The COVID-19 pandemic has played a significant role in the rapid growth of the e-commerce retail market. Social distancing urged people to buy their goods online, which led consumers to discover the many benefits of online shopping. People no longer have to risk their safety to buy their necessities since all transactions are now done online.
The increasing popularity of online shopping also fueled the growth of parcel delivery. Logistics systems are finding ways to enhance the shipping process to ensure goods’ quick and safe delivery. To optimize shipping operations, trucking systems rely on truckload optimization tools and proper delivery practices. One example is the load cell scale to accurately measure their tanks and shipping vessels.
As more consumers discover the convenience of online shopping, shipping companies have to deliver large amounts of goods every day while providing a satisfying customer experience. To succeed in the e-commerce market, companies should ensure the efficiency and productivity of the shipping process.
Given the importance of the logistics industry in the e-commerce market, we’ll discuss the essential ways to optimize the shipping process and how it affects shipping productivity.
Enhance the communication process
Efficient communication in warehouse operations is necessary to ensure fast delivery. It should take only a few minutes or even seconds to process incoming orders in the warehouse.
Communication is essential to manage stocks effectively and determine the required number of imports from the supplier. It also ensures the order flow came from the right resources and proper management of additional warehouse staff.
The communication flow between shipping platforms, sales orders, and customer relations management is also essential to maintain efficiency and accuracy in managing and shipping delivery orders. All concerned departments need access to all data starting from the initial stage of the ordering process to prevent confusion once they have shipped the orders.
The shipping process should detect and mark out inconsistencies in addressing packages. It also should validate additional aspects, such as “free freight,” “residential delivery,” specific shippers, and other shipping requirements. Delivery systems should also offer different levels of customization to create new shipping categories for customers who specifically request them.
Improve inventory control procedures
The number of current inventory doesn’t only matter, but also the inventory control practices that ensure the proper inventory management. In fact, a systematized inventory control procedures are the foundation of a thriving wholesale distribution business.
Inventory control refers to the set of tools used to run and manage a well-organized warehouse. It also refers to the systems that involve receiving, storing, and shipment of goods.
Managing the inventory accurately is a critical aspect of the order fulfillment procedure. To ensure the proper tracking and maintenance of inventory levels, you have to optimize specific subprocesses, such as demand forecasting, manufacturing capacity tracking, and stock level accuracy.
Demand forecasting should serve as the central component of how you identify the requirements of your baseline inventory. Setting standards in demand tracking and internal communications will keep everyone prepared for unexpected needs and specific indicators of customer behavior.
After conducting demand forecasting, the next step is manufacturing capacity tracking. You monitor how much inventory you need to store and ship in specific business periods, whether weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Next is the stock level accuracy, which refers to regular updating and checking of stock levels. Besides regular orders, you should also consider the damages, returns, and unexpected streams of orders. All these factors can make a big difference in increasing customer satisfaction.
As the business grows, inventory controls become more challenging to handle. But following the proper procedures provides long-term benefits in improving profitability and overall customer experience.
Simplify the shipping process
To ensure the best shipping performance, implying the internal shipping procedure is the way to go. Although it’s pretty common for companies to use countless high-tech systems and applications to finish a single internal process, this approach can cause confusion and turn a quick, simple procedure into something tiresome.
Create a list that describes the aspects that contribute to a smoother shipping process, the factors that negatively impact the operations, and the required steps to overcome these issues to establish a simplified shipping solution. From there, you’ll be able to determine the right automation solution you should invest in.
One example is robotic process automation (RPA), which helps streamline business functions, such as receiving and shipping. Investing in automation may seem expensive, but it offers rewarding returns in handling repetitive and rules-based tasks.
Enhancing the shipping process is critical in a fast-paced e-commerce market. Consumers today want instant results, and they have high expectations when it comes to receiving their orders. In this case, ensuring your shipping processes are up to standards can make a big difference in succeeding in the ever-competitive e-commerce industry.
