Perfect order fulfillment has a very specific meaning. It refers to any order that is made on time, with complete and accurate documentation, and no delivery damage. While straightforward in concept, it is not always easy to accomplish. Outdated processes, slow responses to sudden shifts in demand, limited visibility on aspects of the supply chain, trouble managing supply chain risks, and difficulty reacting to unexpected developments are just some of the ways perfect order fulfillment can be disrupted. Imperfect order fulfillment is more than an annoyance for the customer. It creates very real labor costs for additional shipping, replacement products, and potential lost sales. Having an efficient supply chain that’s optimized for perfect order fulfillment, therefore, is a matter of having both basic business sense and improved customer satisfaction.
Visibility and Measuring
It is common for supply chains, especially those of larger companies, to have multiple disparate systems that aren’t fully integrated. What gets done in one is not automatically reflected in the other. This creates visibility gaps that affect the ability to both view where specific problems are coming from (not to mention spot those problems in the first place) and limit the ability to compare elements of the supply chain against each other. What gets measured gets acted on and by properly linking or unifying the different components of the supply chain, problem areas can be isolated and improvements—whether operational or technological—can be implemented to correct any issues.
Tracking Improvements
Better visibility and unified systems help with more than just identifying problems to address. They also enables a better monitoring of how well improvements are (or are not) working out. Few problems have a single solution and chances are you’ll have debated different options when devising your strategy. Defining your goal and what measurements you will use to track it is a basic but essential step in moving towards increasing your perfect order fulfillment level.
Naturally, there is more to a solution than just how well it affects performance. There are going to be financial costs to any change, after all. Better visibility of the supply chain helps with calculating the cost/benefit balance of possible changes. This is because you are able to view how all of the different pieces interact with each other and observe how changes to one component may or may not affect others.
Efficient and Effective
APS Fulfillment, Inc. is dedicated to the concept of perfect order fulfillment. Our unified warehouse and shipping software, combined with a team of trained, experienced workers, have been able to provide optimized order fulfillment to locations all around the world and for businesses both large and small. All key parties in our supply chain, including our customers, are able to get real-time information on how orders are processed so that the system runs smoothly, accurately, and efficiently. To learn more about how we can help your supply chain, feel free to contact us.
