
  • Choose expedited shipping
  • Run data reports
  • Estimate average monthly usage

Real-time visibility is crucial in our industry. FFI’s client portal gives you access to your data at any time of day.

Remote Fulfillment Offers Great Flexibility

There are so many advantages to working remotely and now, thanks to FFI, you can add dependable, superior fulfillment of your orders to that list. Trust your business to an NJ 3PL with state-of-the-art technology, a dedicated staff, and a fulfillment process that has been finely tuned through years of experience. Contact FFI and see how we can help you begin the process of successful remote fulfillment.


Why a Third-party Logistics (3PL) Provider Makes Great Sense For Your Business


There are many reasons why your order fulfillment, warehousing and shipping needs may be best served by working with a third-party logistics provider (3PL). A 3PL provider can seamlessly scale to your supply chain demands by handling assembly needs, distribution, warehousing, outsourcing of supplies, order management system integration, fulfillment, inventory management, and shipping and tracking. By using a 3PL you can come closer to streamlining your entire fulfillment chain and utilizing warehousing space at our facility to clear valuable warehousing space at your facility to accommodate more revenue generating business activities.

Among the many key benefits of working with a 3PL is scalability. As your business grows and as your products gain greater distribution in the marketplace, you need a logistics partner that can ramp up services quickly when needed, and scale down when busy seasons subside. In the logistics and supply chain management business, many organizations outsource to a third-party logistics provider to take advantage of numerous elements of their services. Based on client needs, a 3PL can provide a single service to support the supply chain or deliver a bundle of services that can manage the entire process start to finish.

Understanding the 3PL Order Fulfillment Process

The 3PL order fulfillment process includes receiving, storing, picking and packing the order, shipping services and returns. Some 3PL companies also provide other logistics services referred to as value-added services: These include Amazon FBA prep services, kitting and specialty packaging and others. A 3PL provider will allow companies to leverage large networks of resources so they can develop a complete solution for this process.

Receiving

Pallet loaded receipts, UPS/FedEx/USPS small packages or floor-loaded containers are physically received at the warehouse and all material arrives with a packing list. Product IDs, quantities and descriptions are entered into the order management system (OMS) by the 3PL’s client service manager. A receiving report notification is automatically generated via email so all parties involved in the process are made aware of receipt.

Storage

Products are stored on flow shelves for ease of picking and any overflow is stored on full pallets. Storage combines bulk, racked and high-velocity pick areas for efficient storage and picking.

Picking and Packing

After orders are received and entered into the order management system a pick slip is generated. This indicates the products’ location so the picker can easily pick the order and pack it into the appropriately sized carton. A packing slip is also packed into the carton to indicate the contents before a label is applied with shipping information.

Shipping

Your 3PL should look for the best shipping rates on every package that leaves the warehouse. This requires them to be aware of the best current rates from all carriers including FedEx, UPS, USPS or LTL freight.

Returns

Returns can be a hassle if you don’t have the capacity or order management system in place to handle items ordered by mistake, damaged during the shipping process, or other various reasons. Handling returns with ease should be part of your part of your 3PL’s process and an important part of the customer experience.

Taking Advantage of value-added 3PL services

Kitting and Assembly

Kitting and assembly are often required for distributions that a client may have. You can rely on a 3PL such as Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. to execute and manage the kitting flawlessly.

Specialty Packaging

Your 3PL is experienced in dealing with a variety of packages, so they can help you save money through their established network of material suppliers. They know how to make your package secure and make sure the contents are protected during shipping.

Amazon FBA Prep Services

Is your business selling on Amazon? Fulco Fulfillment are specialists in dealing with confusing Amazon processes and can walk you through best practices and make sure you are meeting all of the FBA requirements.

A 3PL like Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. will Save your Organization Time & Money

Many forward-thinking companies realize the benefits of outsourcing to a 3PL. By not spending money on extra square footage and warehousing, and by investing in a partnership with a reliable 3PL they can expect to save money. Having more space in your office building is another benefit of a 3PL. Overflow storage kept at a 3PL warehouse eliminates office clutter and chaos. Outsourcing to a 3PL can mean significant benefits for a business as it grows and faces more complex supply-chain management and logistics challenges. This partnership eliminates the need to buy or rent warehouse space. Without this partnership and continued company growth, internal costs would continue to escalate including order management system, equipment costs, employee insurance, etc.

Save Time

Time consuming events that can be eliminated, including: packing boxes, arranging logistics, LTL and transportation, setting up technologies and hiring additional labor can free your organization up so you can focus more time on your core business.

As your business expands, managing the supply chain can become difficult and costly. Mistakes made in logistics can damage the customer experience, stunt your business’ growth, and eat into your profits. That’s why it’s important to select a 3PL partner with outstanding references and a substantial track record of success.

Making the most of Peak Seasons

If holiday or other peak seasons are your busiest and most important times of the year, a 3PL provider can manage the processes seamlessly so you can maximize profits during your peak seasons. Regardless of when that peak season occurs, taking orders, picking them, packing them, and shipping them can be extremely time consuming, especially while trying to run your business as a whole. The stress of keeping on top of shipments, along with everything else, can really put a damper on your business. The easiest, and most efficient, way to get through the peak season rush is with a 3PL provider. Preparing for this in advance, and understanding why a 3PL provider is so important, will put your business ahead of the game, and it will allow you to get everything in order before the holiday seasons really begin.

Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. Helps Business Succeed Year-round

While it might feel strange relinquishing control of the fulfillment process to an outside company, by working with an experienced 3PL such as Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. you can leave all the operational details to us, freeing you up to focus more on other aspects of your supply chain and your core business goals. Let’s discuss your logistics needs. Our warehouse is conveniently located in Northern New Jersey near major highways easily accessible from New England to the Mid-Atlantic. To learn more, call 973.361.1700 or request a quote by filling out the contact form.