One of the most common misconceptions about order fulfillment and logistics management specialization companies concerns the size of their client businesses. Because the size and scope of proper, large-scale logistics supervision and order processing and delivery is so complex, many small businessman and startup business owners assume that only medium and larger sized companies can afford to outsource their order fulfillment. Yet, a new generation of private companies is making that misconception a thing of the past.
Outsourcing For the Small Business
If you consider the benefits of third party logistics supervision, it’s actually the smaller sized companies that can benefit more from outsourcing than the larger or more well-established concerns. For example, many small businesses lack the resources or the capital to keep pace with their growing warehousing demands. Yet as a business grows, as all businesses should, the warehouse space becomes one of the most pressing – yet expensive and time-consuming needs.
By outsourcing to a third party provider, the small business owner gets the benefit of state of the art, climate controlled, and – most importantly – sufficiently-sized warehouse space to accommodate his growing product inventory. Just as important, the order fulfillment company also equips their warehousing facilities with fully trained staff, who are themselves highly skilled in productivity and waste minimization.
The Order Fulfillment Process
Once a product is identified as “on order” from a customer of the business, the information is relayed to the logistics and fulfillment company. The product unit is taken from warehouse storage and assigned to the shipment preparation staff. Once prepared for shipment, it is assigned a tracking number and given to the delivery service designated by the order information. At no time, therefore, does the client business owner need to involve himself in the transaction. The order fulfillment company handles each step of the process, from storage to shipping confirmation.
Making The Change – Outsourcing Immediately
Small business owners researching for a new order fulfillment house should conduct thorough and exhaustive research before settling on a company, looking both at the logistics management staff’s experience as well as the company’s schedule of fees and service charges.
Asking for referrals remains a potent means of gathering first-hand testimonials regarding a company’s success and fair treatment of its client businesses. These testimonials will be available from the company itself, but potential clients should also research the company online before making their final decision.