Most manufacturers are aware that producing a product is not the only step as they also need to undertake order fulfilment which is how the customers get these products. The level of customer satisfaction attainable is directly affected such processes such as order fulfillment since one gets to interact with the customers directly. The process, like the name suggests, involves packaging and delivering customers’ orders. In the onset of technology the placement of order and other activities of a business can be conducted online. This has allowed for all parties to be able to follow what is happening within the chain. Companies who deal with manufacture of a lot of products, or those who receive numerous orders may consider outsourcing the function of order fulfilment such that they free up their human resource to concentrate of manufacturing of high quality products.
Before settling on the order fulfill company that they will outsource this function to, they should ascertain that it has the ability to handle its orders efficiently. Among the first things to look at is if the company has an online platform or if it has the skills to runs an already existing one. This is because the manufacturing company as well as the customers need to be in a position where they can track an order in real time. The aspect of communication is also very important for an order fulfilment company to have as they become the link between the customer and the manufacturer and thus need to be in constant communication with both.
One should also look into low the order fulfilment company prices their services as it will directly affect the selling price of these products. Some companies have a pricing policy that is based on the transactions undertaken, other are based on the weight of the product while other base their pricing on a fixe duration such as a monthly charge. The company should analyze the plan that best suites their needs depending on the nature of the goods being delivered. Another aspect that would really come in handy for the manufacturer is if this order fulfillment company offers storage as part of the price as this will help the company offset the costs that inventory attracts. This is because inventory attracts allot cost in handling and storage.
Since no system is immune to errors, a manufacturer should engage the order fulfillment compnay for them to explain how they handle errors when they do occur with the most preferred being companies that have a history of low error rates. This could either take the form of a customer cancelling an order or changing the address in which and an order will be delivered without the company’s notice. The ability to notice the errors correct them when they occur is also something that an order fulfilment company should have in place.