Growing your business means a lot more than scaling production, scaling fulfillment processes are just as important. Small and mid sized business experiencing strong growth need to allocate resources to fulfill the orders to satisfy customer demand.
In house warehousing and fulfillment is often a good option, but not necessarily the best one. Most business owners realize late that outsourcing the warehousing and distribution functions are great options and that offer serious financial benefits.
Benefits of Outsourced Warehousing and Fulfillment
The benefits are real and tangible, and include the following:
This all sounds exciting, but can an outsourced fulfillment company understand the nuances of our products, how they're packaged, and how they need to be prepared for shipment? What courier or freight company will they use instead of mine and will they be reliable? These, and more, are all very good questions.
Customized Order Fulfillment Services
The truth is, unless an order processing and fulfillment solution is highly customized - just to meet the needs of your business - it will likely fail. When conducting your research, find a provider that can convince you of two things. First, that they truly understand (and are taking notes) on your exact warehousing, distribution and fulfillment needs. The key words here are that they "understand exactly" your business process. Secondly, it's about people. Ask to meet the team that will be providing your distribution and fulfillment services and on top of that, ask to speak to clients that are currently being served by this company. The more you learn, the more informed a decision you can make.
Get a Real Cost Quote
After interviewing several fulfillment warehouses, do the math and do not overlook any costs. You should have the basis for an apples-to-apples cost comparison. After considering "hard costs" factor in "soft costs", too - this is the "real cost". Here you consider the people interviewed, the client testimonials, the process and communication efficiency and the overall comfort level you've gained.
When it comes to getting a warehousing and fulfillment partner, it is better to take your time to "figure it out" up front as it will be time well invested and pay dividends as you continue to grow your business.
Service Freight Warehousing provides free quotes to growing businesses seeking to leverage outsourced outsourced warehousing and fulfillment services. Warehouse services for local and U.S. business clients are provided for distribution from Greater Toronto, Ontario Canada warehouse distribution facilities.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Capp
http://EzineArticles.com/?Customized-Outsourced-Fulfillment-Services:-Solutions-for-Small-and-Mid-Sized-Business&id=6284181
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