Additional factors to consider when choosing an order fulfillment service…

In today’s entry I’m going to discuss two additional factors that I believe should be considered when a publisher, large or small, is choosing an order fulfillment service. These factors are “Turn Around Time” and “Technology”.

Turn Around Time

Every warehouse has its own procedures for handling order processing and the amount of time that is acceptable. You need to be aware of what time files are accepted and when you can expect orders to be shipped. You have to take these deadline times into account and see if they fit your client’s needs in terms of shipping times.

A standard in the industry is 3 business days for shipping. You need to determine if this is a timeframe that your client can live with. There are fulfillment warehouses that ship within 2 business days and some are offering same day shipping. You must choose which level of service will help you grow your business.

Technology

When it comes to the various types of technology within an order fulfillment facility, you must explore your needs. In any fulfillment warehouse, technology takes on many forms. These may include:

• Integrated business management systems for publishers
• Warehouse management systems
• RF technology
• Automated picking systems
• Mailing systems
• EDI/ASN
• Secured method for transferring data files
• Customizable order interface
• Push technology for business alerts
• Customizable email alerts
• Reports and Web based data reporting

There are still more important considerations when choosing an order fulfillment service that will be covered here. However, if you can’t wait to read them here, they are now available in a Whitepaper on our website. If you have additional questions, or are interested in receiving this white paper by email, please feel free to contact me directly. I can be reached at (708) 587-4116 or kshay@ware-pak.com