There is a lot that goes in between the completion of the manufacturing process and the final delivery of a product. A lengthy process ensures that the finished product reaches the buyer in perfect condition, free of damage. It is this process that comes under the purview of fashion fulfilment services.
With online shoppers increasing every day, fashion companies struggle to ensure a satisfactory shopping experience for all clients. Apart from maintaining quality standards at each stage of the manufacturing process, they now have to ensure efficient delivery of their products too. That is exactly why the assistance of a fashion fulfilment service is felt stronger than ever.
An order fulfilment service specialises in offering comprehensive supply-chain management services. From distribution and warehousing to managing returns, they offer a full life-cycle management service to ensure your products are stored efficiently and timely delivered.
To better understand the role of an order fulfilment company, let’s go through the 5 phases of any fashion fulfilment service.
Table of Contents
Phase 1: Receiving Inventory
To fulfil any order, you first need to have sufficient inventory or finished products in place, and this is what the first phase of any order fulfilment process covers. Once the manufacturing is done and the product goes through a thorough quality check, all the finished products are delivered to the fulfilment service provider.
After receiving the inventory, a proper procedure is followed to ensure that there are no discrepancies of any kind. It includes:
- Basic quality checks to detect any visible defects.
- Counting the inventory.
- Sorting the inventory into different categories.
This entire process is meant to create a transparent business relationship between the fashion company and the order fulfilment service provider. Any faults, defects, or discrepancies are brought to the client’s attention at the beginning so that the service provider is not blamed for mismanagement.
Phase 2: Storage/Warehousing
Once the service provider receives the inventory and the basic due procedures are followed, the next step is storing the inventory. Irrespective of the scale a fashion fulfilment service provider is operating on, proper storage of the products is key to ensuring their on-time delivery. So, all the finished products the fashion company receives are stored at a warehouse or other storage facility in a safe and organised manner.
When it comes to the storage or warehousing of fashion products, a few things need to be considered:
● Organisation
The inventory needs to be stored systematically using different storage methods like using hangers, block storage or compartment shelving systems. This way, you can keep track of the inventory and smoothen the delivery procedure. Also, you need to store the products well in a secured warehouse to retain their original quality.
● Capacity
The storage facility should be enough to store the entire stock efficiently. Fashion products are always divided into different categories, so there should be ample storage space to make such a categorisation possible.
● Location
When it comes to warehousing, location matters a lot because it impacts the delivery time frame. The products need to be stored in an easy-to-access and strategic location to minimise the delivery period. In today’s world, where one-day delivery is quite a trend, the location of the storage facility is an important consideration.
Phase 3: Order Processing
The next step in the fashion distribution and warehousing service is order processing. This includes all the steps that come in between order placement and shipment. It is one of the most important phases because the efficiency at this stage determines the customer’s overall satisfaction.
You can divide order processing services into two categories:
● Picking
Once a customer places an online order, the warehouse nearest to the customer is located, and the team over there is assigned to the fulfilment of that particular order. The order is identified, the correct products are picked and after a thorough quality check, the order is packed.
● Packing
Packing is not just for presentation but to ensure that the product remains safe and secure during the entire delivery procedure. The packing material should be both durable and lightweight to keep the delivery charges to a minimum.
Phase 4: Shipment and Delivery
After packaging comes shipment and eventual delivery. The order fulfilment company hires a trusted freight service to complete the delivery procedure. The delivery information is shared with the customers, which includes:
- Delivery timeframe
- Tracking ID
- Details of the delivery partner
- Delivery charges
Here, choosing the right delivery partner is of key importance. A delayed order can often lead to cancellations. You have to keep the delivery time and charge to a minimum because these factors often determine if a potential customer will place their order with you or not.
Phase 5: Returns Management
While rare, customers sometimes choose to return the order; therefore, the order fulfilment process extends beyond the delivery phase. So, any reliable fashion fulfilment service would offer assistance with returns.
This includes:
- Scheduling the return pickup
- Conforming if the order is in the original condition
- Dropping it back at the warehouse.
- Processing the repayment.
Sign Up for Efficient Order Fulfilment Service with Efficient Group
All these phases are efficiently undertaken to ensure the smooth fulfilment of any order. At Efficient Group, we deal with all these steps strategically and leave no room for errors. So, with us, your customers would always be satisfied with the nature of delivery. To know more about the services we offer, you can reach out to us at +61 402 327 874 or 03 9397 2030.
