6 Web Fulfillment Principles for E-tailers

Whether you are a brick-and-mortar retail operation or strictly an e-tail company, you’ll have to figure out the most effective way to manage your Web fulfillment processes. You can try to re-invent the wheel or learn from enterprises that have gone before you. Here are 6 tried-and-true Web fulfillment principles that can’t go wrong:

1. Automate the process with rules – Why manage the process manually when you can do it automatically with a set of rules? This way, you are managing the rules and not the entire process. Automatic rules allow you to establish priorities based on location and product availability. You’ll save time and shipping costs while preserving customer loyalty.
2. Manage products and vendors like a pro – Create and define product categories based on vendors, track ROI per vendor and product, and drill down to size, color, and other product variations.
3. Establish multi-tiered promotions rules – Using if-then logic, you can establish rules for your promotions, set timed price variations based on seasonal buying habits and other consumer variables. You can maximize your profits by managing your prices and promotions better year round.
4. Your inventory determines your profit – Nothing in retail, online or offline, is more important than managing your inventory. Know when merchandise is getting low, where it is at all times, and all the costs associated with each product from the time it is purchased until it sells. Take stock of your business and plan your inventory better with the right tools.
5. Maintain customer relationships across channels – Customers today are likely to interact with you through more than one channel. You’ll see them in your brick-and-mortar stores, on your website, and through your mobile interface. Manage each customer better no matter which channel they meet with you through today.
6. Save money and time by managing exceptions efficiently – Let’s face it, online fraud is a problem and growing. Instead of fulfilling all your orders willy-nilly, take exception with fraud by flagging orders that don’t meet the norm. You can then double check those orders with great customer service. Send through legitimate orders and cancel those that are made by robots or that use fake accounts.

The key to a profitable e-tail business is fulfilling Web orders fast and efficiently. If you have the right tools, you can achieve a profitable and efficient e-tail operation that your entire company staff can be proud of.