E-Commerce Fulfillment Archives

Fulco Fulfillment Celebrates 20 Years with Customized Distribution Solutions

In September 2002, Jennifer Marcello and Anthony Rossi took their love for the fulfillment business and started a new venture. Now, twenty years later, they are proud to celebrate their success and reflect on their journey. It began when the two met while working together at Direct Mail Services, a large mailing and fulfillment business. Their combined leadership and experience drove them forward.

Their first mission was to invest in fulfillment technology and capitalize on Jen’s sales ability and Tony’s production intensity. Enlisting James Duffy and Robert Boyken to join them, they created Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. (FFI). Mr. Duffy and Mr. Boyken provided much-needed IT experience, and the team was able to combine a record of excellent services with advanced technology to manage the fulfillment process. The rest is history.

Location Means Success for Warehousing and Fulfillment

FFI soon expanded its customer base and moved to 26 Richboynton Road in Dover, New Jersey, its current location. This location is key to FFI’s success, strategically located near major highways, 45 minutes from NYC and major Newark shipping ports. Customers clearly appreciate this convenience, and FFI’s thriving warehouse and inventory management 3PL now boasts 143,000 square feet. We own our own buildings and can offer storage rates that are among the lowest in the Northeast.

Smart Fulfillment Solutions Allow for Seamless API Integrations

“Back in the early 1990s we developed and wrote our own in-house warehouse management system, but today’s technology means that customers demand 24/7 real-time visibility,” said Jennifer. After extensive research, they found Veracore Software Solutions, a smart 3PL software order management system, and warehouse management system that perfectly met their clients’ needs. FFI has created a technology foundation that is sustainable and adaptable enabling FFI to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Our systems and methodologies are an integral part of the way fulfillment works in today’s industry, software that fully integrates with leading companies in e-commerce fulfillment.

Streamlining 3PL with a Flexible Workforce

In addition to having an experienced full-time staff for both production and client service management, FFI has developed an innovative temporary labor pool. FFI relies on our existing full-time employees’ friends and relatives to fill the void when additional help is needed. For over twenty years, FFI has avoided hiring inexperienced temporary help and has relied solely on their on-call staff to handle increased production needs. Our facility combines bulk, racked, and high-velocity pick areas for organized storage and efficient picking. Quick-pick areas are replenished on a regular basis to maintain impressive turnaround times, regardless of volume.

“At FFI we strive to ship orders within the same day if received before 1:00 PM. However, nearly all orders will ship before the end of the next business day. Our product is service, and our job is getting our clients’ orders picked, packed, and shipped to arrive at their destination when they need it to be delivered.”

Customer-First 3PL Solutions

Jennifer’s start in the business was in direct mail sales at Direct Mail Services (DMS), following her stint in the corporate world at American Express, Credit Card Marketing Services. Once on board at DMS, Jennifer was trained in all aspects of selling: printing services, direct mail services, presorting services, warehousing, fulfillment, and distributions. Her passion and expertise for warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution services flourished.

Jennifer believes, “Our success comes from our experience and our commitment to taking care of the customer. So, when a customer has a unique need, we take care of it.” FFI takes pride in customer service and never loses sight of the fact that meeting and exceeding our clients’ needs and expectations is what separates us from the pack.

Offering the Best in Warehousing and Fulfillment

FFI has remained innovative in its growth; technology has revolutionized order fulfillment success. With the boom in e-commerce and Amazon, the business model shifted to rely more on e-commerce shopping carts’ auto-generated order file uploads, API integrations, and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) services.

In the past four years, two other key members have joined Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. in managerial roles. Anthony Marcello, Director of Operations, brings his keen attention to detail, streamlining the warehouse’s efficiencies and continuing to organize operations. Erik J. Mathiesen, Technical Operations Manager, has been instrumental in orchestrating the cloud-based server migration, properly mapping FFI’s shipping stations and now enabling FFI to offer the much-awaited API integrations for their e-commerce customers. As it always has, FFI embraces the challenges ahead and looks forward to giving its customers the best in service for the next 20 years.

How Your Product is Packed in Shipping Containers Could Save You Money

When it comes to e-commerce fulfillment, there are different ways to load and pack shipping containers with your product. Shippers are either utilizing palletized or floor loaded shipments. The shipment can either be full truck load (FTL), or less than a full truck load (LTL). Using our top-of-the-line work force, Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI) can handle either method efficiently, and probably save you some money. Here’s some information on what the difference is between floor loaded vs. palletized shipping, and why you should know which your product is currently using.

Palletizing Shipping Containers

Palletizing your products means to simply stack and ship your products on wooden pallets. With pallets you will find there is more ease of movement and is a safer way of transmitting items from one place to the next, but it can be quite expensive as well.

Your decision to palletize will depend on factors such as fragility of your cargo, the destination of your cargo, and the mode of transit by which your cargo is being shipped. The pallet provides a stable and load-bearing bottom for each unit, which can then easily be moved and loaded with a pallet jack, forklift, or other handling equipment. Once the products are stacked together, they are held up using straps or plastic wrapping. After this, it is ready for shipping.

Pros and Cons of Palletizing Shipping Containers

Pro: pallets are great for shipping products both nationally and internationally.
Pro: pallets can protect more delicate cargo. Using pallets allows the shipper to turn a bundle of smaller sized boxes into a stronger single unit that will be able to provide more support.
Pro: pallets are faster and easier to load and unload because you can use machinery to move them.
Pro: pallets can protect cargo from water damage. The pallets protect the shipment en route by keeping product off the floor with its elevated surface, creating a barrier for the products inside from soaking in the event of a leak from an overseas voyage.
Pro: palletization can work for both LTL and FTL freight.
Con: palletizing can come with significant cost implications since the pallet itself increases the weight of overseas shipping containers.
Con: you can fit less product in each shipping container because the pallet takes up extra space.

Floor Loading Shipping Containers

In contrast, floor loaded containers are when the contents are loaded onto the floor of the container directly. This can also be known as floor stacking and it allows you to fill the entire container from the floor to the ceiling with the contents.

With floor loading, you will be able to load larger items at a significantly lower cost. Typically this would be more time consuming because manual loading and unloading is required, but with Fulco Fulfillment’s experienced team, this issue is absolutely minimal.

Pros and Cons of Floor Loading Shipping Containers

Pro: floor loading your products significantly decreases freight costs because the entire container is being used to ship the products in question.
Pro: you save money by not paying for pallet. You will also be less likely to need more containers when shipping out your product.
Pro: you reduce the carbon footprint of shipping your products because each container is packed as efficiently as possible.
Con: more delicate products can be damaged. Floor loading your products is not the most suitable option for every product that you may be offering. With floor loading comes an increase in the likelihood that the products could get damaged during transit. Because of this, floor loading is typically done with heavier and bulkier items such as construction equipment, furniture, etc.
Pro: palletization can work for both LTL and FTL freight.
Con: there are additional labor costs associated with loading and unloading a freight shipment off of the container. It also takes extra time to load and unload the shipment in question.
Pro: however, experienced warehouses like FFI are efficient floor loaders. We keep these additional costs to a minimum with our top-of-the-line work force who have years of expertise handling floor loaded shipments.

FFI Can Help You Optimize How Your Shipping Containers are Packed

The most important thing to remember when choosing between the two options is to do an in depth cost-benefit analysis to see what works best for your business. With FFI as your e-commerce fulfillment partner, we can help you determine whether palletization or floor loading is the best option for getting your products quickly and safely to your customers. To get started, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 973.361.1700.

Get Ahead of The Curve Utilizing Eco-friendly Packaging With Fulco Fulfillment

Eco-friendly packaging, otherwise known as sustainable packaging, can best be defined as packaging that is sourced, created, and implemented to deliver minimal environmental impact.

In the recent past, companies that took the eco-friendly or green initiative were few. It was viewed as an alternative route to running your business while being mindful of the planet. While this was once perceived as a niche business practice, we are seeing this become the standard so that business’s environmental footprints can be lessened. Organizations are making this the new normal now more than ever, and Fulco Fulfillment Inc. is here to assist.

Using eco-friendly packaging and green packaging supplies is an ideal way to reduce the pollution and waste that eventually makes its way to landfills and oceans. Most, if not all, companies are looking to go green with their packaging today. Eco-friendly packaging in e-commerce especially can benefit the environment and economy.

Consumers are increasingly frustrated with receiving over-packaged products. By using right-size packaging for your e-commerce business, your company will display how much it cares about reducing waste. E-commerce fulfillment clients that are looking to hop on the sustainable bandwagon can source directly from FFI.

Fulco Fulfillment Sustainable Packaging Options Include:

Biodegradable, zero-waste peanuts made of organic starch: they decompose in water and leave no toxic waste.
Sustainable packing label envelopes made of 100% recycled polyethylene
FFI offers ProLite Shippers and Duralit envelopes made of 35% recycled materials that are recyclable, waterproof, tear, and puncture resistant.
Corrugated bubble wrap and recycled cardboard squares: a wrap made from up-cycled corrugated cardboard. Rather than disposing of cardboard, recycling it into corrugated bubble wrap gives it a chance at an additional life as a cushioning material.
Air Pillows made of recycled materials: inflatable air pillows are used to fill voids while packaging. They can also be packed in boxes to secure loose items. This packaging consists primarily of air since they are small, inflated bags. They can be reused or recycled.
Kraft Natural Reinforced Packing Tape

What is eco-friendly packaging?

As mentioned earlier, eco-friendly packaging is a green method of packaging that doesn’t deplete natural resources we have become so dependent on. The packaging is considered beneficial, healthy, and safe for both communities and individuals throughout the entirety of its lifecycle. It can be recyclable, compostable, reusable, made of biobased materials, or renewably sourced materials.

Eco-friendly packaging advantages:

Reduces your company’s carbon footprint.

Since sustainable packaging is better for the environment, it will reduce your company’s consumption of resources.

Improves your brand image

Using eco-friendly packaging shows that you care about the environment, creates a good impression, and depicts you as a responsible company.

Lighter packages reduce transport costs

Get ahead of the competition by reducing package material and preventing excessive waste. When this is implemented properly, you will notice storage being used more efficiently. With the extra space, you will be first and foremost lowering storage costs, and can increase the amount of products you want to store without going over budget or wasting space.

The marketing appeal of eco-friendly packaging

Customers are interested in switching their consumption habits so that they can lower their impact on the environment. Therefore, making the switch to sustainable packaging can help influence your customers when they decide which businesses to patronize.

Fulco Fulfillment is your Eco-friendly Packaging Partner

Eco-friendly packaging is a gateway to elevating your e-commerce business to the next level, and will start you on the sustainable path. By using eco-friendly packaging, you will be joining the cause in protecting our lands and oceans from accumulating single-use packaging. When you make the change to eco-friendly packaging, you will be using less material for your products. The lack of material will help you save money on storage costs, shipping costs, and packaging costs. It’s a savings trifecta that we recommend every business should choose.

If you decide to work with a professional fulfillment provider like Fulco Fulfillment Inc., we can assist with your switch to eco-friendly packaging at your business. While you focus on your e-commerce business, we will focus on making sure you are up to speed in this more sustainable world. To learn more about eco-friendly packaging, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 973-361-1700.

Unique Packaging & Custom Fulfillment

The customer experience for your product starts when they first see it on your website, and needs to continue through checkout and shipping. That’s where we come in: at Fulco Fulfillment Inc., we can provide unique and cost-effective packaging and fulfillment solutions for your product.

Box size

Every product has unique properties. We are not saying that your product needs to fit as perfectly as an iPhone in its custom and highly customized packaging, but we make sure a wide array of box sizes are stocked in order to prevent floating items in your outgoing shipments.

Box shape

Have a uniquely shaped product? We can supply specialty box sizes to ensure your product arrives to your customer the way you envision. Additionally, you can consider our sustainable packaging options. Using eco-friendly packaging can reduce your company’s carbon footprint and your shipping costs by using lighter materials. Learn more about the benefits of eco-friendly packaging here.

Box color

Typically, brown is what many associate with a shipping box. But we can work with you to stand out. Want your logo on every side, or the box to be a different color? You could make a colorful box a recognizable aspect of your brand for your customers.

Box tape

Want to use stock brown boxes but still splash your logo? A cost-effective way to accomplish this is by using custom tape. We print and stock the rolls of tape so you can be sure all of your shipments display your logo and branding.

Box filler

What do you want your customer to see when they open your shipment? We have a wide variety of box filler for you to choose from, including custom folded paper, air pillows, and newspaper. Let’s come up with a solution that impresses your customers.

Box content

Custom inserts are a great way to cross market and encourage future orders. We can work with you to identify what kind of custom inserts your customers should receive in their order.

No Box

If you’d rather not use a box, we can supply custom bags as well. We enjoy thinking up creative solutions to your product’s needs.

Fulco Fulfillment Can Help You Create Unique Packaging for Your Brand

Your packaging is an important part of your brand. After placing an order, your customer’s impression of you as a business can be affected by the appearance of your packaging. Fulco Fulfillment Inc. can help you make a positive impact on your customers through unique packaging solutions, and encourage them to place more orders in the future.

To learn more about unique packaging and custom fulfillment, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 973.361.1700.

Remote Fulfillment is a Reality with Fulco Fulfillment Inc.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench in the plans of many companies that outsource to third party logistic providers (3PLs), disrupting their places of business in a drastic way. Employees and their teams have had the difficult task of trying to problem-solve new challenges on a daily basis in regards to their personal lives and workplaces.

Despite everything, many are choosing to put the safety and health of their employees as a top priority. As such, many of our fulfillment clients are making the choice to have their non-essential workers complete their tasks at home. No one could have seen this coming, and everyone was treading in unfamiliar waters. With new technologies available to us, running a successful business remotely can be achieved thanks to the advances in cloud-based technology.

The transition has not been achieved without challenges. Businesses that are using older technologies and rely more on on-site equipment have been struggling to keep up. Fortunately, with help from Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI), you will be able to have full view and control of your inventory—all accessible from the comfort of your home office.

Is remote fulfillment even possible?

Handling fulfillment from any location can prove to be a daunting task. You will find yourself needing to assist new clients, figure out finances, or look up the status of an order. So it’s important to have the proper tools needed to access all of this information anywhere and anytime, whether that is through your own resources or the resources of a third party logistics provider (3PL) like FFI.

FFI’s essential employees have been faithfully reporting into the warehouse throughout the pandemic to ensure our remote fulfillment customers’ orders get picked, packed, and accurately shipped on-time. This 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

Reliable 24-Hour Uptime for Client Order Processing

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

By logging into the OMS, you have access to important information and common tasks necessary to running your business:

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 critical within our industry. FFI’s client portal gives you access to your data at any time of day.

Is it worth adapting to remote practices with the end of the pandemic in sight?

Work-from-home and virtual access that started abruptly due to the pandemic has now become the new normal. The continuous momentum of both the vaccines and opening of brick-and-mortar establishments has our fulfillment customers evaluating where they want to work. Some are deciding whether to report back to the office 100%, remain partially remote going forward (working 2-3 days a week away from the office), or to go fully remote. Many businesses have become accustomed to this new flexibility. Major establishments have chosen to remain at least partially remote, including tech giants like Facebook, Salesforce, and Microsoft.

The New Normal Needs Flexibility

There’s no going back to the days before on-demand fulfillment management. Trust your business to a 3PL you can rely on with years of experience to show for it. Contact FFI and see for yourself how you can begin the process of remote fulfillment.

Grow Your Health and Beauty Business with e-Commerce Fulfillment

Long before the days of the internet, it was tradition for many to go to retail beauty counters when they needed to refill or refresh their stash of beauty products. Individual experts would come to your aid to determine what products are best for you based on a variety of factors given to them. It has become increasingly obvious that e-commerce health and beauty services are on the rise, and customers are saying goodbye to brick and mortar retail stores. Hence, an increased need for third party logistics (3PL) fulfillment. Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. located in Dover, NJ is here to help your newly revamped health and beauty business grow.

Are you ready to grow your health and beauty business?

In the beginning, it may appear feasible to do your own fulfillment services. Your business probably sold products only on one platform, and shipping was possible to do from your living room. However, as you grow, so will your reach, and the audience of people who discover your product won’t be local anymore. If you begin to notice a trend of people ordering in far off locations, then it is important to take that into consideration for your fulfillment growth strategy.

If your successful e-commerce health and beauty company is growing, it may be time to upgrade your fulfillment process. With current demand and trends pushing e-commerce ever forward, it is entirely possible to grow your company at a larger scale through partnering with a fulfillment expert.

Grow your health and beauty business by focusing on marketing and sales, and let FFI manage your inventory, pick, pack, and ship your product.

If there is an increase in orders, it’s time to upgrade fulfillment.

Customer satisfaction, shipping quickly, and staying within budget are the most important factors to consider when taking this leap. If order volume is increasing, it’s probably time to outsource fulfillment to a 3PL.

You will be relieved to know your customers can place an order, and choose their method of shipment through your favorite e-commerce shopping cart. FFI’s order management system integrates seamlessly with many shopping carts: Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify — just to name a few. You will have 24/7 private web access to your inventory. You can use the web portal to establish access rights for users, set product or budget allocations, manage inventory, and generate reports that allow you to analyze ordering data. Working with FFI frees you up to build your business by marketing, selling, and handling your accounting needs. Partnering with a 3PL like Fulco makes sense since we’re able to offer our clients discounted shipping supplies and freight.

Growing isn’t easy, but FFI is here to help.

To begin, we provide your e-commerce company a transfer plan. It specifically details every step you need to take to get your inventory to Fulco Fulfillment in order to get up and running quickly. We assign a dedicated Customer Service Representative team to your account. Your team are professionals who understand your business and can address urgent needs immediately. Our managers are kept posted on your account and individual needs on a daily basis.

It’s time to upgrade your health and beauty e-commerce business.

It is clear that the newest and coolest health and beauty companies are choosing to take a different type of route in order to build their businesses. Turning into a direct-to-consumer (D2C) through the power of e-commerce is the direction in which the industry is moving.

Simply put, a business that is trying to break into the e-commerce space and thrive will be unable to perform all the tasks listed above successfully—unless they choose to partner with a 3PL like Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. Our established team has over 50 years of combined fulfillment experience. We will be able to guide you through the upscaling process and allow your company to keep up with the growing trends in the health and beauty industry. Contact FFI to help your e-commerce business continue growing.

Four Ways to Handle Order Fulfillment for E-commerce

When you store goods, pick orders, pack orders, and ship your products to your buyers, you are taking part in the act of order fulfillment. If you are an e-commerce business, then order fulfillment is an important, central function that you must focus on. You could handle fulfillment business on your own, but outsourcing to a fulfillment partner will prove to be an efficient, cost-effective operation that will be perfect for growing your business.

Let’s begin by talking about the order fulfillment process, and discuss some options you can take part in.

What is Order Fulfillment?

The term order fulfillment refers to all of the activities that are involved in shipping products to customers. Talking in the form of a workflow, order fulfillment begins with receiving the shipments, sorting stock, then locating inventory for efficient picking. Afterwards, as orders arrive, products are picked, checked for accuracy, packed correctly, and finally labeled for shipping.

Different Ways to Handle Order Fulfillment

Order fulfillment is truly a simple logistical process, but it can also prove to be a time-consuming and labor intensive one. Many of the new and growing e-commerce businesses find that order fulfillment can keep them so busy that it proves hard to perform other necessary tasks such as marketing, product scouting, and website maintenance.

You can go about your order fulfillment in a variety of ways, but here are the four most prominent ways of doing so as an e-commerce business.

In-House Order Fulfillment
You can manage a warehousing and shipping operation in your own facility using your own staff. Many merchants found success fulfilling orders themselves. However, many have also realized they are spending too much time handling order fulfillment to the point where they can’t leave their house without a label printer.
Outsource Your Fulfillment Needs
Your business can use order fulfillment centers like Fulco Fulfillment Inc., a larger-scale Third Party Logistics (3PL) company. We store, stock, pack and ship orders for you. The fastest way to speed up order fulfillment is to outsource it to professionals.
Drop Shipping
Use drop ship suppliers who will ship orders directly to your customers when ordered, and bill you only for the products that you sell.
Hybrid Order Fulfillment Solution
Using a hybrid solution that combines a few — or possibly all — of the above order fulfillment options is a popular solution for a growing business.

The Elements of an Order Fulfillment Operation

When you are selling your products online, you need to have a solid understanding of the order fulfillment process. Knowing how it all works is an essential part of keeping your costs low, whether shipping daily from your own warehouse, or handing it over to a fulfillment partner like Fulco Fulfillment Inc.

Order fulfillment and shipping operations need some important elements to work properly.

A location to receive, organize, and store products that ship

An order fulfillment operation will need organized product storage to make the process work. Make sure to organize your space with shelves, bins, bags, stacked boxes, or whatever is best to keep your products organized and handy for a fast picking process. This area is also known as the “quick pack area” or “flow shelves.”

A place to prepare and pack your orders for the shipping process

Often known as a packing station, this area can be anything from a series of tables/workstations in a warehouse environment to a stockroom counter. Overall, it is a place where packing materials (boxes, mailers, tape, fill and wrap, etc.) are kept and easily accessed.
No matter what the setup is, your picked items are checked for accuracy against a packing slip with the customer’s order details, or with a barcode scanning machine. After these items are checked, they are packed for shipment.

Shipping boxes or mailers

The packaging needs to be reviewed to determine the most efficient box or mailer when handling order fulfillment. FFI will help you choose a carton that will keep your product safe and the rate will be the lowest freight price.

Packing materials

Things such as packing peanuts, foam sheets, air pillows, bubble wrap, kraft paper, and plain newsprint are amongst the most common materials that are used to protect products as well as fill the voids in shipping boxes. After the type of packing material is decided, you will need a way to seal boxes and mailers. A good amount of envelopes and mailers are self-sealing. However, for boxes, you will need to use a strong packing tape and a good dispenser.

Invoices and/or packing slips

Having a printed invoice or packing slip that shows all the items that have been ordered is useful as a checklist for pulling out orders and checking for accuracy. A major difference between these two things is that invoices include prices, while packing slips do not. Whichever you use, you can print them from your e-commerce platform’s order manager or from a back-end order management software system.

A way to create and print shipping labels

The last order fulfillment step is printing shipping labels for packed boxes. For this you can use carrier websites, carrier-specific shipping software, or perhaps something like shipping rate comparison software that will let you find the best price for each shipment. Most of these sites and software support all types of printers: laser, inkjet, or thermal label printers.

An Order Fulfillment E-Commerce Partner is Crucial

Handling order fulfillment and its process is just as important as the sale itself. Retailers don’t want to hurt their reputation and sales if their products arrive late or packages go missing. To learn more about order fulfillment, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 973-361-1700. We will be more than happy to help you find the perfect order fulfillment solution that serves your business.

The Art of Flawless Order Fulfillment

Creating a smooth fulfillment process is ideal when striving for a foundation that leads to a positive business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) relationship. The term “fulfillment” encapsulates the whole procedure of processing, picking and shipping an order to a client or customer. There are a variety of methods to handle this whether it is by the company actually creating the product or alternatively having the process handled by a third-party logistics/3PL provider. No matter what the business itself classifies as there is an art to flawless order fulfillment.

But how do you begin? Start with a positive ecommerce fulfillment plan. This is imperative to the achievement of success in a competitive marketplace. Next, create a foundation of customer confidence. Obviously not every company is the same and possesses their own goals and needs so there is no universal fulfillment strategy that can be used for every situation. Because of this, there are a variety of factors that must be considered when deciding on what the best selection is for your company.

When Thinking about Fulfillment, Consider Your Sales Volume and Business Size

Every business should keep in mind the amount of products being offered in addition to the order size when it comes to determining which order fulfillment solution will be the best for your business.

Things to keep in mind:

How many products are being sold?
Are the products being sold through business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C) or a mixture of the two?
How many orders are being fulfilled month to month?
What is the prediction of growth for your products and orders over both the next quarter and year?
What are your product storage requirements?

For example, if you have a low volume of orders then it would not be the best decision to outsource your fulfillment process. Instead, you could opt to fill the orders on your own.

However, if you are predicting that your business is anticipating an uptick in order volume you need a plan to keep up with this increase in orders. With increased orders it may become difficult to maintain a self-fulfillment structure and eventually it will become near impossible to fulfill products flawlessly and in quick succession. This is the moment to switch and have a 3PL provider, like Fulco Fulfillment by your side.

Order Fulfillment Technology and Sales Channels

Things to keep in mind

What type of ecommerce platform are you using?
Is a marketplace, website, shopping portal or alternative type of online store/shopping being used? Perhaps instead you are using a combination of these or including a physical storefront?

Your fulfillment strategy should be capable of providing the necessary support for your different sales channels. This especially comes into play when using technology. This technology can assist your business with becoming both more cost-effective and efficient in addition to enhancing the customer experience and satisfaction of your customers. The implemented technology being used as a part of the order processing plan should complete the goal of making things easier rather than making things more difficult.

Once the technology has become integrated, it should have the capability of streamlining the process. An API integration is a reliable way to be sure that as soon as order has been placed it will seamlessly be available to your 3PL provider to then be picked, packed, and shipped as soon as possible.

It is also important to consider that your fulfillment process is using the correct type of inventory management software. An inventory management system should be able to report on all available inventory levels across all locations. Safeguards can also be put into place that will alert you if you are running out of stock.

Keep in mind also that warehouse management software or a WMS can assist controlling the daily warehouse operation which includes shipping, sorting, storage and inventory management. Your order fulfillment software of choice can assist with the difficult and time-consuming duties of inventory and warehouse management, order picking and processing, shipping and tracking and returns processing (reverse logistics).

Flawless Order Fulfillment Leads to Satisfied Customers

Discovering the art of flawless order fulfillment can happen inside your organization or outsourcing to 3PL provider. At the top of that list should be building a positive ecommerce fulfillment plan and creating a foundation of customer confidence. This will ensure the satisfaction of your customers.

Having a 3PL should give you the capability of supporting the growth of your business and assist with the navigation of the complexities that are oftentimes associated with supply chain and logistics. Most importantly, flawless order fulfilment will give your customers peace of mind by getting products into their hands as efficiently and accurately as possible. If you need help with order fulfilment, contact Fulco 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.

Seamless Order Fulfillment Services and Ecommerce Fulfillment Services

Consumers want the products they order online delivered to their doors quickly and with the least bit of hassle. Are your order fulfillment services tasked to meet customers’ expectations for speed and no- or low-cost shipping?

If you’re a seller, it is difficult to meet those demands if you don’t have the processes and infrastructure in place to fulfill those orders quickly. Furthermore, once your customers get to their shopping cart, the sale can still be in jeopardy if the checkout experience is clumsy and time consuming. Consider:

Shoppers will abandon their shopping cart if shipping, taxes or other fees are too high.
Speed of delivery is an important factor in getting shoppers to click “Submit.”
A poor delivery and return experience will chase a customer away for good.
Shoppers are an impatient breed and will be more likely to cancel their order if there are slow delivery speeds or unexpected delays.

Are Order Fulfillment Services Right for Your Company?

If you’re trying to fulfill orders in-house and you’re running into problems because either volume is too high (which is a good thing), or your fulfillment team is stretched too thin and finding the right employees is difficult, it might be time for you to consider outsourcing your fulfillment services.

Why is Outsourcing Order Fulfillment Services a Good Idea?

Order fulfillment services for ecommerce sales consists of physically labor intensive processes that need to be handled efficiently to assure that your profit margin is not eaten up by wasted hours or temporary staff increases.

Order fulfillment services include storing inventory, picking and packing the products, and then shipping online orders to customers. A small ecommerce company with manageable orders taken might be able to handle this in house. However, as demand grows, calling upon a third-party logistics provider (3PL) such as Fulco Fulfillment Inc. is a more cost-effective option which can free you to concentrate on the other parts of running your business that can lead to continued growth.

The ecommerce order fulfillment process applies to both business-to-business (B2B) orders (where large quantities of product are shipped to big box retailers) as well as business-to-consumer (B2C) orders that are shipped directly to a shopper’s home.

When it comes to B2C orders, the consumer may place an order on the website of the merchant or through an online marketplace. Once the customer finishes their purchase, the fulfillment process kicks in and getting the order ready for shipment becomes the priority.

What is Your Order Fulfillment Services Strategy?

Every ecommerce business needs an order fulfillment services strategy to handle present orders and prepare for future growth so that infrastructure is in place to meet demand as the business grows.

These are some of the key considerations you’ll want to address:

Consider your location to optimize fulfillment.

Just because your business mostly runs online doesn’t mean that your physical location can make a huge difference in streamlining your ecommerce processes.

Besides the size of your storage, the location where you fulfill your orders is an important aspect that contributes to delivery costs and speed, and ultimately, customer satisfaction.

Optimizing your fulfillment operation based on where your customers reside will help you reach all the people you need to reach in the most cost-efficient manner.

For example, shipping orders to customers in the U.S. from overseas can take large amounts of time unless the customers are willing to pay significantly more for faster delivery. Focusing the shipping zone or how far a package travels will more often than not reduce the cost of shipping and the amount of time it takes to ship a package.

A fulfillment center such as Fulco Fulfillment Inc. is close to New York City and points all along the East Coast. This makes for affordable shipping to customers in areas where populations are concentrated. Taking it farther afield, it’s also possible to optimize fulfillment by distributing the inventory to multiple locations that are in the closest proximity to your customers. The more fulfillment resources that are near common shipping destinations the more ground shipping can be leveraged. This is significantly cheaper than any expedited air and much faster than shipping from a further distance.

Order fulfillment technology that integrates platforms is critical.

Software that integrates with an ecommerce platform and online marketplace, such as the technology available at Fulco Fulfillment Inc., can help your business manage orders across any sales channels without the need to manually upload or duplicate data entries. The Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. IT team works directly with EDI and API service providers to ensure seamless delivery of products to large retailers. As soon as an order is placed online, the fulfillment staff will quickly be alerted on their devices to pick, pack, and ship any items needed to the customer.

Fulco Fulfillment Inc. will send back any tracking information to the platform or marketplace that will then be shared with the customer, as well as track inventory quantities across fulfillment locations so you always know where you stand.

Leveraging platform integrations is critical to connecting upstream activities such as purchasing and manufacturing with downstream activities like sales and product demand so your business can make a more accurate purchasing and production decision when the time comes.

Looking to Incorporate Order Fulfillment Services into Your Ecommerce Business?

Call Fulco Fulfillment at 973-361-1700 to schedule your free consultation. We look forward to working with you in the future in expanding your business.