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Things to look for when choosing an order fulfillment location
19 Jan 2021 Jeremy Herrington

Things to look for when choosing an order fulfillment location

Is it time that you move out of your house and choosing a fulfillment center? When choosing a fulfillment center there should be many things that come to mind, like where are the bulk of my orders coming from and how much is the transportation costs, what is the accuracy rate of this company? Another thing that is crucial to look at is the square footage of their location, can they handle your order, and do they have the history to do it effectively and efficiently. Here is more insight that could be helpful when you are choosing a fulfillment location

 

Location

Location is crucial because, in the long run, this will save you money and maybe even get your product to the customer faster. Choosing a company that has multiple locations in optimal parts of the United States is important, Complemar has locations that are strategically placed across the United States to make sure that your packages get to where they need to go in the shortest amount of time possible. A centralized location can be helpful because studies say that if a customer waits more than 7 days for a package they expect the shipping to be free.

 

Cost

 This is something that you need to look at with your product in mind because your retail costs need to offset the cost of the fulfillment, shipping, and manufacturing. So keeping this in mind you need to make sure that you are not moving to fast, it is sometimes smart to slow down and keep doing things on your own until you are at a volume where it is physically impossible to keep up with the demand of your product. If you do eventually need a fulfillment center, don’t be scared to ask about what rates they charge for, receiving, warehousing, pick and packing, and shipping. These are all costs that are going to be different per company, so shopping around is a good option, but beware that some companies seem too good to be true. You may need to pay more so your service is better or that you will have a better product manager that is very responsive.

 

Growing to the point of needing a fulfillment service is extremely exciting, but make sure you take all the necessary steps to ensure that you are going to sign with the right company that wants to see you succeed. Make sure they have a proven track record and during the meeting make sure you ask all the necessary questions so you are surprised later by fees that you may have not known about.