Brave New World
Today, it seems like the sci-fi writers of decades gone-by were actually on to something. While aliens haven’t colonized us all, laser guns have yet to hit the commercial market, and the milkman service to the moon is still in development limbo, some technological dreams have finally come true. Really fancy touch screen technology is available, there’s automatic GPS for traveling, and video screens are darn near everywhere. It’s incredible.
Depending on your point of view, this is either fantastic or fear-inspiring. If you miss the days of Olivetti typewriters and butter churns and hold the philosophy that society is being corrupted by all these gizmos, then you probably think the latter. But if you’re head over heels for your new smartphone and tablet with all of their hidden innovations, you likely couldn’t be happier. It’s all a matter of degree.
Like it or not, you can bet technology is here to stay, regardless of its necessity. And with so much of this stuff appearing everywhere you turn, there’s no question that you need to be up-to-date on it if you are in the business world.
In product fulfillment, this means going the route of e-fulfillment services. Some pros are still not up on this, often out of fear or a devotion to their old, faithful methods. But adaptation to the digital age in product fulfillment should not arouse fear, nor require you to toss away the methods you love—just supplement them to access a brave but professionally exciting new world.
Behind the Screens
When going for e-fulfillment services, first consider what you can place onto the screen. Taking the perspective of a client might help here: what would they like to see when they access your web site, and what can they order from it?
This is where you need to have a well-constructed web site that proudly displays your business, lists your products, and, above all, allows for online order fulfillment. Just as your clients might pick and choose when doing customer order fulfillment from one of your paper catalogues, your online ordering system works pretty much the same. The only differences are that they order from an electronic interface, select the products from a listing before adding them to an online shopping cart, and then pay through electronic methods such as a credit card or PayPal. If you have this basic service in place, you’ve accomplished a big part of e-commerce fulfillment, too.
Interestingly, your web sites, blogs, and even social media sites are excellent new ways to get more business. By posting information or promos, you can attract a lot of new clientele to your product fulfillment business. People love surfing the Internet late at night, and they also like being surprised by what they find—which could be your business.
Electric Activity
You might think most people have adapted to the new age of technology, but some have not. However, just the slightest adaptation can mean great things all-around and satisfy a lot of tastes without forcing severe changes.
If you think about it, today’s product fulfillment is an interesting combo of new and old techniques. You can still do a lot of paper-based marketing, like catalogue production and direct mailings, but now you can use electronic tools like digital printing solutions to make a lot of duties easier. Like hip-hop/electronic/rock mix-ups where DJs and shredding guitarists team up to create exciting sounds, product fulfillment can actually balance an interesting high wire act of keeping a foot on the traditional past while having an eye on the horizon for new developments at the same time. This mixture keeps the activity in product fulfillment electric, exciting, and manageable for those that practice it.
Need solutions to your product fulfillment problems? APS Fulfillment, Inc has the knowledge and services to make your direct mail and product fulfillment ventures more successful. Contact APS Fulfillment, Inc by e-mail at [email protected], visit their web site at www.apsfulfillment.com, or phone at (954) 582-7450.
