16 Sep
For many companies, outsourcing warehouse storage and order fulfilment is an ideal solution to one of the many obstacles faced in today’s business world, particularly with Covid-19 adding to the disruption of the supply chain. In simple terms, a third-party fulfilment provider is an outsourced fulfilment solution that prepares and distributes orders on the behalf of the company.
There are a lot of misconceptions about partnering with a 3PL, such as a fear of losing control, hidden costs etc. However, these misconceptions can lead to businesses missing out in the many benefits of outsourcing fulfilment services, including providing a better service to your customers!
Within this blog, we are going to debunk the most common myths about outsourcing fulfilment.
Myth #1: Fulfilment Companies Only Provide Storage Services.
Companies are often surprised to the range of services offered by 3PLs when considering outsourcing their warehouse. At Meteor Space, all services are tailored to meet your business requirements, including:
- Warehousing the Goods
- Kitting the Product
- Performing Regular Quality Checks
- Picking & Packing of Goods
- Labelling the Orders
- Shipping the Orders to Customers
- Regular Order Updates for Customers
- Vendor Managed Inventory
- Two Person Deliveries
- Managing Returns for Customers
While a third party can simply be used as a storage facility to free up space, there are a wide range of offerings to help better your warehouse operations, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business while the hassle of warehousing is being handled elsewhere.
Myth #2: Outsourcing Fulfilment is Too Expensive.
Self-fulfilment might sound like a good idea; however, it can be a time-consuming process for many businesses due to the lack of knowledge and resources, ultimately leading to spending more money than you save. At Meteor Space, our extensive volume and carrier base allows us to offer competitive rates.
Equally important, is that we provide you with a seamless, cost effective and fully optimized warehousing and fulfilment operation. This is proven to increase customer loyalty for our clients and better profits.
Outsourcing fulfilment services can reduce labour costs and improve efficiency. Partnering with a 3PL is a great investment which will help your business save time, money, and resources.
Myth #3: Only Large Companies Outsource Fulfilment Services.
Fulfilment is suitable for ecommerce businesses of any size. All ecommerce businesses require a proper order fulfilment process to ensure effective fulfilment operations.
Many small or medium sized businesses experience fluctuations due to seasonal demand or promotions, therefore, it can be difficult for these businesses to manage storage space and on-time deliveries during these busy periods. Partnering with a fulfilment company like Meteor Space allows you to be flexible by scaling up and down without having to increase fixed costs, while continuing to provide an efficient service to your customers.
Myth #4: If I Outsource Fulfilment, I Will Lose Control of My Business.
Many businesses worry that outsourcing their fulfilment may lead to losing visibility of their product and control of deliveries.
At Meteor Space, we have a unique process and relationship with our clients, offering a 360° view of your operations. We keep in constant communication with our clients through video meetings to provide a breakdown of your inventory and warehouse operations, this helps stay ahead of any potential problems in your supply chain.
Our team are always available, and we care about the success of your business.
Myth #5: If I Outsource Fulfilment, Customer Experience will Decline.
Choosing a reliable fulfilment provider is vital for exceeding customer expectations. Partnering with an inexperienced fulfilment company can have a negative impact on business growth and on customer service. It is important that you carry out research on potential partners. An experienced and well managed 3PL will ultimately improve your customer experience, not diminish them.
Meteor Space understand what it takes to make sure every shipment arrives with your customer safely and on time, with live updates for your customer throughout the journey.
After reading this blog, we hope your concerns about outsourcing fulfilment services are put to ease. With reduced overhead costs, smarter stock management, streamlined systems, and many other benefits, Meteor Space can offer you a tailored warehousing and fulfilment solution. Contact us today to find out more.
