5 Essential Features of an Order Fulfillment Software
- by eSellerHub
You may be an online entrepreneur who is just getting started, or you may have been in business for years. Either way, your business needs to ship products. Whether you’re looking at the cost of shipping, the number of orders you fulfill each day, or your customer service ratings, it’s not hard to see why finding a fulfillment software can be important.
But what are some features that matter when choosing the right software?
And how do these features factor into your overall success?
This article will answer all your questions!
The Importance of an Automated Order Fulfillment System
Fulfillment software is a type of eCommerce order management system that comes with an automated order and shipping process. It may have additional features like inventory management and product listings.
If you’re looking for a boost to your business or online store, fulfillment software is a solid investment. Not only will it streamline your shipping process, but it will also provide immense benefits to grow your business.
There are many features that matter when choosing the right fulfillment software for your business. Here are a few:
- Customer service ratings – how easy is it to use? How quickly do orders ship?
- Cost – how much is the monthly fee? What other charges apply?
- Inventory management – can you keep track of what product sells best? How much space will be taken up on your site if you choose this option?
- Ease of use – how complicated is this program to learn? Is training offered?
- Shipping rates – can you decide whether or not you want to charge customers based on weight or price per item? Does the program offer its shipping module?
What to Look For in an Order Fulfillment Software
When you’re looking at fulfillment software, the following factors are important:
Order Streamlining
It may seem like a simple task, but order fulfillment can be time-consuming and stressful. The right software, however, will help you reduce the hassle.
For example, intelligent fulfillment software will automatically adjust your inventory levels based on order volume and shipping requests. It also acts as a customer service tool by letting customers track their orders and make changes to them as needed.
Through automation options like labeling and sorting, you will be able to ship items more quickly. An intelligent software tracks and manages multiple orders across various channels like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and others. Order streamlining is one way your business can save time and money with the help of fulfillment software.
Integrated Shipping Carriers
The good news is that most fulfillment software programs come with a variety of integrated shipping carriers. This way, you don’t have to manually configure each carrier and input your rates for each one.
Integrated shipping carriers are those that are already configured in the software with the rates given. And this means that you’ll be able to use Amazon FBA, UPS, USPS, DHL, etc., right from the start!
Automatic Packing Slips
One of the most important features of fulfillment software is automatic packing slips. This means that when a customer orders a product, the software will automatically create a packing slip and send it to Amazon, eBay, or other online marketplaces.
When you use fulfillment software with automatic packing slips, you can save time from manually packing orders and also avoid any human error. These slips are also valuable because they provide valuable information about your products for your customer service team to answer any questions they might have.
Intelligent Product Scanning
An intelligent product scanning feature automatically scans your inventory and displays the total number of each item that is available for purchase. This is essential because it allows you to quickly change your marketing efforts if a product sells out or decides to discontinue a certain line.
It also ensures that customers receive their products more conveniently and with less customer service contact. When an order comes in for a product that’s no longer available, the customer won’t have to wait for an e-mail response from customer service about why their item hasn’t shipped yet. The intelligent scanning feature will inform them that they need to choose another item or wait until more are in stock.
Automate Team Assignments
Another significant feature that a fulfillment software should have is the ability to assign tasks to the members of your team.
For example, if you have a team of five people and someone on your sales team has a product that needs to be shipped, it’s a simple solution to assign the task to the one person on your team who can ship those items.
What’s more? This allows you as the leader of the business to have an overview of what tasks have been assigned and what tasks are still outstanding for each member of your team.
If you choose a fulfillment software without this feature, this would mean that any time someone has an item that needs to be shipped they would need to go into their email and look up which coworker is responsible for shipping, then send them an email with the order information and ask them to fulfill it. This takes time and doesn’t allow you as a leader or manager to know for sure if all items are being handled by various people.
Conclusion
Regardless of the platform you are selling on, a meticulous order fulfillment strategy becomes inevitable. And this is where technology comes in; be it Rakuten order fulfillment or Walmart fulfillment, eSeller hub has the right solution for all your needs. Contact us to get started with our experts!