Order Fulfillment Delivering the promises you make to your customers is everything; your ability to do what you said you’d do when you said you’d do it consistently has a massive impact on customer satisfaction and the reputation of your brand. 

And your ability to deliver on those promises rests largely on your order fulfillment processes. Seamless order fulfillment earns repeat customers, reduces costs, and boosts your bottom line. Here are the three basic ways to streamline order fulfillment and achieve your goals. While there are many varied ways to improve order fulfillment, everything stems from these basics: inventory controls, picking processes, and automation. 

Tighten Your Inventory Controls

Inaccurate inventory is a nightmare for fulfillment managers; tight inventory controls are the foundation for efficient, effective fulfillment operations. If you’ve made commitments based on bad info, you’re in trouble from the start. You can’t pick, pack, or ship orders accurately or on time, and you’re vulnerable to stockouts and backorders. Before you attempt to make any other improvements to your warehousing operations, you need to implement solutions to provide real-time inventory information across all channels of your warehouse. 

Optimize Picking Processes

Small inefficiencies, when repeated over and over again throughout the day, can have a significant impact on accuracy and speed. Comb through your process with a fine-toothed comb – nothing can be sacred in the quest for improvement. Review your warehouse layout, manual and automatic processes, and your current technology. Something as simple as relocating your top-selling SKUs to a more accessible location can make a big difference in order fulfillment times. 

Automate

Your people are good at their work and bring valuable skills to the table. But people, even the best people, can also be slow, especially regarding the physical labor of various picking activities. Picking is hard work, and manual picking leaves you or your team exposed to risks such as errors, inventory loss or damage, and injuries. 

Deploying automated inventory management tools like conveyors, autonomous mobile robots, and automated guided vehicles can help you get materials where they need to go safely and efficiently. Talk to an experienced material handling distributor for ideas and solutions. 

Keys to Success

Focusing on inventory controls, picking routines, and automation are the keys to improving your fulfillment operations. The demand for fast, accurate order fulfillment is growing exponentially. Don’t get left behind; invest resources today in creating processes that help you deliver on your promises every time.

Also, Read More About – The Importance of Hiring a Web Agency With Experience in Your Industry