When we start a new business, out of which one at least requires shipping of a product, the way we fulfill and assimilate shipping for the orders becomes very crucial. You must not only consider the shipping slips and package printing, but also the different sizes of packages and boxes, the stuffing that requires some extra spaces that will avoid the contents from rattling around and most importantly, the way you communicate with the consumers on how their items will be shipped and the time when they should expect it to be delivered.
If the orders are fulfilled by a 3PL that is a third-party-logic company, which is also called as fulfillment providers then most of this information are likely to have been sorted out already. In case if you are a newly established company or you are not shipping high volumes that might require the help of 3PL, then you will need to work at automatizing your own in-house order shipping and processing.
The good news is that there are few options, out of which many are easily accessible and supply great solutions to sort out your orders with the minimum amount of a headache possible.
Straight Fulfillment is advised?
The third parties are used to execute tasks so that one doesn’t have to manage the employees by him alone. When you have just established a small starter company, which means less than five hundred orders every week of shipping, the idea of taking the assistance from 3PL fulfillment center is not good.
There are few reasons for this.
In the beginning, you are not just manufacturing enough quantity to make them interested and, as a result, there is no leverage. If you are new in business, you must not let go of control processes as it is an extremely critical part of building consumer experiences, while assuring that it is done with perfect accuracy and as pocket friendly as possible.
Accuracy is important because if new fulfillment partner creates a mistake, for example, ships the wrong commodity to the wrong person or loses 20% of inventory, it is very more painful because you do not have the volume to make up for the loss.
Control the process on the Early Basis
Instead of taking the risk of additional expense, start shipping orders on a manual basis and leverage some sort of technology to make it streamlined and simple as possible, at least until you start shipping higher amounts of quantities and 3PL fulfillment is no longer necessary.
There is a variety of shipping programs that are available, which aims at making the shipping orders easy that were taken via E-commerce platform.
Create an account for Stamps.com that allows various benefits like fast and inexpensive shipping options, which starts with first class moving onto the priority list and choices based on flat rate. Once you are done with that set up, move onto Shipstation.com, it is an inexpensive platform, which will connect directly to the major e-commerce shopping carts and it will also provide a subsequent amount of tools for streamlining the shipping procedures.
Automation Usage
Automation is one of the key options we must pay attention in particular for Shipstation that will allow you to create templates for the required inbound orders.
It will regularly synchronize with shopping cart for the particular order to be processed. Work along the order weights, pre-determined options, lines of package size, and shipping providers. Once automations are done, the entire orders will join the system and you just need to print. The shipping labels and packing slips will be finished, printed and all set to go.
