When it comes to e-fulfilment, there are several options. The traditional approach is for a firm to take full responsibility for the picking, packing and sending of an order to their customers. However, increasingly firms are using third party fulfilment services instead.

Greater numbers of businesses across the world are employing other companies to deal with the distribution process. Doing so reduces their overheads, simplifies their business and provides a better service to their customers.

Some firms worry about handing this crucial part of their business over to a third party. However, those that try it rarely go back to doing their own distribution.

The trick is to find a good quality order fulfilment firm who provides a flawless service. A little research, and clear communication, is all it takes to successfully replace in house distribution with third party e-fulfilment.

Finding the right firm

The best approach is to look for a well-established fulfilment company. These firms tend to offer the most reliable service. The distribution firm should clearly explain how their service works. Occasionally customers will want to return products, so it is important to look for an order fulfilment firm who can handle this.

The more flexible the service is the better. It is important to find a company who has the capacity to flex up at busy times and back down during slow times. This is very important, because it ensures that customers always get the goods they ordered in a timely fashion as well as in good condition.