You’ve finally taken the plunge and started your very own eCommerce business. Congratulations! But now that you’re up and running, you quickly realize that there’s a lot more to this whole online business thing than you originally thought. One of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of running a successful eCommerce business is choosing the right fulfillment company.

What is a Fulfillment Company?

A fulfillment company is a third-party logistics provider that manages the storage, packaging, and shipping of your eCommerce orders. Fulfillment companies typically have warehouses in strategic locations across the country (or even around the world), which allows them to ship orders to customers quickly and efficiently.

Choosing the right fulfillment company is critical to the success of your eCommerce business. A good fulfillment company will save you time and money by streamlining your shipping process, while a bad one can cause delays and other problems that can cost you dearly.

With so many options out there, it can be tricky to know where to start. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are a few things to look for when choosing the right fulfillment company for your eCommerce business:

Factors to Look for in a Fulfillment Partner For Your Online Business

1. Shipping Needs

First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure that your fulfillment partner offers shipping needs. Shipping seeds are a crucial part of the online sales process, and they can make a big difference in how quickly and easily your customers receive their orders.

With both inbound and outbound logistics, FMi has numerous options to suit your needs such as:

~ EDI (Electronic Data Interface)

~ Postal and courier freight management program integration for small parcel and direct-to-consumer deliveries

~ Kit Building and Co-Pack 

~ FEFO and FIFO (First Expired First Out/First In First Out)

~ Reverse Logistics and return management programs 

~ Final Mile Dsitribution 

2. Location of the Fulfillment Warehouses

When it comes to choosing the right fulfillment partner, it pays to consider the location of their warehouses. You want to choose a company with warehouses in strategic locations, so that they can ship orders to your customers quickly and efficiently. 

3. Features of the Order Fulfillment Software

Your fulfillment partner’s order fulfillment software is one of the most important tools in their arsenal. This software should be able to track your orders and inventory, and it should be easy to use. After all, if your fulfillment partner can’t keep track of your orders, it will be very difficult for them to fulfill them in a timely and accurate manner.

The best order fulfillment software will have a few key features. First, it should be able to track your inventory in real time. This way, you’ll always know what products you have in stock, and you can plan your production accordingly. Additionally, the software should be able to generate reports on your inventory levels, so you can spot trends and make changes as needed.

FMi Provides the flexibility  to handle unique and non-standard freight requirements through key offerings of:

~ Consolidation of multiple inbound vendor deliveries 

~ Coordination with contractors for consolidation site develiveries 

~ Inventory and Purchase Order Maangement 

~ Crossdocking or outside yard load transfer 

~ Container Management 

~ Off-hours Delivery

~ Complex equipment handling, oversize and over weight

~ Destuffing & Product Assembly 

Through our process, our services prove all-mile visibility with the respect and care you deserve, allowing you to focus on other areas within the business. 

4. Good Reputation

A good fulfillment partner will have a good track record of fulfilling orders quickly and accurately. They should also have a good customer service team that is ready and willing to help you with any issues that may arise.

To have efficient overall production and outbound logistics, the warehousing & logistics should work in harmony within a firm. When these two are working in sync, the collaboration is effectively utilized, and a higher degree of synchronization is maintained, the firm garners high levels of efficiency. In effect, the supply chain is also becoming more efficient.

5. Competitive Pricing

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that your fulfillment partner offers competitive pricing. Fulfillment services can be expensive, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting good value for your money. Compare the prices of different fulfillment partners and choose the one that offers the best value for your business.

The Bottom Line: The Importance of Working with the Right Fulfillment Partner

Your fulfillment partner plays a crucial role in ensuring that your customers receive their orders on time and in good condition. With that in mind, choosing the right fulfillment partner is essential to the success of your eCommerce business. Take the time to find a partner that you can trust and that will help you grow your business.

At FMi Logistics, we understand that every business is unique and has specific needs when it comes to warehousing, distribution, and transportation management, from freight services and more. That’s why we offer customized solutions to fit the individual requirements of each of our clients. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you!

Any business that ships products to customers must contend with the “last mile” of the delivery process. The last mile is the distance between a distribution centre and the customer’s door. It can also be the most expensive and logistically challenging part of the delivery process. That’s why many businesses are turning to last-mile carriers to help them get their products to customers quickly and efficiently.

We learned over the pandemic of Covid-19 that supply chains and logistics experienced a huge upheaval and disruption. This allowed for an increased trend of e-commerce demand, which created a demand for reliable and fast delivery options. Understanding the fulfillment process is a critical part of our path forward, with a better process to help carriers, shippers, vendors and forwarders with their short term and long term delivery goals.

Learn more about last-mile carriers, their benefits and what variables this process can impact businesses along the way. 

What Are Last-mile Carriers?

Last-mile carriers are third-party logistics providers specializing in handling the delivery process’s last mile. They have the infrastructure and resources to address the last mile’s challenges, including traffic, congestion, and limited parking. This lets businesses focus on their core competencies and leave the last mile to the experts.

How Can Last-mile Carriers Benefit Retail Businesses?

1. Last-mile Carriers Improves Customer Satisfaction

In today’s business world, the customer is always right. This is especially true when it comes to shipping and logistics. Businesses that don’t provide their customers with the best possible shipping experience quickly lose out to their competitors.

This is where last-mile carriers come in. Last-mile carriers have a lot to offer businesses and customers alike. They can provide businesses with a cost-efficient way to ship their products and offer customers a convenient way to receive their purchases.

In addition, last-mile carriers can improve customer satisfaction by ensuring that packages are delivered on time and in good condition.

2. Last-mile Carriers Provide a Competitive Advantage

Many retailers and E-commerce companies are now using last-mile carriers as shipping providers to provide a better customer experience and to gain a competitive edge. Last-mile pages can provide a faster and more reliable delivery service than traditional carriers. This means that the delivery time can often be quite a bit shorter in delivery time of said products.

Last-mile carriers can also offer a more personalized service to customers. They can often provide a tracking number and updates on the status of a delivery. This level of transparency and customer service is not always possible with traditional carriers.

Overall, last-mile carriers provide many advantages to retailers and e-commerce companies. They can offer a faster, more reliable, and more personalized delivery service than traditional carriers. With a goal to provide a superior customer experience and gain a competitive edge, FMi sets the standard for customer journey.

Creating a faster response to disruptions that could happen allow for a seamless delivery experience.

3. Last-mile Carriers Work with Top-Notch Technology

As the world progresses, the demand for faster and more efficient transportation services increases. This is especially true in the case of last-mile carriers responsible for delivering goods to customers’ doorsteps. To keep up with the demand, last-mile carriers need to work with top-notch technology.

Last-mile carriers’ most popular technologies include GPS tracking, real-time monitoring, and route optimization software. Software programs for transportation management systems allow for realtime data collection and management, creating visibility on tracking, networking, dispatch, documentation and quoting; creating a collaborative network across carriers, vendors and customers.

GPS tracking allows carriers to keep track of their vehicles at all times. Real-time monitoring allows them to see where their vehicles are and what they are doing at any given moment, allowing the company to track safety and security for their customers. Finally, route optimization software helps carriers to plan the most efficient routes for their vehicles, saving time and money.

Savings Across Fuel and Resource for Sustainable Options

With the climate variables impacting businesses, sustainable options within the last-mile services are vital to the success of this leg of the journey. The financial cost and environmental impact, costs continue to rise, so utilizing last-mile carriers as a third party remains to be a cost efficient solution to the growing demand of transportation method.

Utilizing third party last-mile carriers allow for a reduction of fuel, time , reduced emissions and gives access to more options. This leaves a lasting impression for our carriers, vendors and customers across the board.

Collaboration and Affordable Delivery Options

National shippers need help at times, so being able to rely on local experts as each market is unique to the logistic conditions. This allows for both small and large companies to connect and utilize your network to access fast and reliable shipping. These partnerships can assist in lowering the overall last-mile costs and ensure deliveries are made on time, in full, even when the delivery needs rise.

Final Thoughts

Last-mile carriers play an important role in retail businesses by providing the final delivery of goods to customers. They offer many benefits to retail businesses, including increased customer satisfaction, lower costs, and improved efficiency as a whole.

If you need freight outsourcing services to help you meet business demands, contact us at FMi Logistics today. We offer high-quality transportation services from Calgary, Toronto, and the rest of Canada. Message us for an estimate today.