The customer simply wants logistics that are sustainable.
Even though many businesses only have a limited amount of time to focus on getting boxes out the door right now, a better plan for how boxes are packed and delivered ought to be a primary focus of any order fulfillment operation. This is done to help with the rapid changes that will happen in the next few years.
We ought to look at why this is, and how a flexible, versatile order fulfillment solution, such as a Warehouse Management System (WMS), improves your ability to meet these looming changes.
The reason: unprecedented delivery speeds
Early adopter ecommerce customers were described as having a lot of money but little time. It was thought that they wanted brand-new products as soon as they could get their hands on them.
As a means of meeting this demand, prominent Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) operators began focusing on next-day and even same-day deliveries.
Execution of DTC orders: connecting with the environmentally conscious customer
Nevertheless, over time, that expanding community of e-commerce buyers has included a growing number of environmentally conscious customers who are aware of and sensitive to the effects that their orders have on the supply chain and delivery.
Currently, a fundamental component of any DTC ecommerce order fulfillment program ought to be sustainable logistics.
The concept of “food miles” is an illustration of this, with consumers increasingly favoring local goods that don’t require out-of-season goods to be flown in all year. They are also aware that it is possible to establish ordering patterns that send several delivery vans that are nearly empty to the same location.
Today’s customers prefer, for instance, click-and-collect order fulfillment options, which allow for pick-up to coincide with previously planned trips.
In any case, they want to avoid missing drops and are looking for planned transportation. Additionally, for those to-be-bundled orders, combine sources and other local customers in more efficient delivery routes whenever possible.
Options with zero emissions and long-term logistics
The need for the local government to actively participate in the creation of ultra-low emission zones in urban areas is becoming increasingly apparent. Shippers will need to consider using zero-emission final-leg delivery options as a result.
This means that direct-to-consumer service providers, such as manufacturers, retailers, marketplaces, shopping malls, or micro-fulfillment centers, must offer customers quick delivery options that are also good for the environment.
What about all of those cardboard boxes? Numerous articles suggest that “shipping air” and its direct effects are now synonymous with Amazon. Customers can attest to the difficulty of managing cardboard waste.
Order fulfillment technologies that enable you to offer sustainable packaging options and cartization, or automatically selecting the smallest appropriate packaging, are smart moves for DTC brands that want to connect with and build lasting relationships with their customers.
The fulfillment approach needs to acknowledge that immediate delivery is not the default. Fast delivery is no longer the only factor that matters. In order to determine which carrier option is the most cost-effective and suitable for the customer, a variety of options must be taken into consideration.
Additionally, the packaging strategy must be practical for the service provider in terms of lowering shipping costs for it to be considered “best fit.”
DigitalCommerce 360 found that 41% of retailers viewed shipping costs as their top concern in 2022, and a third of them viewed this as a concern that would persist into 2023 in a recent survey of shoppers and retailers.
Everything’s evaluation: now is the ideal time to automate!
DTC brands that wish to grow will have no real option except to depend on innovation to deal with the work as volumes proceed to rise and customers request supportable planned operations.
Many people are looking into order management and DOM solutions with automated features like rate shopping and integrated shipping.
The best options will have in-house capabilities for multi-carrier rate shopping and integrate directly with parcel and local carriers. Comparing shipping rates, creating labels, connecting to billing systems and tasks, and providing complete real-time tracking and documentation are all made very simple by this.
Additionally, these order fulfillment solutions enable you to save a significant amount of money by continuously optimizing your operations. The system, for example, can show packers which size box to use and automatically calculate the box’s dimensions. Your employees will learn through system-directed workflows how to combine multiple orders that are headed to the same location and where it is possible to ship all of the goods in a single box.
These solutions provide support for work order management, custom label/packing slip generation by customer or trading partner, and EDI integration without the need for spreadsheets or manual analysis. which also virtually eliminates human error, resulting in substantial improvements in order accuracy and customer satisfaction.
Innovation offers choices; options empower your brand
Customers expect their order fulfillment providers to play a more active, informed, and involved role. They want to be able to specify the parameters of the delivery and then select from costed options. They would also like to know how requesting options for sustainable logistics will affect things.
Brands are becoming more aware of how customers perceive their operating values. As the market steadily shifts toward more direct-to-consumer (DTC) and ecommerce sales, brands must take control of order fulfillment and delivery options.
This provides their customers with the standards they expect from the brand, which in turn enables both productive and effective activities.