What is fulfillment for e-commerce?
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In e-commerce, "fulfillment" is a process in which a fulfillment company takes over warehousing processes, collects orders from customers, completes products, packs them and delivers them to the courier.
This is a key element of e-commerce operations that has a huge impact on a company's operational efficiency.
These are the main elements of fulfillment in e-commerce:
Receipt of goods from the customer
Receipt of goods from the customer
At the customer's request, the fulfillment company may collect the goods from the customer's warehouse or the customer may deliver the goods himself to the fulfillment company's warehouse.
Storage
After delivering the products to the warehouse, the fulfillment company places the products in a secure warehouse.
At the customer's request, the fulfillment company may assign SKU/EAN codes to products for proper records.
Packaging
The term "packaging" in e-commerce refers to the process by which an online store creates individual sets or packages of products to meet specific customer needs or offer specific promotions. This is often used in online retailing, especially for products that can be stacked or combined into different combinations. At the client's request, the fulfillment company will assemble appropriate product sets.
Accepting orders
The fulfillment company collects orders from all customer sales channels using specialized software.
Completing products
After accepting orders, employees of the fulfillment company collect products from the warehouse to pack packages for the client's customers.
Packing
The products are then carefully packaged to ensure they reach the customer intact. Often, online stores also try to create friendly packaging that strengthens the brand and customer experience.
Shipment
After the order is packed, it is delivered to the customer. This may include selecting the appropriate courier or supplier, as well as managing the process of tracking and delivering the order to the customer with sales documents (invoice/receipt).
Returns management
If a customer decides to return a product, this process is also part of fulfillment.
The online store must establish return procedures, accept returned products, and handle financial refunds or exchanges.
Supplies management
Effective inventory management is crucial in the fulfillment process.
Online stores must monitor inventory levels, avoid shortages and excesses to meet customer expectations and minimize costs.
Technology and software
Modern e-commerce uses advanced software to manage the fulfillment process. This helps automate many tasks such as order processing, inventory tracking, and delivery monitoring.
Customer service
Effective customer service also plays an important role in fulfillment. Customers may have questions about their orders, returns or delivery, so online stores must provide appropriate customer support. The fulfillment company may, but does not have to, take over customer service as part of a comprehensive fulfillment service.
An effective fulfillment process is of great importance to the success of online stores because it affects customer satisfaction, operational costs and brand reputation. Companies can manage fulfillment internally or use external companies, such as fulfillment companies that specialize in providing fulfillment services to other e-commerce companies.
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