What is Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Salesforce is continually hailed as one of the largest technology companies in the world. As they build, purchase, and partner with different services, their aim is to have any tool you need for your business available within their software.
And now, Salesforce has expanded this offering with Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Formally Demandware, this service is cloud-based and helps companies centralize the way they engage with customers during the sales and shipping process. This offering helps you to sell and fulfill on any channel, deliver fast and efficient fulfillment, offers order lifecycle visibility, simplifies complex order routing, and allows your business to scale on a trusted platform. Plus it integrates into several fulfillment and shipping partners your company may need to utilize.
What is Order Fulfillment?
Order fulfillment is the all important task of assembling and shipping an order to your customer. It is the process in which a product goes from your warehouse to your customers front porch all inclusive of packing, shipping, and handling. Though Salesforce Commerce Cloud gives you in depth information on customer profiles, connects your inventory and fulfillment data to your CRM, and automates sending an order to your fulfillment partner, it does not yet have the option to get your product to your customer for you. Meaning you will need to find a fulfillment partner to work with in order to complete your logistical process.
How Does Salesforce Commerce Cloud Fulfillment Process Work?
With this commerce portal, you can connect to a provider’s platform, and send them orders for your business. The platform can connect to the fulfillment and shipping provider of your choice with custom API connections and workflow automations. And as orders are completed you can filter this information back into your Salesforce instance to get historical data on your customers.
What Does A Salesforce Commerce Cloud Order Fulfillment Provider Do?
Once an order is received, a fulfillment provider will pick the order from your inventory. Pack it, including any specialized packing or boxes for your company. Print shipping labels and send it to your customer on your preferred method of shipment. Many fulfillment providers have their own shipping trucks take your product directly from the fulfillment facility to your customer. Others contract with other shipping companies to get you the best competitive shipping rates on the market.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Salesforce Commerce Cloud Order Fulfillment Service?
With the Salesforce Commerce Cloud you can connect your commerce channels to your marketing and sales channels so you can see the big picture in one place. This platform will help you reduce costs, increase sales, and is a flexible and trusted commerce solution. With in depth automation you can customize workflows and processes specific to your company. And when it comes to selling where your customers shop, Salesforce Commerce Cloud can connect to any channel. As your business needs grow you can continue to integrate and scale with others within their vast partner network.
Find out more about ShipHero’s Fulfillment Solution!
Factors to Consider While Selecting an Order Fulfillment Partner for Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Order Fulfillment Speed
The speed of your fulfillment is a big factor when customers make the decision to return to your store. In a world of single day and two day shipping, waiting any longer can stop your customers from completing orders, and send them looking elsewhere. As you search for order fulfillment partners keep this in mind and look for their average shipping times as well as expedited shipping time and costs so you can get your product to your customers when they want it.
Storage and Fulfillment Fees
When you store inventory with a fulfillment partner, they will likely utilize different fees for different aspects of your inventory. These fees could be regarding weight and size of the product, as well as fees to get your order picked, packed, and shipped. They can range roughly $3 to 5$ per item. And if you have multiple items in an order at once, some companies offer a bulk rate.
Pricing
Additional costs for fulfillment providers may include storage costs, inventory distribution costs, bin occupation, palletizing costs, and much more. These round up to your overly monthly cost with a fulfillment provider. As you hunt for the perfect fulfillment partner, you can ask for a breakdown of costs in order to understand exactly what you’ll be paying and why. The best fulfillment partners will look at your current fulfillment spend, compare it to your needs, and help you find a process which saves you money and returns more margin to your pocket.
Returns Management
The hassle of returns can quickly turn off a customer. If they have a bad experience with your product, then have a bad return experience, you can almost guarantee they won’t purchase from you again. A good fulfillment provider can help you navigate the road to returns with return automation, warranties, and exchanges. Then they can also help you either ship the product back to a manufacturer (if the problem is a manufacturer defect) or restock the item into your inventory though this may come with restocking fees.
What To Look For In A Salesforce Commerce Cloud Fulfillment Partner
eCommerce Platform Integration
This integration is important because it will help connect your business systems together. Which means you can see your customers orders, inventory, sales, marketing, and accounting in one place. It gives you the advantage by allowing your brand to keep up when many customers convert on multiple channels at once. And it helps you eliminate manual data entry, and improves order accuracy and automates customer notifications through their buying journey. An integration into your eCommerce platform is essential.
Multichannel Integration
In your eCommerce strategy, multichannel integration means you have the ability to connect different systems or platforms involved in your eCommerce strategy together so you can streamline the processes between them and create a consistent shopping experience for your customers. With a multichannel integration you can sell online, instore, on amazon, on etsy, and many other locations. Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Google, and Walmart are key places to sell and a prime example of multichannel retailers.
Ease of Use
Whatever platform you choose, you shouldn’t need to be a rocket scientist to use it. Keep ease of use in mind when searching for a fulfillment provider. These solutions should make your life easier, not more complicated.
How We Chose the Best Salesforce Commerce Cloud Fulfillment Companies
The companies below can integrate directly into your Salesforce Commerce Cloud and are decided to help your business fulfillment processes shine. Each of them have specific pros and cons which we have evaluated and outlined for you below. Remember, choosing a fulfillment partner for your business makes a big difference for the customer experience, so make sure you choose a partner who understands your needs!
Best Salesforce Commerce Cloud Fulfillment Companies
Here are the Best Salesforce Commerce Cloud Fulfillment Companies:
1. ShipHero
If you want to dump the headache of running your own warehouse, or if you want to run your warehouse more efficiently, ShipHero has a solution. With a fully outsourced fulfillment option their clients have a powerful all encompassing logistics solution at their fingertips.
Pros
- Fully outsourced fulfillment solution
- User-friendly software interface
- eCommerce Integration
- Effective customer support
Cons
- Only 8 owned and operated warehouses
Pricing
- 0$ Setup
- Pick, pack, box & postage included in cost
- Can request a quote on website
- Flat rate, no zone pricing
Find out more about ShipHero’s Fulfillment Solution!
2. Unicommerce
This cloud based eCommerce solution can help automate your logistical needs. They ship directly to the customer, and provide a consistent customer experience with their omnichannel retailing solutions.
Pros
- Simplifies order processing
- Easy to use software
- Sell in various marketplaces
Cons
- Return management isn’t available
- Doesn’t work with FBA sellers
Pricing
- Choose from Standard, Professional, or Enterprise plans
- Can request a quote in the website
3. ERPAG
This cloud-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system is designed with small businesses in mind. It is a simple, fully customizable platform with inventory management capabilities.
Pros
- Small Business in mind
- Account integration included
- Customer Portal
- More than 50 shipper integrations
Cons
- eCommerce Integration only with Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, and Magento
Pricing
- 15 day free trial
- Pay by number of users
- Transparent pricing of $25/user/month
4. NetSuite
Acquired by Oracle in November 2016, NetSuite can help you host eCommerce stores, manage your inventory, track financials, and update customer relationship management systems.
Pros
- Cloud based ERP system
- Wholesale Distribution
- Software suite with additional plugins
Cons
- Works best if all systems are tied back to NetSuite
- Heavy learning curve
Pricing
- Schedule a product tour
- Monthly licensing fee + user fees
5. GoFrugal
An easy to use omnichannel ERP, GoFrugal helps you transform the customer experience and start online business with low investment. Plus if you join their ONDC network, you can push your market reach to new heights!
Pros
- ERPs for Retail, Restaurant, Distribution
- Help revamp the customer buying experience
- Loyalty program module
- Easy to use
Cons
- No way to bulk update prices
- Users report support team experience could be improved
Pricing
- Includes starter, standard, professional, and ERP plans
- Pay as you grow with cloud pricing
6. Zoho Inventory
This online inventory management software helps growing business in the US. With them you can manage and fulfill orders, streamline multiple sales channels, and oversee your warehouses. You can even manage your inventory on the go as their app works on both Android and iOS devices.
Pros
- Multiple shipping integrations
- End-to-end tracking
- Warehouse management
- Several out of the box integrations
Cons
- Focused on US businesses only
Pricing
- Free to sign up
- Allows for a demo account
- Pricing plans include several different options to choose from
Find out more about ShipHero’s Fulfillment Solution!
7. ShippingEasy
On their website, ShippingEasy claims to give their clients access to the lowest USPS shipping rates in the industry. Plus their easy-to-use platform integrates quickly and helps you automate workflows within your business.
Pros
- Discounted USPS and UPS shipping rates
- Automatic order imports
- Award winning support
- Several marketplace integrations
Cons
- Doesn’t store or handle your inventory
Pricing
- Free plan option
- Paid plan includes free trial
Final Thoughts
Your fulfillment journey will continually change. As you grow and expand so too should your fulfillment partner. We hope the above offers you several options you can consider as your business grows and moves through its fulfillment journey.
Order Fulfillment for Salesforce Commerce Cloud FAQs
What Is Order Fulfillment in Salesforce?
In salesforce Order Fulfillment will help you streamline the picking, packing, and shipment of your orders. It includes a package within the CRM which contains simple flows and processes you can use to create a fulfillment strategy for your business.
How Do I Create a Fulfillment Order in Salesforce?
In Salesforce, you can build automated processes to streamline your order fulfillment. Meaning when a customer selects “order”, your process will automatically send the order to the fulfillment provider you partner with.
What Is Included in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
With the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, you get several features including the tools to create a highly responsive eCommerce website, Commerce Cloud Endless Aisle, Commerce Portals, Order Management, and access to extensive partners to help you with any business need. This is built directly into the core Salesforce Platform and is available to current users at an added cost.
