Keeping up with orders have always been a challenge for e-Commerce businesses. Whether it be handling seasonal fluctuations or low demand periods—you’ll need the right team with the right experience to eliminate any difficulties coming your way. These individuals will be the key for your e-Commerce business’s success; but note that assembling the right team takes time and money—which may not be feasible for start-up e-Commerce businesses.
As an e-Commerce business, surely you didn’t start off just to specialize in fulfilling orders, right? While the desire to keeping things in-house is real, it may be impractical and inefficient in the long run especially when your business is growing quickly. In order to help your business grow without things weighing you down, outsourcing your e-Commerce fulfillment will be your best solution.
8 Reasons Why You Should Outsource E-Commerce Fulfillment
Now if you’re still hesitant, let’s take a look at 8 reasons why you should outsource your e-Commerce fulfillment.
1. Leverage on Expertise
With years of experience in fulfillment and commonly the last mile provider, your fulfillment partners are no doubt experts in the industry. This also contributes to the main reason why many e-Commerce businesses outsource their fulfillment in the first place. Note that most fulfillment companies have years of experience and established networks in both local and domestic regions. As a new e-Commerce business, we understand that many do not have the necessary expertise and connections—which is why outsourcing fulfillment is the best option as the business can leverage on their partner’s experience and equipment, all at an affordable price.
2. Reduce Operating Costs
Although the idea of wanting to keep things in-house (including fulfillment) is understandable, it might be expensive for e-Commerce businesses who are just starting out. It will be costly to rent a warehouse, have an inventory management system up and running alongside hiring trained staff to handle your warehousing needs. And did we mention the packing and shipping costs? These can add onto the growing operating expenses of your e-Commerce business, which can be a big no-no in the long run. Moreover, fulfilling orders in-house presents large-scale risks especially if you’re still very new, so why not just mitigate this risk to a reliable and capable fulfillment partner who has more expertise in this area?
3. Access to Advanced Technology
If there’s something you should be on the lookout for when searching for fulfillment partners, it’s their integration with technology. Nowadays, fulfilment companies with established systems will provide your business individualised dashboards which provides a range of key insights. From real-time inventory stock and forecasts to sales performance reports, these data are highly informational and valuable—which would cost tons of time and effort to compile if you were to do it yourself. These valuable insights can be attainable if you choose fulfillment partners providing channel management and report consolidation services, which can help streamline your e-Commerce business in terms of technology and meeting orders efficiently.
4. Better Management of Sales and Seasonal Fluctuations
Don’t let your fulfillment bottleneck your business, especially when you’re meeting the surge in demands during sales and seasonal periods! It would be extremely detrimental to your e-Commerce business if you’re unable to ship off your orders in time to your customers due to lack of manpower; or accidentally order too much stock during low demand periods. Now, don’t worry yet because choosing a reliable fulfillment provider can help eliminate these issues, especially if they provide demand planning and channel management services. You will no longer have problems managing sales and seasonal fluctuations, as all the information of your e-Commerce business are ready at your fingertips.
5. More Focus on Your Business
As your business grows, you might not have time to handle fulfillment yourself especially when you have a long to-do list pending! So why not save yourself some hassle and partner with a fulfillment provider instead? There will be so much more time spared and you can focus on other aspects of your business that can add value, such as R&D or customer service management. Know that this would be greatly beneficial for your e-Commerce business both in the short and long-run, as the temporary ease of mind provides you time and energy to bring your business to the next level.
6. Effective Order Management
Without a proper order and inventory management system in place, the process or picking and packing may be chaotic especially if your e-Commerce business lacks the relevant expertise. The solution? Partner with a fulfillment provider with a complete warehousing technology and trained staff knowledgeable in this area. This allows your fulfillment provider to take care of the fulfillment process on your behalf, while providing you valuable insights beneficial for your decision-making process. At the end of the day, you’ll have no issue managing your orders and inventory levels thanks to the assistance of your partner’s technology and expertise.
7. Improved Customer Experience
Nowadays, customers are looking to more than just receiving their orders on time. If you’re looking to add value to your products and provide a great customer experience at an affordable price, fulfillment companies are your best bet. Often, your fulfillment partners can provide value-added services such as personalization or premium packaging. These services will make customers feel valued, which can add onto your e-Commerce business’s brand impressions, and in turn, allows your e-Commerce business to reap long-term benefits. Remember, you never know which part of the fulfillment process or acts of service will impress your customers, so strive to provide them the best possible experience!
8. Increased Business Outreach
Partnering with a fulfillment provider helps open doors for your e-Commerce business, notably entry to new markets which are often risky when you don’t know the ropes. With low barriers to entry and low overheads into markets, your fulfillment provider can easily grant your e-Commerce business entry into new or nearby markets with their already established routes and systems. Moreover, they are also capable in handling increased demands in these markets on your behalf when you partner with them. So, fret not when you have a partner giving you the key to your e-Commerce business’ success in new markets!
Excellent e-Commerce Fulfillment Partner You Can Trust
With over a decade of experience in the e-Commerce fulfillment industry, iStore iSend provides an End-to-end E-enabler Gateway created for e-Commerce businesses. Our full-fledged Gateway encompasses areas of channel management, campaign & demand planning, business analysis and report consolidations which covers comprehensive areas of your e-Commerce business. We are always ready to bring your e-Commerce business to the next level through new market entries with our established fulfillment networks in the whole of Southeast Asia.
Interested to know more about e-Commerce fulfillment outsourcing? Let’s have a chat regarding your e-Commerce business’s potential.