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Avoid These 8 Common Warehousing Mistakes for Optimal Efficiency

Efficient warehousing is the backbone of any logistics operation. Whether you run a small e-commerce venture with modest storage space or manage a sprawling warehouse for a regional distributor, the way you handle your inventory directly impacts your company’s bottom line. In reality, warehouses can be a source of unseen inefficiencies, eating into your profit margins and customer satisfaction.

This blog post is your guide to the 8 most common mistakes warehouse managers make and how to avoid them.

Avoid These Common Warehousing Mistakes

Inefficient Inventory Management

One of the most common mistakes in warehousing is inefficient inventory management. This includes both holding excess inventory and inaccurately tracking inventory. When businesses overstock inventory, it ties up valuable space and can lead to increased costs. Without accurate tracking, it’s difficult to know exactly what stock is on hand, leading to potential stockouts or over-ordering.

Poor Warehouse Layout

A poorly designed warehouse layout can have a significant impact on efficiency and productivity. Not optimizing space utilization can result in wasted space and difficulty locating items, while a disorganized layout can lead to longer picking times and increased labor costs. It’s important to have clearly designated areas for receiving and shipping to streamline processes.

Neglecting Technology

In today’s fast-paced world, relying on manual processes such as paper-based systems can significantly hinder warehouse operations. Investing in a Warehouse Management System (WMS) can greatly improve efficiency by automating tasks such as inventory tracking, order fulfillment, and data analysis. Utilizing data analytics from a WMS can also provide valuable insights for improving warehouse operations.

Overlooking Safety Practices

Maintaining a safe work environment should be a top priority in any warehouse setting. Neglecting safety practices can lead to accidents or injuries that not only harm employees but also disrupt operations. This includes inadequate employee training on safety procedures, such as proper lifting techniques or operating equipment safely. It’s also important to regularly maintain equipment to prevent malfunctions that could cause harm.

Lack of Staff Training

Properly trained staff is crucial to the success of a warehouse. Not providing adequate training on warehouse operations and equipment usage can lead to mistakes, inefficiencies, and safety hazards. It’s important to address the importance of accuracy and efficiency in training sessions, as well as the need for ongoing skills development. This can include cross-training employees on different tasks to ensure flexibility and continuity in operations.

Poor Communication and Collaboration

A lack of clear communication and collaboration between different departments and teams can result in confusion, delays, and errors in inventory management, order fulfillment, and customer service. Warehouse staff needs to communicate effectively to ensure accurate inventory levels and timely delivery of orders. Collaboration with suppliers and carriers is also crucial for efficient inbound and outbound logistics.

Inadequate Security Measures

Warehouse security is essential for protecting valuable inventory items from theft or damage. Not having proper access control systems in place can make it easier for unauthorized individuals to enter the warehouse and steal goods. Ignoring security protocols for valuable items can also put them at risk. It is important to implement security measures such as CCTV cameras, alarms, and secure storage areas to prevent theft or damage.

Neglecting Sustainability Practices

In today’s world, sustainability practices are becoming increasingly important in all industries, including warehousing. Neglecting sustainability practices can have a negative impact on the environment as well as the company’s reputation. Warehouses should aim to be more environmentally friendly by using energy-efficient equipment and lighting, exploring sustainable packaging options, and implementing proper waste management solutions.

How Can APS Fulfillment, Inc. Help Improve Your Warehouse?

APS Fulfillment, Inc. offers a range of services designed to improve your warehousing efficiency. With our warehouse management system, Extensiv, you can gain complete control and visibility over your warehouse operations, from order and inventory management to shipping and receiving.

Extensiv combines four industry-leading software—3PL Central, Scout, Skubana, and CartRover—into one comprehensive omnichannel fulfillment platform. It’s a tool that can transform your warehousing activities, making them more efficient and less prone to errors.

Contact APS Fulfillment, Inc. Today!

Warehousing might appear straightforward, but the intricacies lie in the details. By avoiding the above mentioned mistakes and investing in efficiency, you’re laying a solid foundation for your business to thrive.

Partnering with APS Fulfillment, Inc. ensures that you’re not only mitigating these errors but also securing a competitive edge in your industry. We offer full-service e-commerce fulfillment out of Miami that includes state-of-the-art warehouse management software.

Ready to streamline your warehousing? Take the first step and contact us today! E-mail at [email protected], visit our website at www.apsfulfillment.com, or call us at (954) 582-7450.

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How a Shopify Fulfillment Service Can Help You Save Time and Money

Are you an e-commerce business owner or manager who is tired of spending too much time and money on shipping orders? The good news is that there’s a better answer—a Shopify fulfillment service. By leveraging the expertise of an established provider with decades in the business, you can take back control over your shipment handling practices and greatly reduce costs while improving efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction. In this blog, post we’ll be discussing how a Shopify fulfillment service can help you streamline your order processing activities—from start to finish.

Understanding Shopify Fulfillment Services

Shopify is an incredible e-commerce platform that has been an essential tool for many entrepreneurs. Shopify fulfillment services allow merchants to outsource their order fulfillment process to a third-party provider, who then handles tasks such as picking, packing, and shipping products directly to customers.

What’s especially great about Shopify fulfillment services is how seamlessly they integrate with the platform’s e-commerce capabilities. This means that merchants can closely track the status of their orders, rest easy knowing that their customers are receiving top-notch service, and focus their attention on other aspects of growing their business.

Benefits of Outsourcing Shopify Fulfillment to the Experts

Below are some of the benefits of outsourcing Shopify fulfillment to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.

Time Savings with Automated Order Processing

Manually processing orders can be a time-consuming and tedious process, especially for e-commerce businesses that receive a large number of orders each day. Shopify fulfillment services automate this process, allowing businesses to save time and focus on other aspects of their operations. Automation also reduces the potential for errors, as orders are processed quickly and accurately.

Reducing Shipping Costs

Shipping costs can have a major impact on the profitability of an e-commerce business, as they can often account for a significant portion of total expenses. Shopify fulfillment services are able to negotiate better shipping rates with carriers due to their size and volume of shipments. This allows businesses to reduce their shipping costs and increase their profits.

Inventory Management and Optimization

Maintaining accurate inventory levels is essential for any e-commerce business, as too much or too little inventory can lead to lost sales or excess costs. Shopify fulfillment services use sophisticated software to track inventory levels in real-time, allowing them to adjust stock levels accordingly and optimize inventory management across multiple warehouses or stores.

Streamlined Warehousing and Storage

Warehousing is one of the key components of any successful e-commerce business, yet it can be difficult to manage without the right tools or resources in place. Shopify fulfillment services provide efficient warehousing solutions that streamline the storage process while ensuring accuracy and reliability at all times. Their warehouse management systems are designed to optimize space utilization while minimizing costs associated with storage fees, labor costs, etc.

Order Fulfillment and Timely Delivery

Order fulfillment is one of the most important aspects of any e-commerce business, as it directly impacts customer satisfaction levels and brand loyalty over time. Shopify fulfillment services prioritize order fulfillment by utilizing automated processes such as pick & pack systems which help speed up delivery times while reducing errors associated with manual order processing methods.

Technology and Data Analytics

Technology plays an important role in order management for e-commerce businesses, as it helps streamline processes while providing valuable insights into customer behavior and helps to identify trends in customer buying patterns over time. By leveraging technology and data analytics tools, Shopify fulfillment services are able to improve decision making when it comes to order management.

Scalability and Growth

With Shopify fulfillment services, business owners can focus on developing their brand and driving sales, while their outsourced partner handles the logistics of order fulfillment. This not only allows for streamlined operations but also provides the flexibility to scale the business quickly and efficiently without the headache of managing logistics in-house.

Related: How to Increase Holiday Sales in 2023?

APS Fulfillment, Inc.’s Shopify Fulfillment Services

When it comes to choosing a fulfillment service provider, APS Fulfillment, Inc. is a name that stands out from the rest. With years of experience in the industry and a team of dedicated professionals, APS has built a reputation for delivering seamless fulfillment services that exceed expectations.

Partnering with APS ensures that your fulfillment process is in expert hands, giving you the peace of mind to focus on growing your business. Get in touch with us and one of our consultants will tailor a fulfillment plan designed to grow your business. Book a consultation by calling (954) 582-7450 or email [email protected].

You may also like: How to Craft the Perfect Shipping Policy for Your Shopify Store

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The Role of Supply-Chain Management in e-Commerce

Are you a business owner in the e-commerce industry? Then you already know how quickly technology is evolving, making it more important than ever before to understand the nuances of supply chain management. If you want your online store to remain competitive and profitable, there are certain pieces of knowledge that have become essential for success. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the role of supply chain management for e-commerce businesses and the various components that go into creating a streamlined system for e-commerce fulfillment and inventory management.

What Is Supply Chain Management?

Supply chain management is a crucial process that ensures the smooth delivery of goods and services from suppliers to customers. Essentially, it refers to the management of the entire chain of activities involved in the production and delivery of products or services. Effective supply chain management is crucial in ensuring that businesses can meet customer demand in a timely and cost-effective manner while also improving profitability.

The Benefits of Supply Chain Management in E-Commerce

A well-maintained supply chain helps with cost reduction by identifying supply chain inefficiencies that can be improved upon and it can enhance the customer experience by optimizing shipping times and ensuring timely delivery of orders.

An effective supply chain in e-commerce also improves inventory management, ensuring that the right products are in the right place at the right time. In today’s fast-paced and competitive e-commerce environment, investing in quality supply chain management is essential for long-term growth and staying ahead of the competition.

The Different Stages of the Supply Chain in E-Commerce

The are various stages involved in an effective supply chain, including:

Sourcing Raw Materials

The first stage of the supply chain in e-commerce is sourcing raw materials. This involves finding and purchasing the necessary components for a product, such as fabrics, plastics, metals, or electronics. Companies must ensure that they are sourcing materials from reliable suppliers in order to ensure quality and cost-effectiveness.

Manufacturing Products

Once the raw materials have been sourced, they must then be manufactured into finished products. This involves cutting and shaping the raw materials into components that can be assembled into the final product. The manufacturing process often requires specialized equipment and skilled labor in order to ensure quality control and efficiency.

Inventory Management and Procurement

Inventory management is an essential part of e-commerce supply chain management. Companies must track their inventory levels at all times in order to ensure that they have enough stock to meet customer demand while avoiding costly overstocking or understocking issues. Additionally, companies must also procure new inventory when needed in order to keep up with customer demand.

Warehousing and Storage

Warehouses provide secure storage for products while ensuring that they are readily accessible when needed for order fulfillment or distribution purposes. Companies may also choose to outsource warehousing services if they do not have the capacity to manage it themselves.

Order Fulfillment and Processing

Order fulfillment and processing is another key component of an e-commerce business’s supply chain as it is responsible for ensuring orders are received by customers quickly and accurately. This includes verifying orders against customer records, packaging products according to customer preferences, preparing shipping labels, and arranging for delivery.

Distribution and Logistics

Distribution refers to the transportation of goods from warehouses or other storage facilities to customers’ doorsteps or other designated locations (such as stores). Logistics refers to the planning and execution of transportation activities in order to optimize costs while ensuring timely delivery of goods with minimal errors or delays along the way.

How to Optimize Your Supply Chain for E-Commerce

Below are some tips for optimizing your supply chain for e-commerce fulfillment.

Choose the Right Suppliers and Manufacturers

Choosing the right suppliers and manufacturers is essential for optimizing your supply chain for e-commerce. The quality of the products you offer will determine the success of your business, so it’s important to select reliable suppliers who can provide consistent, high-quality goods. When selecting a supplier or manufacturer, make sure to research their reputation and track record, read customer reviews, and get references from other businesses they’ve worked with.

Invest in Efficient Warehousing and Inventory Management Systems

Having an efficient warehousing and 3 in place is key for optimizing your supply chain for e-commerce. This system should include up-to-date software that tracks stock levels, order processing times, shipping costs, and more. Additionally, having a well-organized warehouse with clearly labeled shelves and bins will help ensure that orders are processed quickly and accurately.

Use a Reliable Fulfillment Partner

Using a reliable fulfillment partner is another important step in optimizing your supply chain for e-commerce. Your e-commerce fulfillment partner should have experience working with similar businesses as yours, be able to handle large volumes of orders quickly and accurately, provide competitive shipping rates, and offer excellent customer service.

Develop a Robust Returns Processing System

Returns can be an issue when it comes to e-commerce businesses, so it’s important to develop a robust returns processing system that ensures customers receive their refunds quickly and efficiently. This system should include clear return policies that are easy for customers to understand as well as processes for tracking returned items back to the warehouse or supplier in order to avoid losses due to theft or damage.

The Future of Supply Chain Management in E-Commerce

The future of supply chain management in e-commerce is an exciting one, as advances in automation and robotics take center stage. These powerful tools will help retailers streamline their operations and improve efficiency, ultimately leading to faster delivery times and happier customers.

But it’s not just about speed—sustainability is becoming an increasingly important concern in the realm of e-commerce. Retailers are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and minimize waste, all while delivering quality products to their customers.

And speaking of customers, they’re more important than ever before. With the increasing focus on customer experience, retailers are looking for ways to personalize every interaction and deliver the kind of seamless service that consumers have come to expect.

Related: Benefits of Sustainable E-Commerce Fulfillment Practices

Choose APS Fulfillment, Inc. for Effective Supply Chain Management

APS Fulfillment, Inc. is an industry leader in supply chain management, providing effective and innovative solutions to organizations of all sizes. From inventory management to shipping and delivery, we offer a wealth of services that are designed to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

By choosing APS, you can focus on core competencies while leaving the logistics to the experts. Book a consultation by calling (954) 582-7450 or email [email protected].

Also Read: How to Prepare for the Peak Season Fulfillment Rush

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Transforming Fulfillment for an Online Health Supplement Store: How APS Improved Shipping, Inventory Management, and Customer Satisfaction for Bel Marra Health

Introduction: Bel Marra Health is an online e-commerce store that sells health supplements to customers in the U.S. and Canada. They were facing challenges with their fulfillment process, which was negatively impacting their business.

Challenge: Bel Marra Health was experiencing high shipping costs and long delivery times, which was resulting in dissatisfied customers and lost business. They were also struggling to manage their inventory effectively, leading to stockouts and delays in fulfilling orders.

Solution: APS Fulfillment worked with Bel Marra Health to provide a customized fulfillment solution that addressed their specific challenges. APS Fulfillment leveraged their strategic location in Florida and their partnerships with major carriers to offer discounted shipping rates and faster delivery times. They also implemented a robust inventory management system that helped Bel Marra Health maintain optimal stock levels and improve order accuracy.

Results: As a result of working with APS Fulfillment, Bel Marra Health saw significant improvements in their fulfillment process. They were able to reduce their shipping costs by 35% and improve their delivery times by 2-3 days on average. Their inventory management also became much more efficient, with a 95% accuracy rate and minimal stockouts. These improvements led to higher customer satisfaction, increased sales, and improved overall business operations for Bel Marra Health.

Conclusion: Working with APS Fulfillment was beneficial for Bel Marra Health. By providing a tailored solution that addressed their unique challenges, APS Fulfillment was able to help Bel Marra Health achieve significant improvements in their fulfillment process and overall business operations. Bel Marra Health now enjoys higher customer satisfaction, increased sales, and lower costs thanks to their partnership with APS Fulfillment.

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Inventory Days on Hand: Why It Matters and How to Calculate It?

Inventory days on hand is one of the most important metrics that a business can track. It is used to measure the number of days it would take to sell all of the inventory currently on hand. This metric is used to help businesses manage their inventory levels and keep inventories lean. In this post, we will explain why it is important and how to calculate it.

Why Does Inventory Days on Hand Matter?

As mentioned, inventory days on hand is a measure of how long it would take a company to sell through all of its inventory given the current rate of sales. This metric is important for several reasons.

It provides insight into whether a company has too much or too little inventory on hand. Too much inventory ties up working capital and can lead to stock outs, while too little inventory can lead to lost sales.

In addition, it can be used to forecast future cash flow needs. If a company knows that it will need to replenish inventory in the near future, it can plan accordingly and make sure that it has the necessary funds available.

Inventory days on hand is also a good indicator of a company’s overall efficiency. A company that is able to turn over its inventory quickly is likely to be more efficient than one that takes longer to do so. As such, this metric can be used as a benchmark for comparing different companies.

How to Calculate Inventory Days on Hand?

To calculate inventory days on hand, divide the number of days in a year by the number of times inventory is sold (or used) in a year. For example, if you sell 10 units of inventory per day, you would have 36.5 days of inventory on hand (365 / 10 = 36.5).

The average company has about 20-30 days of inventory on hand. If your company has less than this, it may be an indication that you are not carrying enough inventory to meet customer demand. On the other hand, if your company has more than 30 days of inventory on hand, it may be an indication that you are carrying too much inventory and not selling it fast enough.

Companies typically track inventory days on hand for each individual product or SKU.

Benefits of Lowering Your Inventory Days on Hand

In today’s competitive marketplace, having the products customers want is essential to success. By lowering your inventory days on hand, you can help ensure that you always have the products your customers need. Below are a few benefits of lowering your inventory days on hand.

  • Lower Costs: Carrying less inventory frees up cash that can be used for other purposes, and it also reduces the risk of inventory being damaged or becoming obsolete.
  • Faster Profits: Lowering your inventory days on hand can lead to faster profits. With fewer products sitting in storage, you can turn over your inventory more quickly and generate more revenue.
  • Fewer Stockouts: If you have less inventory on hand, you’re less likely to run out of products when customer demand is high.

How APS Fulfillment, Inc. Can Help You with Inventory Management?

At APS Fulfillment, Inc., we offer full-service e-commerce fulfillment out of Miami that includes state-of-the-art warehouse management software (WMS). We make inventory management and goods tracking easy and simple.

Get in touch with us today and one of our consultants will tailor a fulfillment plan that will help grow your business. To book a consultation, call (954) 582-7450 or email [email protected].

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Tips to Improve Your Inventory Management in 2022

With production uncertain during this unprecedented global pandemic, one of the best things your e-commerce business can do is to improve its inventory management. By equipping yourself with a streamlined and improved inventory management system, you’ll be better suited to handle the uncertainties in production chains that now plague businesses of all types and sizes.

The good news is that you don’t need a ton of capital or resources to improve your real-time inventory management. With the addition of strong inventory management software and a few improvements made to your process, you can begin to see immediate benefits.

That in mind, let’s explore several tips that will help you improve your inventory management.

Setting a Minimum Stock Level

There’s no faster way to annoy a customer than by advertising a product only for them to go online and find that the product is out of stock. In addition, by not having the product in stock when the customer logs on, you’re actually losing out a on pretty easy sale.

Don’t let that revenue evaporate! Instead, ensure that you have minimum stock levels in place that will trigger when an item gets down to a certain quantity. Once that level is reached, a minimum stock level informs you that’s time to buy more of that product in order to meet demand.

This helps your business remain ready to fulfill orders while also avoiding tying up money in stock that just sits on the shelves, waiting to potentially be sold off.

Improving Your Process

One thing that nearly all these improvements have in common is that they rely on a process that is reliable, accurate, and delivers useful data that will help inform future actions.

In other words, by streamlining your process and collecting data that can then be used to power metrics, analytics, and key performance indicators, you’ll create a feedback loop where the process is continuously self-improving the more efficient it gets and data it acquires.

Understanding Your Supply Chain

Now more than ever it’s critical that you understand your supply chain.

With so many disruptions coming about as a result of the pandemic, if you understand where your supply chain is strongest and where it is most vulnerable, you can begin to make contingency plans that will account for supply chain interruptions.

Contact more reliable suppliers, use analytics to predict when stock demand will surge, and keep gathering information regarding potential threats to your supply chain (like pandemic news) in order to keep your ship running in optimal shape.

Allocating Inventory Resources Effectively to Match Demand

Use data and metrics to determine which products are set to become hot at which times, which can help you plan for seasonal rushes and similar recurring, predictable changes. This can be accomplished by having a keen understanding of your client and your products.

Be Ready for the Unexpected

By definition, you can’t plan for the unexpected. But that doesn’t mean you can’t strengthen your business so that it’s more readily able to meet unexpected circumstances. Having contingency plans for supply chains and even delivery methods is a great way to account for these unforeseen scenarios.

Get Industry-Leading Service from APS Fulfillment, Inc. for All Your Inventory Requirements

Real-time inventory management can be stressful. There’s a lot of moving parts—and a lot of money on the line.

Every misstep can mean a lost customer and lost revenue.

The tips above help, but if you really want to improve your inventory management, APS Fulfillment, Inc. is your inventory management expert. Our software allows you and your customers to place an order and track its progress quickly and effortlessly.

Get in touch with us and book a consultation by calling (954) 582-7450 or email [email protected].

Also Read: Inventory Days on Hand: Why It Matters and How to Calculate It?

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What Is the Difference between Inventory Management and Warehouse Management?

warehouse management systemThe terms “inventory management” and “warehouse management” are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably as they both deal with operations and products within companies in the manufacturing and distribution industry. Despite their few similarities, there are many notable differences between warehouse and inventory management systems.

Warehouse managers and business owners should be aware and understand the differences between the two terms because the type of management system used to track the inventory depends on certain factors that can boost or hold back your company’s profitability and efficiency. Keep on reading to learn what each term means and what features make them different from each other.

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10 Key Inventory Metrics for Small Businesses

inventory managementProducts come in and out, but you should be in control of that cycle at all times. And if you run a small business or fulfillment company, you have to; your success depends on it.

If you’ve never given much thought to inventory metrics, here are 10 factors to take note of:

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