What is Accuracy in Product Fulfillment?
When dealing with product fulfillment services, “accuracy” is a term with multiple meanings. Aside from the obvious—getting the correct order to the correct customer—accuracy also means being able to fulfill the order within the promised time frame and delivering the product in good condition. In short, accuracy is how well your product fulfillment service can uphold your business’ most basic promise to the customer: that they will receive the item they ordered in the time frame that was promised and in proper condition.
Importance of Accuracy in Product Fulfillment Services
Although circumstances beyond your control can have an impact on accuracy, that is not a reason to overlook its importance. You only have one chance to make a first impression with customers and if your accuracy is off then you risk permanently souring the relationship—especially if what they were ordering was particularly time-sensitive, such as a gift or holiday item. Even among longtime customers who have a good history with you, accuracy slip-ups can make them turn to someone else. All it takes is one bad memory to stick out or too many smaller incidents that add up. In short, accuracy is about keeping customers happy and building trust between them and your business.
Benefits Beyond Satisfaction
Even if, for whatever weird reason, you didn’t need to care about customer satisfaction, there are other reasons to care about product fulfillment accuracy. Remember that if a product is sent back, someone has to pay for the process. Each step of reverse logistics—shipping the product back, picking, packing, and shipping the order again—imposes costs on your business that could have otherwise been avoided. Better accuracy reduces waste, extraneous costs, and opportunity costs as customers that might have been turned away stay on thanks to correct and timely fulfillment.
Choosing an Accurate Order Fulfillment Partner
A good way to help your business have accurate order fulfillment is to work with a 3PL service provider who understands how essential accuracy can be. Only 33% of companies place fulfillment accuracy at or near the top of their priorities, which means that roughly 2/3 of potential service providers aren’t giving their full effort to make sure the products they ship are correct, undamaged, or arrive on time. When evaluating a potential product fulfillment service, be sure to ask about where accuracy falls on their priorities. Inquire about the types of technology (barcode, sorting software, tracking software, etc.) and other strategies that they use to improve accuracy and better serve your needs.
APS Fulfillment Inc. is a leading product fulfillment service company that operates out of Miami, Florida. Our integrative approach tackles supply chain management, real-time inventory management, warehousing services, shipping, and everything else needed to ensure your goods get to their destination. We’ve stored, sorted, delivered, and quality-assured products of all shapes and sizes for all kinds of companies across a wide variety of industries. Contact us by phone at 954-582-7450 or by email at [email protected] for more ways third-party logistics services can support and grow your business.
