eCommerce Fulfilment

Ecommerce fulfilment is the process of receiving, storing, packing, and shipping products to customers. It covers the entire journey of a product from the moment it enters a warehouse until it reaches the customer’s doorstep.

Fulfilment includes several key steps: receiving and storing products, order processing, picking and packing, shipping, and returns management.

The main job of an ecommerce fulfilment provider is to make sure that customers receive their orders on time and in good condition.

There are 3 primary types of e-fulfillment:

• In-house fulfilment: This is when you handle the entire fulfilment process in your own warehouse or facility. This gives you maximum control, but it also requires investing in infrastructure, labour, and order fulfilment technology.   
• Third-party logistics (3PL) fulfilment: Known as outsourcing fulfilment to a specialised third-party provider. 3PLs offer various services that include warehousing, order fulfilment, and shipping.   
• Dropshipping: This is a fulfilment model where the retailer doesn’t hold inventory. Instead, products are shipped directly from the supplier to the customer.

The best fulfilment model for your business depends on factors like order volume, product type, budget, and desired level of control.

Both dropshipping and fulfilment involve getting products to customers, but they are two distinct processes.

In dropshipping, the seller doesn’t hold inventory. Products are shipped directly from the supplier to the customer, and the retailer typically has less control over the fulfilment process.

In fulfilment, either the retailer or a third-party holds inventory in a warehouse. The products are stored, picked, packed, and shipped by the retailer or the fulfilment centre, and the retailer has more control over the fulfilment process.

Basically, dropshipping is a sales model, while fulfilment is the operational process of getting products to customers.

No, fulfilment is not the same as shipping.

Shipping is a component of fulfilment that focuses on the transportation of products from the warehouse to the customer.

Fulfilment is a broader term that covers all the steps involved in getting a product from the supplier to the customer, including receiving, storing, picking, packing, and shipping.

You can say that shipping is one of the final stages of the fulfilment process.

Green Fulfilment has a simple and efficient returns management process.

Some of our clients let their consumers return the order without any pre-authorisation required, and others do require pre-authorisation. Either way once the order is received by our team, we look for any return slip to link it to an order. We have great flexibility on how to process your returns and the process is tailored to your business and your customers. 

In general, you can expect these outcomes when a return is processed:

• Items returned are in new condition and packaging is all intact. Green Fulfilment puts items like these back into stock.
• Items returned are in mint condition, but the labels or packaging are damaged or missing. Our team reworks these for customers. After adding the new labels or packaging, we put them back in stock.

Items are either damaged or appear used. We would either put them in quarantine or book them in as another product for you to resell as ‘Pre-Loved’ or as ‘Discounted Sales’ depending on the agreement during onboarding.

When there’s an increase in order volume, the ecommerce fulfilment centre will require additional resources, such as labour, warehouse space, and shipping capacity.

And during seasonal fluctuations, an order fulfilment service provider must adapt to varying order volumes throughout the year. This often requires flexible staffing and consistent inventory management.

Growth and fluctuations are unavoidable, so ecommerce fulfilment centres usually do demand forecasting to accurately predict order volume and consequently optimise resource allocation. This also helps prevent overstocking or stockouts.

Effective order fulfilment during periods of growth or fluctuation requires careful planning, flexible infrastructure, and robust technology that can keep up with the demand.

Ecommerce fulfilment integrations connect your online store with the fulfilment centre’s systems. This connection facilitates a seamless data flow that is important for efficient order processing and inventory management.   

Green Fulfilment has Green Portal — our cloud-based, mobile-friendly order fulfilment software. Our software helps you manage sales information, analyse data, streamline order processing, manage inventory, and track products and return processes in one platform. 

Green Fulfilment offers kitting and assembly services to ecommerce businesses that want to offer their customers something unique, seasonal, or limited edition.

Kitting and assembly involves combining different products into new products with appealing packaging. The end-product goes by many names. Some call them kits, others refer to them as hampers or bundles. Whatever you want to call it, Green Fulfilment can help you with making it.

In order to maintain consistency, products used in kits are first booked into stock. You can then use Green Portal to create kits in the system, choosing whether to use your inventory for kits or to sell items separately. Once the number of kits are set, the components are moved to our rework area in the fulfilment warehouse for assembly.

Brexit introduced some changes to the fulfilment of ecommerce orders within the European Union. Here’s a breakdown of the key considerations:   

• Customs Duties and VAT: Businesses need to comply with customs regulations and VAT rules for each EU country where they sell.   
• Documentation: Accurate customs declarations are essential for smooth order processing.   
• Inventory Management: Managing inventory across the UK and EU can be complex due to different VAT regulations and customs procedures.
• Shipping Delays: Customs checks and increased paperwork might lead to longer delivery times.

The most common and efficient solution is to partner with an EU-based fulfilment centre.

Storing inventory within the EU avoids customs delays and simplifies VAT compliance.

To give you a general idea of what to consider, you must:

• Stay updated on any trade agreements between the UK and EU that may affect your ecommerce business.
• Use ecommerce platforms and partner with a fulfilment centre that offer cross-border shipping and customs compliance.

Charges for ecommerce fulfilment in the UK depend on different factors, such as: the number of orders you are shipping, the number of items in each order, the physical size of a product, the type of product that is about to be shipped, the packaging demands of a product, the end-location of a shipped item, the quantity of storage space you need, etc.

If you need an exact idea for how much your business needs to pay for ecommerce fulfilment, we recommend reaching out to the team at Green Fulfilment for personalised pricing and support.