Are you looking for an innovative way to increase revenue without creating excessive workloads for yourself and your team? White-glove fulfillment might be the answer! But what is it, and more importantly, how can you manage white glove fulfillment services at scale? Don’t worry – this blog has all the answers you need. From finding your niche in the industry to earning a good return on investment, this blog provides guidance on incorporating white-glove fulfillment into your current business model.
Organizational Efficiencies: Do You Have Enough Warehouse Space?
Ensuring that your orders are well taken care of is important, which is why white glove service needs extra attention. Stocking items like bubble wrap or foam inserts can take up more space in the warehouse than standard packing requirements. Consider setting up a special packing station specifically for white glove orders to avoid any mix-ups and help maintain employee efficiency. It’s all about finding the right organizational balance – with great planning, you can achieve the perfect combination of space and order accuracy.
Having the right workflow for packing is essential, and it will be important to assess the available warehouse space to ensure there is enough room for all your packing needs. The volume, type of products, and size of the packing station must be considered carefully so that you have one-touch efficiency when organizing items for shipping. Streamlining this process can help keep errors down while promoting a faster throughput, so it’s worth taking the time to get organized and find the most efficient way of packing for your white glove service. To optimize your packers’ workflows, start by considering all the factors in play and create a plan that works best with your goals and resources.
Having warehouse managers adept in their Tetris skills can be beneficial when optimizing space through reorganizing. With the right tools and dedicated stations for white glove packing needs, it will be much easier to manage it all.
Employee Efficiency: Can you Designate a White Glove Packer?
Keeping an eye on employee efficiency in white glove packing ensures your warehousing operations are profitable. Designating the right person or persons for this type of job will pay off in the long run, as white-glove packing can sometimes take a bit longer – and you don’t want to lose time! Finding out who your best packers are and giving them the responsibility of handling white glove shipments is a great way to ensure that they are efficient while keeping costs low.
As any 3PL company knows, time is money. When it comes to efficiency, wasting time on something like creating a single order kit can add up quickly. The need to repeatedly go back and forth across the warehouse over and over again takes valuable moments away from getting packages ready and out the door. Time wasters such as this are one of the many reasons why efficiency tracking should be taken into account when evaluating your operations.
The second reason why white glove fulfillment may slow you down is that, since items involved with white glove services must remain as unscathed as possible, the picking and packing process needs to be done in a way that ensures minimal touches. That’s why creating a warehouse space specifically tailored for such tasks can be incredibly beneficial.
Having an efficient packing process can make all the difference when it comes to streamlining your warehouse. Having a designated “white glove packer” could be beneficial in optimizing your workflow, as they can assess and select the proper shipping supplies for each product. Investing in packing items designed to make their job easier, like conveyor belts, can save time and make every process smoother. By getting products closer to the packer or relocating finished packages to a staging area for shipping, you can help get products out on time!
Automation Rules: Can your WMS Support White Glove Fulfillment?
Managing white glove fulfillment at scale requires more than just a strong team – you need a warehouse management system that can support it, too! When managing white glove items, your WMS should be able to separate them from your regular processes so they don’t get mixed up or slow down your workflow. To do this successfully, you’ll want to look for an automated solution that allows you to provide “special projects” like white glove fulfillment with the speed and precision it deserves. That way, you are sure your team and customers will have a seamless experience every time.
Automation and your WMS should be integral to any white glove fulfillment setup. Automated rules are a great way to streamline the logistics process, allowing you and your team to focus on providing that extra-special care associated with white glove fulfillment. Automating these processes also makes it easier for you to keep track of all the fine details that can easily get lost in manual processing, simplifying everything with one-touch ease.
Examples of White Glove Fulfillment
White glove fulfillment is becoming increasingly popular for businesses that are aiming to give their customers an unforgettable unboxing experience. It requires a lot of planning and attention to detail, but when done right, it can be a fantastic way to bring in repeat business. White glove fulfillment solutions involve custom packaging and extra touches like branded swag or personalized notes that help boost the customer’s satisfaction. In addition, this approach adds extra value that leaves a lasting impression, encouraging customers to return for more. A successful white glove service can set your business apart from your competition and maximize customer loyalty.
Delivering large or fragile items to customers can be a complicated task – it takes special packaging and attention to detail, so it’s no wonder why more and more businesses are turning to white-glove fulfillment when it comes to these projects. The extra expense is worth it for the clients because receiving their purchases in perfect condition will keep their customers happy and coming back for more.
Are you Ready to Scale your Fulfillment?
Scaling your 3PL services can be a big undertaking for businesses needing more than just regular order fulfillment. It’s important to take the time to consider the overall efficiency of your warehouse, pickers, and customers when looking at growth opportunities. Streamlining and building up specific operations that work best with your current and future clients may be the most beneficial approach toward expanding naturally. You know what works best for you and your company, so why not explore the options available? From consolidating orders professionally or finding solutions that elevate the customer experience through specialized services, there are many paths forward that can help take your business to the next level!
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Maggie M. Barnett, Esq. COO of ShipHero – Author
About the author: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., is the COO of ShipHero. She is responsible for planning and executing the overall operational, legal, managerial, and administrative procedures, reporting structures, and operational controls of the organization. Barnett’s greatest strengths are leadership, risk mitigation, change management, and a passion for business transformation. She is known for her expertise in delivering operational excellence and her ability to provide guidance and mitigate risk. Her leadership of ShipHero is grounded in a servant mentality, always doing the right thing for our stakeholders. Her passion for ShipHero comes from the ability to drive operational excellence throughout the organization impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and partners.
