Fulfillment Consulting: Realizing Operational Excellence in
E-Commerce Operations

Successful order fulfillment and a great customer experience are critical to any e-commerce or D2C business in 2022. But it can be difficult to know where to start or how to scale. Consulting can act as a sparring partner to help decision makers. Logistics is an important issue for online stores. It's not for nothing that the most successful online stores have one thing in common: a smart fulfillment strategy. The fast and efficient processing of orders is critical to the success of any company.

Many businesses try to take order fulfillment into their own hands, but that can lead to mistakes that cost time and money. Without the right expertise and advice, it can be difficult to keep your e-commerce operation running smoothly and meeting customer expectations.

Fulfillment consulting from Beyond E-Commerce helps you take your order management operations to the next level. We provide expert advice and guidance on all aspects of fulfillment, from choosing the right fulfillment service provider (3PL, 4PL) to setting up automated order fulfillment. Our advice will help you create a successful and efficient order fulfillment experience that meets - and exceeds - your customers' expectations.

Why do e-commerce decision makers need support from a fulfillment consultancy?

If you run an e-commerce business, fulfillment is one of the most important aspects to consider for a sustainable value proposition. After all, delivery is how you get your products to your customers - and if it's not done well, it can lead to unhappy customers and lost sales. Delivery times, lack of delivery commitment, delivery costs - are barriers to e-commerce shopping for many customers. Logistics, customer care, payment and supply chain - in short: fulfillment, is the operational backbone on the way to customer orientation. Consulting from Beyond E-Commerce empowers the team to independently formulate the right operations strategy, for example.

As experts, we help you get your logistics in order so they can keep up with growth. We also make it easy for you to switch from one of your warehouse providers or service providers! Our customers often have the following problem: In the beginning, they set up logistics stepmotherly in-house or outsourced it too carelessly to an external fulfillment service provider. In either case, systems and processes reach their limits. We can help you by introducing new systems and logistics service providers to reduce costs while increasing efficiency - for a better return on investment!

That's why it's often a good idea to seek professional fulfillment advice. A good consultant can help you understand the ins and outs of order fulfillment and develop a plan to ensure your products are delivered on time and in good condition.

Building blocks of fulfillment consulting

Together with our customers, we optimize value chains in e-commerce logistics, payment, customer care and order management. We solve complex challenges, realize potentials with lean management methods and minimize risks in supply chains and operations. Holistic consulting and realignment of the operations and fulfillment strategy is the basis for achieving corporate goals. Our consulting services are geared to one goal: fast implementation in order to consistently focus on the customer - along the entire value chain.

If you're looking for ecommerce fulfillment advice, we can help with consulting. Our team of experienced consultants & experts have worked with businesses of all sizes to develop efficient and effective order fulfillment strategies. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you with experts to take your business to the next level with consulting.

Definition Fulfillment in good German

Fulfillment is order processing in e-commerce (Fulfillment in English, Auftragsabwicklung in German translation).

It is the process by which an order is made ready for shipment. In particular, it includes storing the items, picking them and shipping them to the buyer. Fulfillment also includes processing payments, returns and customer service. Consulting implements order fulfillment in the context of the business.

How does fulfillment work?

When a customer orders a product on a B2C e-commerce website, order fulfillment ensures that the product reaches the customer. To fulfill an order, e-commerce companies must first receive the goods from suppliers, then store them in a warehouse, and finally pack and ship them to the customer. This process can be very complex and time-consuming, especially for companies that sell products in multiple countries. Consulting is a must! Furthermore, e-commerce companies also have to deal with returns and exchanges, which makes the process even more complex. Therefore, efficient and reliable fulfillment is essential for a successful e-commerce business. There are a number of companies that specialize in e-commerce fulfillment. Keeping track of the strengths & weaknesses of these providers and finding your way through the thicket of offers and intermediate negotiations is a major challenge.

Overview of key e-commerce fulfillment issues & tasks.

• Receiving goods: E-commerce companies need a system to receive goods from suppliers. This includes tracking purchases, setting up notifications when new goods arrive, and organizing inventory in storage bins.

• Warehousing: Once inventory is received, it must be stored in a way that is both efficient and secure. This includes sorting inventory by item number, using barcodes or RFID tags to track inventory, and using storage bins with shelving or racks to maximize space. It is important not to search for items, but at all times warehouse experts must have a system-based overview of occupied and unoccupied storage locations.

• Pick, Pack and Ship: Once an order has been placed, the items must be retrieved from the warehouse and packed for shipment. This usually involves using an order management system to keep track of orders, and please handhelds to scan barcodes and pick the items that are available from the storage bins.

• Data hub / e-commerce middleware: An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of programming instructions and guidelines used to connect online stores such as Shopify, Shopware or Plentymarket to a warehouse. Warehouse management software and intelligent, flexible strategies such as single or multiple picking enable the fastest possible picking. The top priority in picking and packing, in addition to speed and efficiency, is to ensure a low error rate and transparency of information across all process steps. Warehouse management systems (WMS) such as Descartes Pixi, Storelogix etc. are known to our experts from various projects with their advantages and disadvantages.

Logistics and customer care consulting with expertise in B2C e-commerce as a self-help tool for excellent e-commerce operations

If you want to take your e-commerce business to the next level, you've come to the right place with our e-commerce operations consulting. With more than 15 years of experience in the field, we can help you build a successful and efficient fulfillment process that makes your customers happier and happier, and keeps them coming back for more.

Our consulting approach: sparring partner at the side of the head of e-commerce: we work with you to find a central warehouse in an ideal geostrategic location (German geography or nearby foreign countries) so that transport times and costs for deliveries throughout Europe are as low as possible (incl. use of direct injection delivery models, renegotiation of last-mile conditions with established CEP service providers such as DHL, Hermes, etc.).

Operations Consulting is the go-to source for best-in-class fulfillment information for any company looking to improve the way they do business. Whether it's improving supply chain efficiency or streamlining processes, this consulting firm can provide you with customized solutions that are just right for you!

What is a fulfillment service provider?

A fulfillment service provider is a company that stores and ships products on behalf of its customers. Third-party logistics - This is the term for companies that help online retailers outsource some or all of their logistics needs. 4PL is an acronym for "Fourth Party Logistics." A Fourth Party Logistics provider is a company that manages the entire supply chain, including warehousing, transportation, inventory management, customer service and delivery. These companies often provide services to multiple customers at once and can also offer more services such as customs clearance, insurance, and security against problems that arise. At the same time, they have a particularly high level of IT expertise and do not necessarily own the warehouses they operate.

In most cases, fulfillment service providers maintain warehouses where they store inventory for their customers. When an order is placed, the service provider picks, packs and ships the products to the customer's doorstep. Many businesses use fulfillment service providers to outsource their warehousing and delivery needs. This can be primarily beneficial for small businesses that do not have the resources to operate their own warehouse. Fulfillment service providers can also proactively offer help with processes, such as value-added services like product customization and assembly. By outsourcing these activities to a third-party provider, companies can focus on their core competencies and leave the logistics to someone else.

What characterizes fulfillment consulting and how does a decision maker choose the best consultant?

Fulfillment consulting is an important side of the ecommerce process. There are a few things you should keep in mind when looking for a consultant. First, you should make sure that the consultant has experience in ecommerce fulfillment - this will help them understand the unique challenges you face. Second, you should look for someone who is impartial and objective - they should be able to advise you without bias and in your best interest.

Finally, you should find a consultant who is willing to work with you on an ongoing basis. Order fulfillment can be a complex and ever-changing process, so you need someone who is flexible, has time on their hands, and can adapt to your changing needs.

Success factors of e-commerce operational excellence in order fulfillment and beyond

Learn exactly what fulfillment means, what processes make it up, what characterizes good fulfillment, and how you can turn your logistics into a competitive advantage.

• Fulfillment accuracy includes ensuring that the right goods are delivered, that orders are available and fulfilled within a predetermined time frame, and that products are delivered intact. Consulting ensures this accuracy!

• Inventory Accuracy - Compares the number of products that should be in stock to the actual number of products that are in stock. Consulting helps to bring Inventory Planning to new level.

• Customs - A term that has become increasingly important for many cross-border e-commerce entrepreneurs, especially since the UK voted to leave the EU. Packages must be declared with the correct customs documents. Consulting enables cross-border logistics.

• Packaging is a key element of logistics. It is the first thing buyers see and touch when they receive your product. Packaging should therefore be designed to ensure that your products arrive safely and intact. At the same time, packaging is an important marketing and communication tool. Customers often judge a company by the quality of its packaging. Consulting knows relevant suppliers and variants for packaging.

• Another important topic is environmentally friendly packaging. Companies like Amazon, Google and Apple are already making efforts to reduce the amount of plastic they use. Some companies are going even further and developing entirely new types of packaging. Consulting knows a thing or two about Sustainable E-Commerce.

• Once the packages have reached their destination, the work is almost complete. However, there will always be a small percentage of shipments that do not arrive at their destination (a search process must be initiated here). There can be a number of reasons for this, such as incorrect address information, theft, other reasons. Returns management is an important aspect of logistics because if you lose money on returns, you lose money on every shipment. Consulting knows the mechanisms for successful returns management.

• If you don't make the return process easy enough, you will get bad reviews. These bad reviews will lead to less satisfied customers who will never buy anything from you again. You should always try to make further returns easy, because otherwise you will lose money. Consulting actively drives retention management.

• The first step to avoiding negative experiences with returns is to include a return label. Consulting knows the simple, pragmatic tricks.

The consulting fields of Beyond E-Commerce at a glance:

• Lean Management Consulting

• Data management consulting

See: More about the last mile in e-commerce