Ecommerce-Fulfillment - How to Implement an Ecommerce Website With EDI Software

In this post, we'll discuss the fundamental difference between B2B and B2C fulfillment, and how best to source the appropriate B2B fulfillment partner for your e-commerce enterprise. Many of today's top companies realize that to compete in today's market using traditional methods is simply not a cost effective proposition, especially in today's economy. Most companies spend hundreds or thousands of dollars per year paying middlemen to perform warehousing, pick and pack, and even take care of the shipping associated with those services. This adds up quickly, especially since much of today's commerce is conducted via the internet. Therefore, companies are looking at new methods of accomplishing one of the most critical components of their operation, which is customer service.

To make certain that customers receive high levels of service, companies are turning to b2b fulfillment services deal with multi-stage delivery systems. The most common form of this delivery involves a third party warehouse that specializes in packing, shipping, and delivering products to customers. Rather than hiring more employees to perform these tasks, many companies are finding that by outsourcing the work they can enjoy a lower labor expense, which in turn leads to larger profit margins. Today, many companies make thousands of dollars per week off of small-scale b2c order fulfillment projects.

The delivery methods and the level of service are two of the biggest differences between B2B and B2C fulfillment. When it comes to physical products, the sizes and weight of the items that are being stocked and packaged play a large factor in the speed with which the products are fulfilled. In contrast, when it comes to products that are ordered online, speed of delivery does not impact the company's bottom line one iota. Companies that are able to meet orders quickly and efficiently have a much higher rate of satisfaction from customers.

This kind of speed is only one reason why ecommerce businesses encounter so many obstacles when trying to fill orders. When it comes to fulfilling orders for physical products, companies must prepare for peak seasons, off seasons, and rainy days. If these types of things do not occur, the supply chain will become extremely sluggish. Additionally, it can take weeks before items can be delivered to different stores. As a result, many businesses that use fulfillment companies struggle to meet seasonal orders, as well as their on-season peak orders.

For the most part, fulfillment services for online orders are much more flexible. Ecommerce businesses that are trying to reduce expenses face challenges in getting retailers on board with the new online fulfillment options. In the past, retail shops and manufacturers have had to wait for their partners to upload their orders and manually enter the data into the system that would record the date and time of delivery. With this type of  fulfillment , retailers can fill orders as soon as they come in. They do not have to wait for the fulfillment company's server to upload orders into the system and then enter all of the information into the electronic system for fulfillment.

There are some other differences between an in-house ecommerce fulfillment center and an ecommerce-furnishings company that uses EDI or electronic data interchange. One major difference is the level of service that each provides. For example, some fulfillment companies provide in-home services such as packing and shipping goods as well as picking and packing by hand. In contrast, some EDI providers only handle pick and pack by electronic data interchange. The lower level of service may be appealing to some consumers but may not be practical to some businesses that have more complex requirements.

Many small businesses prefer to work directly with the manufacturer of the items they sell rather than outsourcing the entire production process to a third party. An in-house ecommerce-furnishings company may be able to meet many of the fulfillment center's needs such as handling return and refund requests, stocking shelves, receiving returned goods, labeling products as well as receiving and sending electronic data exchange documents. However, some of these tasks may not be fulfilled and customers may experience long delays before their orders are fully completed. EDI software eliminates this problem because it allows companies to fulfill order orders directly through the company. This enables the company to keep manufacturing and storing inventory, which increases operational efficiency. This type of  fulfillment  operation also provides a company with more accurate and timely data which allows them to provide superior customer satisfaction.

Some of the other benefits of using Ecommerce fulfillment services focus on reducing costs, improving customer satisfaction and eliminating or minimizing errors. In other words, Ecommerce-based fulfillment centers help companies reduce their overhead costs while simultaneously providing excellent services. EDI solutions allow companies to take advantage of cost savings by decreasing perishable inventory, eliminating packaging materials costs, decreasing shipping costs and increasing return sales. They also help companies increase recurring shipments by instantly reducing the need for extra storage facilities. Moreover, they allow companies to keep their customers informed about products and sales, while Ecommerce-based solutions ensure that end customers receive only top quality products and services.