Desktop Calendar

APSFulfillment Service_article_051415You don’t see a lot of 30-minutes-or-less pizza delivery services anymore. Why is that? Some companies ran into problems with delivering on time and without incident. It was an easy promise to make, but a tough one to keep.

The same is true for fulfillment companies. If you’re going to promise fast services like same-day shipping, you better be sure to follow through on those promises every time.

There’s a lot of debate about the merits of same-day shipping. The following are some things to consider:

Are You Ready for the Responsibility?

When you promise same-day shipping, it’s expected that you deliver. If you’re not ready to do so and take the backlash of things going wrong, then it’s not worth taking on that responsibility.

Do You Have the Space and Tools?

Same-day shipping requires a few key components to get the job done. The right storage space for all of your stock, as well as a sufficient amount of workspace is absolutely necessary. Also, you need the right tools in place to do the job properly. Most importantly are a digital inventory software program, tracking or logistics mechanisms, and all the packing tools for shipments. These include box cutters, tape, and labelling devices. This is where many people look to a third party or partner to help.

What Happens When You Run Out of Stock?

There are a lot of what-ifs in the same-day fulfillment premise. However, nothing is more perplexing than running out of stock. Simply telling your customers that you’re sorry for not having what they need can easily damage your reputation. What most professionals recommend is to build up a network of reliable suppliers to cover your potential lack of stock.

Can You Take the Holiday and Peak Seasons?

The winter holidays and summer months are when peak retailing goes on. People are busy and might have to look to you to satisfy their consumer needs under the clock. If you’re going to offer same-day delivery over peak sales periods, you better make sure you have the staff and tools in place to cover all your resources for those few weeks or months. You can often turn to temporary or contract workers for this.

What’s Your Schedule?

There is only so much one person can physically endure. If you’re an independent retailer, you’re used to working more hours than most. Providing same-day delivery might require an even more rigorous time commitment for you and your staff over weekends or into the night. There’s a lot of scheduling that needs to be done to make sure that clients get what they order on time and that no one burns out in the process.

Do You Have the Right Staff?

If you’re going to embark on same-day shipping, or if you want to make your existing system more efficient, it might be worthwhile to hire a contract professional to help you out. They can recommend what software to use and how many extra people to hire for service duties. It’s also good to bring in seasoned experts for the peak seasons and you’ll want people who are skilled and knowledgeable enough to do the jobs properly.

To conclude, most professionals say that while same-day fulfillment is tough and not something you can always do, it’s a great way to build up the credibility of your business, especially early into its operations. If you can rise to the challenge of same-day fulfillment, you can really drive customer satisfaction and create a name for yourself.

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.