Are you struggling to get your orders fulfiled efficiently? Are you dealing with a backlog of orders and unhappy customers?
We can help you automate your orders to boost your warehouse productivity and get back in control!
We’ve written in the past about our outsourced freight management services as an option for managing bottlenecks in your logistics operations that can assist with this issue. This article focuses on our technological systems for assisting with these types of backlogs, and efficiency problems.
In other words, the improvement of the efficiency of your distribution processes through automation.
If you:
- reduce the number of decisions warehouse staff need to take via system smarts
- reduce the number of actions, or buttons pressed; speed up the time that it takes to complete a task
then you enable a higher throughput with less resources.
Automate your Orders via Integration
- Integration of systems reduces double entry of data; increases accuracy or order details e.g., address; and speeds up order processing dramatically:
- The type of data that can be automatically imported includes data such as:
- customer details, SKU & packaging details, (including dims & weight)
- Connect your:
- 3rd party Carriers via API connections to automatically receive freight rates; organise pickups; obtain compliant labels, etc.,
- online stores and marketplaces, WMS, or ERP, etc.
- Access to Google Address verification ensures the correct address is used, saving warehouse staff time (and also reducing freight customer service queries on lost freight)
Automate your Orders via Centralised Fulfilment
- A centralised, multi-channel order queue ensures that all orders come through the one system – whether that is coming from your online store(s), marketplace(s); and / or an ERP or WMS
- You can customise your workflow options, for example; which orders to fill via or via batches and or projects
- You can also automate freight pricing of orders, including by least cost, fastest carrier, or carrier service selection; and you can aggregate multiple orders, that are going to the same address recipient.
Automate your Orders via an Inventory Management System
- Available to Sell (ATS) in real timetime – Inventory Management – ensures your customer cannot order something that has just been sold elsewhere, which can lead to backorder issues and hold up your order fulfilment processes.
- A streamlined Inventory Management system across all dispatching sites ensures orders are quickly processed and out the door, into your customer’s hands.
Automate your Orders via a Multi or Omni Channel System
- Ship from Store / Pickup from Store, Click & Collect – turning your localised branches into mini warehouses with the right TMS that manages inbound freight or interstore freight, and can track all inventory across all warehouses and branches; 3PL or online marketplaces in real time.
- And optimise the fulfilment choices: closest; fastest; cheapest further streamlining your operational efficiencies.
- What packaging to use – In2Box – select the right box(es) for the order to ensure no excess space, therefore lower freight costs (based on charge weight), lower carbon footprint too.
Automate your Orders via Pick & Pack Process
- A Picking & Packing App for your handheld device / phone
- Scan to ensure you’ve picked the right item/SKU that matches the order
- Scan to ensure the right item goes into the right box
- Our algorithms ensure that the smallest box(es) is selected to match the dims & weight of the order
- Saves time figuring out what packaging to use,
- Reduces errors; reduces the number of customer service queries, and returns.
Automate your Orders – Shipping
- A multi carrier Transport Management System will save you time flipping through tabs to find the right carrier portal; and when obtaining quotes; comparing delivery timeframes.
- Rating options at checkout for online orders saves your warehouse team from selecting the carrier as it is customer selected – based on price and delivery options.
- Customise shipping page to basic shipping functions (if you don’t need advanced features); less steps to process your orders.
- Save templates to automate frequently used shipping methods.
- A Rules Book that can automate the user’s options based on their login, or the customer (recipient’s) requirements further saves the time and brain power to process orders for shipping.
Automate your Orders – Tracking
- eAlerts – SMS & Email for scanned events for your orders along the journey;
- shipped, exception, delivered, etc.,
- this reduces the number of customer service queries as customers are kept in the loop and can track this themselves.
Automate your Orders – Returns
- An automated returns process streamlines returns and helps track your orders back to your warehouse (or store)
- We provide a range of options on how you can manage your returns to match your requirements and that of your customers
Automate your Orders Management
When you combine all the above methods of automating your distribution you will save many hours a day and / or save on the number of resources needed to deal with your daily orders. Resources that can be utilised in other areas of your business.
It allows you to smooth out the troughs and peaks of your order fulfillment; whether that be daily or seasonal without necessarily needing to quickly source new staff to manage the load. It enables an agile business. This can be further enhanced with our interactive dashboard reporting that provides enhanced forecasting abilities.
Automation via technology costs a fraction of the amount required to hire more staff, (both soft costs of the hiring process and hard cost of the wages component), and via system smarts ensures that you don’t always have to rely on key experienced staff members to optimise your distribution.
Automation makes sense at all times but even more so at the moment when there are issues around more staff accessing sick leave than is typical, and more time finding and enticing new staff to join your company.
If you want help with automating any aspect of your order fulfilment processes contact us to learn more about how our solutions can assist.