+1 800 967-0030

How Flexible Is Your Fulfillment Service?

Partnering with a 3rd party logistics (3PL) company can open a door to better omnichannel fulfillment, more advanced warehousing and distribution tools and more responsive order fulfillment software—but not all 3PLs are created equally.

In fact, many aren’t really flexible enough to handle business in today’s fast-paced world. With that in mind, have you ever asked yourself just how flexible your fulfillment service really is?

The New Flexible Fulfillment

Searching for a modern fulfillment partner can be difficult, especially if your company needs a flexible or more nimble option.

Providing up-to-the-minute warehousing and distribution for a website and a physical location poses a unique challenge for a 3PL. Instead of just moving products from one part of the supply chain to the next, a flexible supply chain requires that packages be able to move back and forth and side to side as well.

Instead of empty shelves in your physical locations and fully stocked eCommerce warehouses, or making customers wait for backorders on your website when your brick-and-mortar (B&M) locations are fully stocked with products, flexible 3PLs keep products flowing to all areas of your business. Overstocks in the eCommerce section flow to the understocked B&Ms, while your warehouse supply is reordered. The simplicity of the system is the beauty of it: because products flow between sales areas and share a storage facility, you never have to worry about running low on anything.

Flexible Systems Can Handle Channel Spikes

Keeping products flowing between channels is a great reason to want a flexible fulfillment system, but at the end of the day it’s simply a convenience for businesses that have a regular demand flow. One of the very best things about a flexible fulfillment system is how quickly it can respond to spikes in demand from particular channels.

Let’s say, for example, your latest clever mobile ad suddenly takes off and goes viral and creates a huge demand for a particular product from your eCommerce shop. Having all that demand means that your eCommerce order fulfillment arm is suddenly out of product, but instead of forcing new buyers to backorder the product, you can continue to fulfill the item from your retail stores. It’s a great option that keeps channels from having to say no to customers when they clearly want you to say yes.

Flexible fulfillment is the next generation of 3PL for companies with multiple sales channels. Shuffling boxes between eCommerce, retail locations and a single supplying warehouse system can be more efficient than trying to maintain multiple warehouses. Flexible fulfillment saves businesses like yours time, money, effort and most of all, prevents frustrated customers. That’s something everyone can appreciate.

September 08, 2016
Share This:

Related Posts

RECENT POSTS

Real-Time Order Tracking Or Bust

Gps tracking map. Track navigation pins on street maps, navigate mapping technology and locate position pin. Futuristic travel gps map or location navigator vector illustration “Where is my order?” “When will my package arrive?” If you are inundated with questions...

First In, First Out Warehousing and Fulfillment

Are you a seasoned inventory manager? If so, the acronym FIFO - which stands for First In, First Out - might be a familiar term to you. Put simply, the items are sold in the order they are received in the store or warehouse. FIFO is the go-to inventory management...

Grow Your Amazon Business With A Standout Listing

Do you sell on Amazon? If so, you are in great company. At the end of 2022, Amazon had over 2 million active sellers worldwide, making it one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world. Businesses have the opportunity to reach millions of customers in over 180...

Scroll, Click, Buy: How to Sell On Instagram

Do you have an Instagram shop? Instagram Shopping is quickly becoming the preferred way for consumers not only to learn about new brands and products on Instagram, but also to purchase them in just a few simple steps. If you are not already selling directly on...

New Year, New You?

Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive change, adopt new habits, or even reinvent themselves. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances, better relationships,...