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By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

As online shopping continues to ramp up, more eCommerce brands are rethinking their approach to marketing by getting the most out of their digital channels.

With eCommerce on such a steady rise, many brands are turning to an omnichannel retail strategy to boost their market presence and build a more satisfying customer journey.

What is Omnichannel Commerce?

Omnichannel is an approach to lead acquisition where a brand’s products or services can be accessed on all digital platforms and on any device. This gives customers the ability to shop for your eCommerce products by whatever means they prefer.

For example, rather than offer a product or service on a desktop website only, omnichannel allows brands to reach customers via mobile, live chat, social media or by phone. By only offering products on a desktop website, brands exclude potential customers that do their online shopping on mobile devices, or on social media platforms.

Omnichannel retailing creates a personalized customer journey, allowing buyers to access your products in the way that works best for them, giving them a unified and customized experience across all platforms. This way, items related to previous purchases can be pushed to their feed, helping them make decisions with ease and increasing the likelihood of them returning in the future.

Omnichannel vs. Multichannel

In order to provide your customers with the best shopping experience possible, multichannel and omnichannel are equally important. While omnichannel grants customers with cohesive messaging and content across digital platforms, it isn’t possible without a multichannel approach as well.

Multichannel extends that consistency to your brick and mortar store. With these two marketing strategies working in tandem, customers can shop your products via their preferred channel, or have the option to pick up their items from your physical storefront.

Benefits of Omnichannel Marketing

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of omnichannel marketing and how to know when it’s time to embrace this approach and scale your eCommerce brand.

Superior Customer Experience

According to Accenture, 74% of online shoppers reported frustration when served content that has nothing to do with their interests, making them unlikely to complete a purchase and reluctant to return to the store later on.

Whether they realize it or not, customers these days expect an omnichannel shopping experience. Recommendations, price comparisons and personalized interfaces have become the norm for modern eCommerce, and by not implementing omnichannel marketing, you’ll be missing out on potential sales.

This specially tailored content not only encourages customers to purchase products, but the elevated experience means they’ll be more likely to return.

Increase of Traffic & Sales

Rather than waiting for customers to make their way to your store, an omnichannel strategy gets your brand in front of customers where they already are.

This is especially important for scaling eCommerce brands. By expanding your reach across digital channels, your brand becomes much more accessible. Rather than waiting for them to seek out your eCommerce brand directly, customers are provided with a multitude of opportunities to stumble upon your products.

New Marketing Opportunities

If your brand hasn’t already expanded into certain communication channels, getting an omnichannel strategy off the ground might seem like a heavy lift. Setting up, branding and connecting multiple accounts can be time consuming, but rolling out these new platforms can open you up to new marketing opportunities.

Adopting omnichannel for your eCommerce brand gives you the opportunity to build out new channels with a solid marketing strategy behind them. Text messaging, email and multiple social media platforms are all essential parts of modern retail. If you’re looking for new ways to branch out in the digital realm, but want to ensure those initiatives are worthwhile, having an overarching omnichannel approach in place could provide the value you’re looking for.

How do you evaluate omnichannel?

While an omnichannel strategy does involve multiple content channels and lines of communication, it’s essential that the messaging from those channels is cohesive and comes from a single brand identity. Whether your customer engages with a social post, a marketing email or a salesperson over the phone, it’s important that they get the same answer to their question.

The best way to evaluate the quality of your omnichannel approach is how well each of your communication tools tie together. Without consistent pricing and brand information across platforms, you can easily leave customers confused or frustrated, making them less likely to seek out your store in the future.

Conclusion

Transitioning to an omnichannel strategy might seem like a big initiative. Making sure you have consistent marketing communications across all channels, as well as providing customers with a unified experience takes a lot of planning, usually across several departments.

However, with industry trends indicating that eCommerce is the future, and with customer expectations evolving every day, omnichannel marketing helps ensure your brand can stay competitive and in touch with your customer base.If you’re looking for a partner to help your eCommerce scale to new heights, contact the Software Experts at ShipHero today.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

‍ShipHero

‍About the author:  Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO at ShipHeroOver the years, plenty of brands moved their fulfillment outsourcing overseas, setting up a series of complications in the wake of COVID-19. While the pandemic continues to disrupt supply chains, brands are taking the opportunity to reevaluate their logistics processes and build a stronger shipping plan. By taking steps to identify pain points, leverage warehouse data, and bring outsourced fulfillment closer to home, the interrupted logistics network can become less of a daunting obstacle.

1. Identify supply chain pain points

The first step to solving supply chain woes is to identify where the pain points are. Most eCommerce brands are hitting roadblocks when importing their products into the U.S. and communicating with their fulfillment partners.Whether it’s a lack of flexibility, an inability to meet customer demand, or outdated IT systems, it’s essential to understand specific areas of trouble in order to start making improvements. The best way to narrow down the exact issues impacting your supply chain is by leveraging warehouse data.

2. Leveraging warehouse data

To get an idea for where there’s room for improvement, brands are beefing up their data capture and analysis procedures. This elevated visibility offers a way to better understand inventory, customer demand, warehouse capacity and how these factors drive the cost of running a business. Without a digitally driven logistics operation, risk mitigation becomes infinitely more difficult. In such a volatile supply chain environment, improved visibility is a key initiative for emerging consumer brands aiming to optimize their fulfillment processes.

3. Mitigate supply chain risks

For years, eCommerce brands moved their fulfillment outsourcing to other countries, opening the door to an untenable amount of risk that went mostly ignored until the onset of the pandemic.Now, brands are opting to bring their fulfillment operations back in-country, granting them more control and flexibility when shipping products to their customers’ doorstep. While this might come with a higher price tag than warehouses in another country, mitigating the risk of bottlenecks and inventory shortages is well worth it. While the fulfillment outsourcing cost might be higher in-country, the ability to get supplies and shipments reliably will help meet customer expectations and avoid expensive issues down the line.

4. Communication within the business

For any successful business, communication is key. That’s especially true for teams juggling the uncertainties of today’s supply chain. In order to avoid bottlenecks and mis-ships, sales, devs and warehouse workers need to all be on the same page.For brands working through multiple 3PLs, communication is especially difficult. When evaluating your shipping partnerships, it’s a good idea to find fulfillment outsourcing options that offer more efficient and holistic processes.Communication with your customer base has also gained new importance in light of shipping complications. Being upfront about delivery times, or including a breakdown of raised prices can go a long way when building trust in your customer relationships.

5. Determine the best supply chain solution for you

No two eCommerce brands are exactly alike, and the shipping solutions that work for one business might not apply to another. There’s no cut and dry solution to today’s supply chain issues, so brands need to find creative, custom solutions that empower their customers, employees and shipping partners.

Conclusion

Outsourcing fulfillment, especially with multiple 3PLs, can easily complicate any of the steps listed above, so it’s important to seek out reliable partnerships that can set your brand up for success in the long term. That’s why so many brands are turning to ShipHero for a reliable fulfillment option that offers superior data management. From emerging eCommerce stores to Fortune 500s, ShipHero helps clients grow their business with a dependable shipping partnership. If you're struggling to get your Fulfillment Operations under control, contact ShipHero's Fulfillment Experts today to talk about our fully outsourced fulfillment solution.Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting TodayMaggie M. Barnett, Esq., COOShipHeroAbout 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 an ability to provide guidance and mitigating 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.Follow Maggie on Twitter&LinkedIn.

How Brands Are Adapting to New Consumer Needs

By: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO at ShipHeroEven before today’s supply chain challenges, customer expectations for faster, high quality shipping options put a strain on eCommerce businesses. On top of the growing demand for speedier delivery and better customer support, the worldwide supply chain interruption brought on by the pandemic has driven brands to seek out new shipping solutions. From independent online stores to giant corporations, all retailers have had difficulty getting products to their customer’s doorstep. As the logistics landscape continues to evolve, many eCommerce companies are turning to micro-fulfillment centers as a more reliable option.

Advantages of Micro-Fulfillment Centers (MFCs)

The size and structure of typical warehouses can make them a bit inflexible when faced with new challenges and a changing economy. As a result, micro-fulfillment centers, or MFCs, have grown in popularity among small to medium sized brands by providing a cheaper warehouse option, without the rigid limitations of traditional fulfilment providers. These facilities clear the way for faster delivery, streamlined data management and better restocking procedures.

Faster Product Delivery & Curb-Side Pickup

By converting existing retail space or underused warehouses, MFCs help reduce the distance between the customer and their order. Not only does this shrink the expected delivery time, but also gives buyers the option to pick up their order on-site. In recent years, curb-side pickup has become an expectation for anyone ordering products online. By switching to an MFC, eCommerce brands can offer pickups and let their customers choose the most convenient option for themselves.The option to buy online and pick up in store (BOPIS) is a relatively new feature adopted by large brands in an effort to combat supply chain limitations. By employing BOPIS into the customer journey, brands can offer a convenient buying experience that MFCs make possible. Rather than shipping an order from across the country, existing store fronts in the customer’s area can help supply the item, allowing for a more cost effective method of getting products to customers.

Leverage Retail Storage Space

Given the quick expansion of online shopping, warehouse space can be hard to come by. In fact, large brands set records for leasing retail space in 2021 as they try to find speedier shipping channels that limit last-mile logistics. Brick and mortar store fronts with underused back-room space have become valuable assets for brands looking to diversify their shipping procedures. If a customer places an order for an out-of-stock item, a nearby storefront might have it on hand. The product can then quickly be shipped to where the customer arranged for the pickup. Using a traditional warehouse arrangement, the customer would have to wait for the product to be restocked in order to make a purchase, or more likely, choose a different retailer altogether. MFCs can give companies a competitive edge by ensuring items for sale are actually available and can be delivered in a timely manner.

Warehouse Data Management

Since the beginning of the pandemic, interrupted supply chains have made tracking inventory much more difficult, but smaller fulfillment centers can help simplify data management. By opting for an MFC structure, online brands get a little more insight into what’s being sold, where it’s headed and when the warehouse needs to be restocked. The extra attention that each individual shipment gets also means fewer mistaken deliveries and better quality control. This superior data management makes it easier to identify product shortages before customers order something that's already out of stock.

Strategic Warehouse Stocking

One of the major benefits to micro-fulfillment centers is brands can be more selective about where to send their products. Rather than stock a company’s entire inventory, these smaller facilities hold the highest selling items in their given geographic area. This tactic allows brands to strategically stock their warehouses and be better prepared to meet their customers’ demand. By getting products closer to their final destination, MFCs limit last mile shipping, allowing for speedier delivery and more satisfied customers.The elevated level of transparency that comes with stocking an MFC means products can move from warehouse to store seamlessly, without the guessing and uncertainty that comes with a traditional fulfillment center.

Brands Converting to Micro-fulfillment

As the new normal for shipping continues to unfold, eCommerce brands are changing along with it. Micro-fulfillment centers offer a way to overcome current pandemic shipping woes, while providing a scalable shipping solution for the years ahead. If you need help guaranteeing reliable, secure delivery with superior data management, then consider shipping your products with ShipHero. We’re already helping Fortune 500s and thousands of fast-growing DTC brands deliver orders safely.If you’re new to ShipHero Fulfillment, please schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about how we can help you get your orders picked, packed, and delivered with our fulfillment service. No setup fees, simply pay as you go. ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting TodayMaggie M. Barnett, Esq., COOShipHeroAbout 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 an ability to provide guidance and mitigating 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.Follow Maggie on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHeroAt ShipHero, our teams are constantly looking for ways to make our clients’ lives easier. Often this results in us tweaking our software or streamlining some internal processes. But even more frequently, it means finding and partnering with other organizations with the same goal. One of our newest integration partners is Pipe17. And we’re thrilled with the level of connectivity and customization that Pipe17 can pass along to ShipHero Software clients.

Why Pipe17?

One of our primary reasons for partnering with Pipe17 is that their entire business was designed to help and grow eCommerce businesses. Pipe17 started from the foundation that connecting all the programs you need to run a successful, digital-first business shouldn’t be a chore. This falls in line with ShipHero’s overriding goal to make it easy to ship eCommerce. We want our clients to see the value in having streamlined processes, custom workflows and a partner that understands what they need. Pipe17 also brings crucial connections to our clients that ShipHero didn’t have before now. We’re excited to give our clients the advantage of connecting platforms such as QuickBooks or NetSuite with ShipHero via Pipe17. The more of your systems that work with and “talk” to each other, the more streamlined your operation will be.

An Omnichannel Leader

Another of Pipe17’s strengths is their ability to help eCommerce businesses get the most out of omnichannel selling. This notion of selling across channels while maintaining the same level of customer satisfaction and also meeting the new fulfillment demands of in-store pickup and curbside delivery are only going to expand in 2022.Pipe17 works with WMS platforms like ShipHero to help clients define specific rules for shipments, certain products or particular marketplaces. It’s easier than ever to designate these different orders for a variety of fulfillment options - including dropshipping, buy online, pick-up in store or warehouse fulfillment. Pipe17 leverages a client’s network of warehouses, current SKU availability and location to make the smartest fulfillment plan possible. For details on how Pipe17 supports ShipHero Fulfillment clients, click here.ShipHero is aware of the importance of omnichannel selling, especially as vaccination rates rise and bring customers back to storefronts. This led to more customers doing multi-platform buying - often starting a purchase on mobile and finishing it online to then go pick it up in store. Any tools that can make this omnichannel process easier to navigate is a huge benefit to our eCommerce clients. And it’s just another reason why our partnership with Pipe17 is so important. For more details on how Pipe17 supports ShipHero SaaS clients, click here.

More Data = Better Insights

We learned early at ShipHero that having a full, 360-degree view of your warehouse and shipping operations gives clients the benefit to make smarter decisions, improve processes and encourage innovation. So, imagine the possibilities with even more data at the fingertips of clients? By adding in Pipe17 integrations with finance and ERPs, there are even more ways for clients to parse the data and view the overall picture of their warehouse’s performance and find more ways to improve. And because Pipe17 is all about no fuss, no muss integrations, setting up these connections is easier than ever.

Conclusion

All of this data helps clients to scale their businesses at a rate they’re comfortable with and gives them the insight to know it’ll be successful. Growing your business is the most important thing, and both Pipe17 and ShipHero can help you do it. Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our WMS built for eCommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting TodayAaron Rubin, Founder & CEOShipHeroAbout the author: Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHeroHow many seconds or minutes have you ever spent searching for a pen, a folder, a paperclip under piles of paper, on the floor, in the trash can (how did it get in the trash can)? And once you’ve found it, now you’re annoyed you lost it in the first place, and your zen-like state of productivity is long gone.Maybe this isn’t quite as common an occurrence as it once was, but there are always small things that get in the way of us working as efficiently as possible. A lost pen, 10 extra steps in the warehouse, an iPad with a dead battery … all of these take away from the time we could be working and kill our efficiency. This is the story of how one adaptive gaming controller revolutionized our packing station efficiency leveraging our Warehouse Management Software (WMS) along with our strong warehouse processes.

Barcode Scanning Loses its Shine

There is no doubt that handheld barcode scanners are a lifesaver, especially when talking about picking and packing in a warehouse. They reduce errors, allow for better quality assurance and save time. However, there is still always a bit of lag between picking up the scanner, scanning the barcode and then placing the scanner down to continue working. Especially when you’re in the critical packing phase of an order. Maybe it’s one or two seconds, but shave those few seconds off every order you pack, and you’ve accumulated a lot of time.This was the challenge for our ShipHero fulfillment centers where we also use our WMS; our packers who were unbelievably fast, wanted to be faster. They were looking for a non-wearable option. However, when the team investigated other options, like buttons for example they were either unreliable, inconsistent or far too expensive to make logical sense. So, maybe the handheld barcode scanner was as good as it gets.

Gaming to the Rescue

ShipHero employee, Lucas Warner, was still frustrated by this issue. Knowing there had to be a solution to the button issue, he started to think about what type of device currently existed that was durable, adaptive and fairly easy to program. The answer lies in the gaming community. Xbox® released an adaptive game controller meant for gamers with limited mobility and less-than-fine motor skills. This type of device was exactly what could work for packing stations at ShipHero. When combined with a Logitech® button kit and some open source software, a solution was born.

One (or 17) Buttons to Rule Them All

Now with the touch of one or two buttons, packers can instruct ShipHero’s WMS to print the label/invoice and complete the order. The system uses different box sizes as the main differentiator. Once the box barcode is “scanned” - again at the touch of a button, instead of a handheld barcode scanner, ShipHero’s WMS knows what to do. In total, there are currently 17 buttons that can be programmed with different command codes. Two of them are taken by the first two functions mentioned above (print label/invoice, complete the order). The other 15 are up for grabs. The cost to make this upgrade is nominal - in fact, it’s cheaper than a socket mobile scanner, which is what most of our clients use in their warehouses. The only hiccup right now is that, like many electronics devices, adaptive controllers and button kits can be hard to come by. So, if you’re looking to outfit a dozen stations, you might need to do it in waves instead of all at once.

But Why?

When any new process replaces an older one that seemingly still works, the question is always, “But why?” Why should you bother to make this change?Here are my top reasons:

1. It’s more efficient. Even your fastest packers will improve their speed.
2. It’s more cost-effective in the long run. It costs less than socket mobile scanners and the controller is meant to be durable. In the 18 months we’ve been using them, they haven’t had one controller wear out. (One died, but that was an internal connection issue - it wasn’t from overuse).
3. It’s fun! Call me crazy, but packing orders all day isn’t that much fun. Your packers will get the tactile satisfaction of slapping buttons and accomplishing something.

I realize this last one might seem like a little who cares? But consider your current warehouse situation. Who are you looking to hire? Chances are you need new workers that may be a part of a generation already familiar with gaming and the satisfaction it brings. The gamification of shipping is not a passing fad - it’s more of a long-term solution. For example, ShipHero introduced the Hero Board - a running list of the top packers for the day - and it’s been a huge success. It helps to motivate the entire team to get more done and work more efficiently. Using an adaptive controller adds even more of a game-like feel to this friendly competition.There’s also no discounting the “coolness” factor.

Innovation is the Future

People are always talking about innovation, AI and robotics in warehousing. And that stuff is coming - for some of you it’s part of your daily routine, and for others it’s still on your bucket list. But this type of innovation - a possible 3x upgrade in efficiency for a couple of hundred bucks, might reap bigger dividends in the short term than you could imagine. If you’re a current ShipHero WMS client, for steps on how to adapt your packer stations to game controller buttons, click HERE for the Knowledge Base article. If you’re new to ShipHero, schedule a meeting today with our software experts to learn more about our WMS built for ecommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEOShipHeroAbout the author: Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHeroProviding fast, reliable shipping is crucial for growing your eCommerce retail brand. Pitney Bowe’s Holiday Shipping Survey found that over 90% of consumers consider shipping options a vital factor in their shopping experience, so meeting these expectations is crucial.Unfortunately, eCommerce retailers face many challenges with shipping. Some of the most common issues are:

Scaling fulfillment as you grow

As your eCommerce brand grows, managing supply chain processes becomes increasingly challenging. More stock needs to be managed, more orders must be fulfilled, and your team may struggle to keep up. Eventually, hiring more workers becomes necessary, which drives your costs up and won’t necessarily optimize inventory management.

Keeping up with major retailers and their fast delivery speeds

Outdoing that one competitor that copied your brand colors and runs suspiciously similar marketing campaigns to yours isn’t difficult, but when it comes to shipping speeds, you’re not just competing with other brands. You’re up against major eCommerce platforms like Amazon that offer expedited shipping, including free 2-day delivery options. Offering expedited shipping is costly for most growing eCommerce brands, and if you can pull it off, your options are to eat the costs or charge your customers more. Unfortunately, both options have serious drawbacks and can hurt your bottom line significantly.

Knowing when & how to leverage data

Effectively managing fulfillment processes, including inventory, involves a great deal of data, analytics, and reporting. Unfortunately, many eCommerce retailers struggle with accurate data logging and making sense of the information. Inventory reports, order history, pick and pack team reports, and other information is only useful if your team knows how to leverage them adequately.

Training & hiring warehouse fulfillment experts

Hiring a less experienced labor force may seem cost-effective on the surface. After all, fewer labor costs, less expenditure, right? Except it isn’t that simple.Warehouse fulfillment includes many processes that have to be executed efficiently and with great care. Otherwise, orders get delayed, and packages are damaged. Since inexperienced workers are less efficient and prone to making mistakes, your bottom line may suffer from costly returns and unhappy customers. Your options are to either train a less-experienced workforce or to hire experts, and both choices can be quite expensive.

Demand forecasting & inventory management

How do eCommerce retailers know which products are running low and when to reorder? How do brands prepare for the peak holiday season and demand surges? Answer: by managing inventory and forecasting demand.Unfortunately, efficiently managing inventory and accurately forecasting demand can be challenging. To monitor real-time inventory levels, eCommerce retailers need systems that actively record when items enter or leave the warehouse. Additionally, to forecast demand, you need systems that analyze previous data and industry trends to predict future orders. eCommerce marketplace fulfillmentMarketplace fulfillment helps small and medium-sized eCommerce retailers gain a competitive edge, but marketplaces have strict tenants in place that are challenging to fulfill.Marketplace fulfillment also comes with drawbacks that may hinder your customer’s experience - eCommerce retailers don’t have active control over the shipping process, which means you can’t directly prevent delays or incorrect deliveries.

Warehouse management software

Outdated warehouse management software (WMS) is not suited to meet the needs of modern eCommerce retailers. Many retailers have old WMS that is optimized for managing truck loads. However, the eCommerce market is overflowing with larger volumes of small orders. Thus, retailers need a WMS that can accurately track these orders, monitor inventory levels, and keep up with large order volumes.

Fulfillment tools

Fulfillment tools have come a long way - retailers can now optimize warehousing processes with the help of automation, conveyor belts, machinery such as cranes and forklifts, and even robots. However, buying these fulfillment tools requires a significant initial investment, and managing them requires a skilled labor force. Thus, eCommerce retailers struggle to get the most out of fulfillment tools, because training and hiring a skilled workforce is expensive and time-consuming for growing brands.

Carrier pricing

Shipping prices vary from carrier to carrier, and there is no designated ‘best’ partner to ship with. Some carriers may offer better rates for smaller packages, while others may be ideal for heavier items. To keep your costs low, and the prices your customers pay, it’s important to pick the carrier offering the lowest rates for each order.Unfortunately, calculating shipping rates with different carriers for each order, and comparing the costs, is a challenge many eCommerce retailers face.

How ShipHero’s WMS turns you into a fulfillment expert

ShipHero’s leading warehouse management software helps the fastest growing eCommerce retailers scale their fulfillment operations and optimize their workflow. And here’s how.

Automation rules & APIs

ShipHero’s WMS lets retailers set automation rules in response to actions and triggers. You can set automation rules to send order-related emails, set reorder points, and select shipping methods based on zip codes. Additionally, ShipHero’s API is built on GraphQL to meet the needs of individual businesses. You have complete control over how much data to pull based on your unique implementation needs.

Better analytics & reporting

ShipHero’s WMS delivers real-time data and analytics, so eCommerce retailers can accurately track inventory, optimize inventory management processes, and identify replenishment needs.

Faster shipping & fewer returns

ShipHero’s tech-enabled fulfillment experts cut down picking and packing times, reduce errors, and carefully manage your packages to protect them from damages. As a result, your orders are shipped faster, and customer returns requests decrease.

Inventory management

ShipHero’s WMS also streamlines inventory management by actively monitoring inventory levels, issuing reorder alerts, multi-warehouse and order allocations to manage automatic product allocation and more.

Mobile pick & pack tools

ShipHero’s secure mobile pick & pack tools help your fulfillment team pick orders faster and more accurately, decreasing shipping times and errors. The mobile application’s intuitive interface takes just 24 hours to get used to, and your team can leverage barcode scanning functionality to guarantee accurate pickings.Additionally, with ShipHero’s BulkShip feature, your team can process bulk orders faster with less manual overhead.

Powerful order management capabilities

ShipHero’s WMS integrates directly with all major eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, including Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce, eBay and more. After integrating into your store, ShipHero’s WMS makes sure your orders are delivered on time.Retailers can use ShipHero’s WMS to track orders and update inventory data, validate customer addresses and details, automatically assign orders, set automation rules, and more.

Smart warehouse routing

ShipHero’s WMS comes with smart warehouse routing that retailers use to automatically allocate orders to any location, as soon as the customer completes the sale.

Or let ShipHero handle fulfillment for you

ShipHero’s leading WMS is trusted by thousands of eCommerce retailers, including leading Fortune 500 brands. However, some merchants prefer to outsource their fulfillment process entirely, so they can focus on growing their eCommerce brand.If you’re looking for an experienced, tech-enabled team to manage your order fulfillment process, here’s why ShipHero is the top choice for fast-growing eCommerce brands:

Real-time visibility

ShipHero Fulfillment keeps our eCommerce partners in the loop by providing real-time visibility and transparency. You can view and track orders, and see how they were packed and when they were shipped.

Inventory management tools

ShipHero’s industry-leading WMS optimizes your inventory and warehouse management processes to cut costs, reduce errors, and deliver better customer experiences. With our accurate demand forecasting, eCommerce retailers are safe from overstocking or running out of in-demand items.

2-day and overnight delivery

ShipHero Fulfillment helps even the fastest-growing retailers keep up with large order volumes and consistently offer expedited shipping at affordable rates. With ShipHero, you can deliver the best customer experiences without compromising your bottom line.

Conclusion

With the eCommerce sector becoming increasingly competitive, eCommerce brands have to meet customer expectations and outdo their competitors to grow steadily. While retailers face many shipping challenges, technology, automation, and an experienced workforce can help brands overcome these issues.Advanced warehouse management software like ShipHero’s helps eCommerce retailers fulfill modern needs, offering advanced analytics and reporting, accurate forecasting, automation rules, and mobile tools to decrease errors and reduce picking times. However, some businesses may benefit more from outsourcing their fulfillment processes entirely to a third party, like ShipHero Fulfillment. In fact, because of how effective 3PLs are, around 90% of Fortune 500s have partnered with one. So whether you need a powerful WMS or the best fulfillment partner, start growing your eCommerce brand today with ShipHero. Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our WMSbuilt for eCommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEOShipHeroAbout the author: Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

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By: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO at ShipHero

Meeting consumers’ growing shipping expectations is critical to maintaining customer loyalty and staying ahead of the competition. 2-day shipping is now the minimum shipping speed that most customers expect. Unfortunately, as these expectations become more demanding, growing eCommerce brands struggle to keep up with them.

Here’s a particularly alarming statistic to give you an idea of where eCommerce shipping currently stands: 75% of consumers expect brands to offer same-day delivery options.

This is a lofty expectation to meet on your own, especially because free shipping is one of the most important purchase-driving factors. So how can eCommerce brands offer faster delivery times? Let’s just say there’s a reason 90% of Fortune 500 companies have partnered with 3PLs.

Why eCommerce merchants need a 3PL

Third-party logistics providers help eCommerce merchants meet consumer shipping expectations without compromising on revenue. 3PLs have specialized logistics teams that optimize your inventory management, order fulfillment, and returns management, among other benefits. In short, 3PLs handle fulfillment while your team focuses on other areas of your business.

Keep up with Amazon’s delivery speeds

Amazon Prime set the benchmark for consumer shipping expectations with its famous 2-day delivery option. Unfortunately, consumers don’t realize how difficult it is for growing eCommerce brands to offer expedited shipping.

Partnering with 3PLs lets you offer 2-day and overnight delivery so you don’t keep losing customers to Amazon and other megacorps, without driving your logistics costs through the roof.

Building your own fulfillment network is costly & time-consuming

Building a fulfillment network lets brands offer expedited shipping by reducing travel costs and time. Unfortunately, building a network is costly and demands a larger labor force - merchants have to rent out, or purchase, multiple warehouses and distribute their inventory, and then hire a workforce for each fulfillment center.

3PL providers have their own fulfillment centers with dedicated logistics teams. You can partner with a 3PL and strategically distribute your inventory across their multiple fulfillment centers, reducing shipping times and costs, without incurring large overhead costs.

3PLs can grow your business

3PLs have their own specialized logistics workforce that’s equipped to help your business expand at scale. Otherwise, if you’re relying on an in-house team, you’ll need to gradually hire more workers as your eCommerce brand grows and the volume of orders increases.

Additionally, if your in-house team lacks experience, pick and pack errors and other problems increase, ultimately affecting your bottom line. 3PLs, on the other hand, have employees with years of logistics experience.

Logistics, including reverse logistics, demand plenty of human resources and management. Thus, outsourcing your order fulfillment to a third-party frees up your own workforce to focus on growing your business.

Enterprise-level reporting capabilities & insights help grow your business

Leading 3PLs have their own warehouse and inventory management software with enterprise-level reporting capabilities, including:

• Real-time insight of inventory levels
• Inventory valuation reports
• Shipment reports that cover every shipped item
• Team-specific reports
• Replenishment monitoring to determine the best time to reorder

And more. Having the right data and analytics just a few clicks away helps eCommerce brands streamline their fulfillment processes and identify problem areas.

3PLs integrate with your eCommerce platform & marketplaces

3PLs solve the multiple marketplace integration dilemmas by seamlessly integrating with all platforms, and making vital information available on one centralized dashboard.

Why eCommerce merchants choose ShipHero

ShipHero serves more than 10% of Shopify plus stores globally and many Fortune 500 companies. We’re trusted by many leading high-growth DTC brands, which is reflected in our outstanding user reviews - Shopify merchants rated us 4.8/5 and TrustPilot users gave us a solid 4.8/5.

Here are 5 reasons that eCommerce merchants choose ShipHero.

Done-for-you fulfillment services

We’ll take care of your warehousing and inventory management, pick and packing operations, shipping, and even reverse logistics. Our experienced, highly trained workforce specializes in efficiently managing logistics operations, minimizing errors, and ensuring orders are always shipped on time.

Direct integrations with eCommerce platforms & marketplaces

ShipHero’s leading warehouse management software (WMS) directly integrates with major eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, including BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and more.

After integrating with different platforms, you can view detailed analytics, insights, and reporting from your central ShipHero dashboard. Additionally, eCommerce merchants can set automation rules to streamline fulfillment operations.

Automation rules perform actions in response to “triggers” - for example, a shipping method could apply automatically in response to a matching zip code, or emails with order tracking links can be sent to customers after their order is shipped.

Easy returns management

With more than 82% of online shoppers willing to say goodbye to a brand due to a bad returns experience, making the returns process seamless is critical to improving your customers’ experience and maintaining their loyalty. Poor returns management can put you at risk of losing customers to your competition.

Here at ShipHero, we process returns as they come in, which is easy thanks to our direct integrations with marketplaces and eCommerce platforms. We offer done-for-you returns processing, so you can focus on growing your brand while we handle the logistics and reverse logistics.

Additionally, ShipHero supports direct integrations with partners like Returnly and Loop, to make return processing easier and risk-free.

Fast delivery & shipping speeds

Fast growing eCommerce brands can struggle with managing their own logistics; as the volume of orders increases, you’re forced to expand your workforce and scale your fulfillment operations accordingly.

Keeping up with the high volume is difficult enough (especially during the peak holiday season), but the costs start adding up too as you hire more logistics personnel. However, eCommerce brands can’t afford to delay orders or deliver incorrect items; convenience is one of the primary reasons consumers have turned to online retailers.

For these reasons, many fast-growing eCommerce brands turn to ShipHero. Our fulfillment services let eCommerce brands consistently offer 2-day and overnight delivery options as you scale.

ShipHero has a network of fulfillment centers for eCommerce brands to distribute their inventory across. A distributed inventory is vital to fulfill orders faster and keep delivery costs low - when customers place an order, it’s shipped from a center closest to them.

Additionally, our integrated WMS uses real-time carrier rate shopping to minimize shipping costs. Thus, offering customers free shipping options becomes more feasible.

ShipHero’s Bulk Ship process helps brands keep up with large order volumes by streamlining the pick and pack processes. This feature is especially useful during the holiday season when your order volume spikes dramatically.

Detailed reporting & insights

ShipHero’s industry-leading WMS arms eCommerce merchants with detailed analytics, reporting and insights. You can instantly access real-time inventory data (including inventory valuation), access team reports, or pull up order information.

Our inventory management and shipping software monitors your inventory levels in real-time and automatically notifies merchants about replenishment needs. You can also set automatic reorder points to prevent shortages or overstocking.

Conclusion

Online consumer expectations have evolved rapidly in recent years, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers are expecting better shopping experiences, expedited shipping options, lower shipping costs, and hassle-free returns.

Meeting all these expectations on your own is challenging, which is why many leading eCommerce brands have partnered with ShipHero. We’re not sales-focused; our primary goal is to help our partners achieve their fulfillment goals and grow sustainably.

So start growing your brand with ShipHero today.

If you’re new to ShipHero Fulfillment, please schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about how we can help you get your orders picked, packed and delivered with our fulfillment service. No setup fees, simply pay as you go. ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO

ShipHero

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 an ability to provide guidance and mitigating 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.

Follow Maggie on Twitter & LinkedIn.

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By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

The holiday season is over (at least for now), and you’re probably taking stock of your business’ performance. You’re examining revenue, profit and loss spreadsheets and hopefully, spending some time to debrief on everything that happened in the last few months (and maybe even, the last few years).

There’s a few things you might see as you pour through this data.

• You over- or undersold products due to inaccurate inventory numbers.
• Your pick/pack error rate skyrocketed during your busiest time of year.
• You don’t have any data to analyze because the person who updates your spreadsheets took a much-deserved vacation, and isn’t caught up yet.These are just a handful of observations you might make – do they sound familiar?

Here’s the dirty secret no one may be willing to tell you – any of these problems, in fact ALL of these problems can be solved by doing one thing – adopting and implementing a robust shipping software platform with inventory and order management features.

Hope you weren’t expecting a flashier answer. Let’s talk a little bit about what shipping software might do for you and your business; how to know it’s time to switch from your current solution (or that you even need one to begin with); and what type of results you can expect if you switch.

Why Shipping Software?

Typically, emerging or rapidly growing brands use one of two systems when they start shipping products: they manage their own inventory, shipping and returns via spreadsheets or Google Sheets and buy a label printer; or they work with a cheap solution that can at least print labels for them without a lot of manual entry.

Some larger eCommerce brands may even try to build their own solution by using different tools to manage inventory, manage orders and manage shipping.

Here’s what happens if you do any of these:

• Your data is never right. Ask any of your competitors. When you’re not using systems that talk to each other automatically, there’s no way for your inventory to sync based on orders, returns or putaway.

At ShipHero, we’ve actually had multiple brands tell us this when they switched from a different solution to ShipHero.

“A main reason we switched from our old solution was the ability to get accurate inventory counts. Our inventory was always off, and it was extremely frustrating.”– Alex Lewkowict, COO & Founder, Black Wolf Nation Skin Care

“Before, we might have had 1,000 units of size ‘medium’ somewhere in the warehouse, but we had no way of knowing how many were available to pickers … Now, we can finally track everything.”– Jake Rajsky, VP, American Tall

Are you noticing a pattern?

• You have a lack of visibility into your process, your warehouse and your inventory. Want an up-to-the-minute snapshot of what’s happening with the inventory in your warehouse? Not available. Want to know how many packages you’ve shipped today? Sorry. How about a report of what inventory you can expect to receive tomorrow? Nope.

With a basic labeling software, these types of reports just aren’t available. In most cases, it will probably take you most of the day, and interfacing with a lot of different people to get the info you want.

At ShipHero, all of your inventory data, order information and shipment statuses are housed in one cloud-based system. Running a report is a few clicks of the mouse. You can even set-up automatic reports that will run on a set schedule and get delivered to your inbox.

• You’re ready to grow, but your system can’t handle it. Known in the biz as scaling, this is also one of the biggest complaints ShipHero hears about other vendors.

There is a tipping point where your current solution (or non-solution) will actually prevent you from growing. It’s normally once you hit an annual revenue of approximately $5 million. At that point, all the spreadsheets in the world aren’t going to get the job done.

“If you’re working out of your garage with your spouse, maybe use ShipStation. If you’re growing, use ShipHero,” Josh Bartholomew, DFTBA.com’s Warehouse Manager told us. He said that once DFTBA hit a certain revenue amount and number of orders, ShipStation just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

How to Know It’s Time To Switch

Aside from some of the big red flags mentioned above, there are a few other clues that it’s time to either switch your shipping software provider or time to get one altogether.

• Your shipments are always late.
• Your inventory is never right.
• Only one or two people in your organization know how to use the system you currently have; and it’s nearly impossible to train others.
• Your pickers are taking too much time to pick orders.
• Your shipping carrier rates are out of control.

Here’s what all of the reasons above have in common: no visibility. You can’t fix what you can’t see, and with an inadequate solution, you can’t see anything.

What to Expect When You Switch

It seems a little redundant, but the exact opposite of all the challenges listed in the last section is the first thing you can expect once you’ve switched solutions. Shipments will go out on time; inventory counts will be right; you’ll be able to train new employees on the system with ease; your pick/pack efficiency will increase; and your carrier rates will drop.

And here’s why – a true solution alleviates your issues, it doesn’t give you more.

You can also expect more peace of mind. Knowing that your systems are working as intended means that you don’t have to worry about them.

Here are some other intended (unintended) consequences:

• You’ll know where to find answers. If something isn’t adding up, it’ll no longer be a question of where to find the information to solve the problem. Troubleshooting will be so much easier.
• You’ll be able to plan ahead. Having the data you need when you need it will make it easier to understand the current state of your business, which will in turn make it easier to understand where your business is headed.
• You’ll have a partner to work with. The best vendors do more than sell you a product or solution; they partner with you. They help you get the most out of their product, which makes you more successful.
• You’ll have support. A vendor’s support team should be an added bonus when implementing a new solution. You can lean on them; it’s what they’re there for.

One More Ugly Truth

You already know this, but not all solutions are created equal. At ShipHero, we’d love to think that our competitors could deliver on all the promises we outlined above. But we know they can’t.

That’s why if you’re looking to switch to a shipping software on steroids, your only choice is ShipHero. Our shipping software offers everything above and more.

What ShipHero Delivers

Let’s take these points one at a time.

• ShipHero reduces mis-picks and mis-ships by 99.9%.
• ShipHero increases your picking efficiency by 3x.
• ShipHero reduces your warehouse costs by 35%.
• ShipHero has an outstanding Client Support Team that regularly gets rave reviews on platforms like the Shopify App Store, G2 and Capterra.
• ShipHero offers carrier rate shopping which gives you the best rate when you ship.
• On top of ShipHero’s stellar Client Support Team, we also maintain a robust library of knowledge base articles and product videos so you can always find the answer you need.
• ShipHero was ranked the #1 Shipping Software on the G2 Momentum Grid Report (Fall 2021).
• ShipHero serves more than 10% of Shopify plus stores globally.
• ShipHero has over 100 million packages shipped.
• ShipHero has more than $10 billion in shipped orders.
• ShipHero offers one-click integrations with the biggest carriers and online marketplaces in the eCommerce space.
• ShipHero has a dedicated Implementation Team that has perfected the onboarding process. They’ll have you up and shipping in 4-6 weeks. For more details about ShipHero’s implementation process, please click HERE.

When you become a ShipHero client, you get more than software. You get a proven solution that has helped emerging brands, eCommerce powerhouses and 3PLs all manage their warehouses with ease and efficiency.

You also get our Client Support Team which is dedicated to your success everyday. In fact, we have 3x the number of Support Team members as Sales Team members.

Obviously, we think ShipHero is the best solution for emerging brands looking for a shipping software on steroids. Our new Essential Plan with a low rate of $499/month is the perfect starting point for brands that are just starting to gain momentum. And the best part is, as you grow, ShipHero grows with you. You won’t need to look for a new solution once you get “too big.”

At ShipHero, we’re here for too big, big and big enough – and all the eCommerce brands in between.

For more information about switching to ShipHero, click HERE.

If you’re ready to schedule a call with one of our Software Experts, click HERE.

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

‍ShipHero

‍About the author: Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

When your eCommerce brand is in its early stages, manually logging data into spreadsheets and using label printers is good enough. It’s enough to manage your inventory and stay updated with your fulfillment needs.

But then your brand starts growing rapidly, and the volume of orders surges. Suddenly, static spreadsheets and manual printing aren’t good enough. Your eCommerce store deserves more than manual data logging and printing.

The Issues with Spreadsheets & Label Printers

Spreadsheets and label printers aren’t practical choices for fast-growing eCommerce brands, and here’s why.

They’re time-consuming & rely on manual labor

Spreadsheets don’t update automatically – you have to manually input inventory data, order data and other relevant information. Not only is this time-consuming, but it also means that if the sheets aren’t frequently up-to-date, you’ll be viewing outdated information.

Managing your inventory becomes difficult if you’re viewing outdated inventory information, including incorrect inventory levels or valuation. Your team is more likely to make mistakes.

Can’t be automated

When filling large volumes of orders, manually printing each label is inefficient and delays the packaging process. Unfortunately, standalone label printers don’t come with automation functionality.

Additionally, spreadsheets lack automation capabilities, too – they don’t automatically update themselves with real-time data. This means that, unless the information is frequently updated, you won’t have access to the most recent data.

Prone to errors

Humans make mistakes, and even the most experienced logistics teams aren’t safe from making the occasional typo. Unfortunately, when it comes to data as vital as your inventory, mistakes can cost you significantly.

Inaccurate inventory levels could lead to overstocking or shortages. Additionally, a wrong label could lead to wrong order complaints, inviting return costs, and return expenses.

Don’t integrate with your eCommerce store

Because spreadsheets can’t integrate with your eCommerce store, the data has to be manually inputted into the sheets. Moreover, the data doesn’t sync either, so if your sheets indicate a product shortage, you won’t know immediately.

Not knowing when you’re understocked prevents eCommerce merchants from removing the product listing on time. Thus, customers may order the item, and you’ll have to delay or cancel the order. Either way, you’re left with unhappy customers.

Since label printers don’t integrate with your eCommerce store either, you miss out on the benefits that an integrated process has to offer. You don’t get automated printouts with labels that have the relevant order details, including customer data, the required items, and the delivery address. Instead, your workforce has to manually pull the information off your site and use it accordingly.

Reporting is a mess

What orders were shipped today? What’s your current inventory value? You’ll need to have multiple spreadsheets for different reporting purposes, and making sense of the disparate data becomes tedious.

If you’re dealing with a large amount of data at scale, inefficient reporting delays fulfillment processes and invites errors.

How to Go Beyond Spreadsheets & Label Printers

As your eCommerce brand continues to grow, you don’t have to limit yourself to spreadsheets and label printers. There are more efficient, effective methods that require less manual work.

Use warehouse management software (WMS)
Warehouse management software is the most effective tool for organizing your eCommerce fulfillment data and streamlining your logistics. The software seamlessly integrates with your eCommerce store and provides real-time analytics – you’re no longer limited to static data from spreadsheets.

With WMS, eCommerce merchants can pull up real-time inventory valuation, monitor live inventory levels, and view today’s order history all from one centralized dashboard.

Work with a 3PL

Third-party logistics providers take order fulfillment troubles off your hands, including managing and updating inventory data. Leading 3PLs don’t rely on spreadsheets or label printers – they have their own software that syncs your data and streamlines fulfillment operations.

Make use of mobile software
Your logistics team is constantly on the go, whether they’re picking products from the warehouse or shipping them off with your carrier. Mobile logistics software equips your workforce with real-time data that they can use to verify orders and track inventory data, streamlining their workflow and reducing pick and pack errors.

Leverage automation

Advanced warehouse and inventory management software allows eCommerce merchants to set automation rules to perform tasks in response to “triggers.” For example, when a customer’s order is verified, your store-integrated WMS can automatically generate picking tickets to optimize your team’s workflow.

Additionally, fulfillment software can automatically notify eCommerce merchants of decreasing inventory levels if the stock falls below a given amount. You can also set automated reorder points to ensure you never face shortages or suffer from overstocking.

Use data to determine what needs to be improved

Access to real-time, organized analytics helps you focus on what the statistics indicate, instead of being bogged down by an overwhelming amount of disparate data.

With the right warehouse management software, you can access relevant data and analytics and identify problem areas.

Is your store’s return rate unusually high? Were there more packing errors this month than in the previous year? Do you have some dead-weight items that are driving up your warehousing costs?

These are just a few questions that shipping software can bring to your attention.

How ShipHero Improves Fulfillment Operations

ShipHero is a leading warehouse management software and fulfillment provider, catering to some of the fastest-growing DTC eCommerce brands. We streamline your fulfillment operations with:

Done-for-you fulfillment services

You can outsource your entire order fulfillment process to ShipHero – we’ll manage your inventory, organize data and analytics, take care of the shipping and even manage returns.

ShipHero Fulfillment is the top choice for eCommerce brands that want to focus on growing sustainably while knowing their logistics are in good hands.

Distributed inventory

You can split your inventory across ShipHero’s nationwide network of fulfillment centers to reduce delivery times and costs. When a customer places an order, it’s picked, packed, and shipped from the nearest center, minimizing travel time and fuel costs.

Worried that a distributed inventory might complicate inventory tracking and order data? Don’t be – ShipHero’s leading warehouse management software syncs all the data, and you can access real-time insights from your ShipHero dashboard.

Mobile pick & pack

ShipHero’s pick and pack teams are “mobile-powered” – which means they use smartphone devices to guarantee accurate picking and packing. The ShipHero Mobile App lets logistics personnel scan barcodes to ensure the correct items are shipped, and you can access customer information to guarantee orders are sent to the right location.

Conclusion

Spreadsheets and label printers are inefficient tools for logging and managing data. As your brand continues to grow, your workforce will struggle to keep data up-to-date and track inventory analytics.

A warehouse management software solution like ShipHero integrates with your eCommerce platform or marketplace, syncing all your relevant data and making it accessible from a single, centralized dashboard. Additionally, our mobile-powered workforce picks and packs orders with minimal errors or mistakes.

Your business deserves more than spreadsheets & label printers. So upgrade now with ShipHero.

Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our WMS built for eCommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

ShipHero

About the author: Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter & LinkedIn.

By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

At a glance, selling on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and others seems like a golden ticket for new and growing eCommerce businesses. The idea of selling products on the biggest marketplaces in the world should, in theory, increase your sales and grow your company. But there’s always something brands overlook when it comes to selling on marketplaces: order fulfillment.

How can you fulfill orders across multiple marketplaces that have their own shipping policies or customer expectations? With disparate data coming in from so many systems, it can be tough to fulfill orders and ensure you have enough inventory for all of them.

Marketplace fulfillment comes with its fair share of drawbacks that you should be familiar with before finalizing your decision. Fortunately, eCommerce brands can overcome these challenges with some help. There’s a reason almost 90% of Fortune 500 businesses are using 3PL providers instead to fulfill their orders.

The issues with marketplace fulfillment

eCommerce marketplaces have lowered the barrier of entry for new brands and contributed to the eCommerce industry’s rapid growth. However, the model isn’t flawless. Here are some of the most common problems eCommerce brands face with marketplace fulfillment:

No direct integrations with marketplaces

As your brand grows, integrations are vital to maintaining a seamless workflow. However, switching between different platforms to obtain crucial information is time-exhaustive and inefficient, inviting delays and possible errors.

Additionally, direct integrations are vital for streamlining fulfillment operations – they’re necessary to gain real-time order information and update inventory data according to recent orders.

Hard to sync inventory data between multiple marketplaces

Many sellers list their products on multiple marketplaces to reach a wider audience. However, this practice makes it difficult to sync your inventory data. If orders are fulfilled at different marketplaces, you’re prone to losing track of inventory counts, leading to shortages or overstocking.

Lack of centralized data to see which channels are performing best

Performance monitoring is critical for growing eCommerce brands; you need to identify areas of improvement and learn from your successes. Unfortunately, eCommerce marketplaces don’t offer centralized data, including key performance analytics and fulfillment insights.

Without the correct data, it’s challenging to monitor your brand’s success or lack thereof. Additionally, having access to meaningful insights helps brands streamline their marketing and customer support efforts.

Multiple fulfillment methods make it difficult to keep track of orders

Many eCommerce brands offer customers multiple fulfillment options, including various delivery options (including overnight and 2-day delivery), order pick-up, or mail-order delivery.

Unfortunately, the more options you offer, the more difficult keeping track of orders becomes. For example, if customers have arranged to pick the order up, you’ll have to keep track of whether the order was picked or if there’s been a rescheduling.

Hard to meet Amazon’s stringent requirements for Prime shipping

Amazon’s latest Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) option seems to offer eCommerce merchants the best of two worlds – you get access to the exclusive Prime label but retain autonomy over your fulfillment operations.

Unfortunately, while SFP fulfillment is an excellent idea, in theory, Amazon’s stringent requirements make it challenging to qualify for the program. To maintain the exclusive SFP status, your Prime trial orders must have a cancellation rate of less than 1%, a minimum 99% on-time rate, and all orders placed before 2 pm have to be fulfilled and shipped on the same day.

How to improve marketplace fulfillment

While marketplace fulfillment comes with its fair share of drawbacks, you can streamline and optimize the fulfillment process with some help.

Leverage software that integrates with multiple marketplaces

Merchants can integrate advanced inventory and warehouse management system software with marketplaces to organize all relevant data, analytics, and insights in one place.

The right fulfillment software gives you access to order details in real-time, helps monitor sales and performance metrics, and reliably monitor inventory levels and forecast demand.

Work with a 3PL that offers fast shipping speeds

Meeting the shipping expectations of modern consumers is increasingly difficult, but third-party logistics providers help you provide expedited shipping options without incurring high costs.

Given that 43% of abandoned carts are due to high shipping charges, and 54% of consumers under 25 declared same-day delivery as their top purchase driver, growing eCommerce brands need to step up their logistics game.

Make use of distributed inventory to cut down on shipping costs

Distributing inventory across multiple, strategically-placed fulfillment centers helps eCommerce brands simultaneously provide faster shipping times and reduce last-mile delivery costs. This is because, with a distributed inventory, you can ship products to customers from the fulfillment centers closest to them.

How ShipHero improves marketplace fulfillment

ShipHero’s leading warehouse management solution and fulfillment services help growing eCommerce brands optimize marketplace fulfillment. Our fully integrated system syncs your inventory and eCommerce store data, and you can set automation rules to streamline tedious processes.

ShipHero helps eCommerce brands grow sustainably with our:

Done-for-you fulfillment services for multiple marketplaces

ShipHero’s outsourced fulfillment services take the pressure of order fulfillment off your hands, so you can focus on growing your store. We’ll manage your inventory, pick and pack orders (and ship them, too), and take care of reverse logistics regardless of how many marketplaces you’re selling on.

Thanks to ShipHero’s leading warehouse management system and team of fulfillment experts, fast-growing eCommerce brands like yours can keep up with evolving consumer expectations. With our network of distributed fulfillment centers, you can offer customers 2-day and overnight delivery options without incurring high last-mile delivery costs.

Our highly trained workforce and advanced software collectively minimize pick and pack errors, reducing wrong order requests and protecting your bottom line.

Multiple marketplace integrations

Whether you’ve partnered with Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, or another marketplace, ShipHero’s warehouse management system integrates directly with your marketplace and centralizes all the relevant information.

You can view inventory data in real-time, access team reports, view order history, and access key information like actual shipping costs for each order, all from one central dashboard.

Easy returns management

Your returns process dramatically impacts customer loyalty, and you don’t need to take our word for it. A report revealed that a positive return experience affects brand loyalty in 95% of online customers, and over 65% of online shoppers consult a brand’s return policy before making a purchase.

To meet consumer expectations and help our eCommerce partners secure customer loyalty, ShipHero offers done-for-you returns management and reverse logistics services. ShipHero integrates with your marketplace and manages returns as they come in, preventing delays and improving customer retention.

Conclusion

Marketplace fulfillment comes with its fair share of drawbacks, including a lack of integrations, disorganized data, analytics, and stringent requirements to qualify for more recognized fulfillment programs.

Thus, many growing eCommerce brands partner with ShipHero to overcome these challenges and optimize their marketplace fulfillment. With ShipHero, online retailers can offer expedited shipping times, minimize pick and pack errors, manage returns easily, and centralize their real-time inventory and order data.

Optimize your marketplace fulfillment with ShipHero today.

Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our inventory management and shipping software built for eCommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

ShipHero

About the author: Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

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