fulfillment costs

“Can you set time aside for you to look in the mirror and enjoy the experience and magic that is waiting to unfold?” In my book, the process of awakening your sacred self is revealed to you through a few simple steps; allowing you to fully access your potential and the gifts that await you.

What gifts? Life is full of experiences waiting to be embraced. When you have the clarity and an open heart to receive the blessings that lie before you, you discover that the Higher Power of your sacred self is ready to assist you whenever you ask.

How do I facilitate my sacred self? First, you must make a strong commitment to yourself and set a few moments aside to meditate in silence, While you do, rid your mind of all negativity. Visualize a virtual trash bin, and discard all the garbage in your mind. When you’ve completely emptied your thoughts from the business of your life, focus on the nature that surrounds you – and if you aren’t outside, find something to hone in on like a dimly-lit candle, a plant, or maybe just a good book of poetry.

You must spend “alone time” with your sacred self so you can acquire a sense of your footing, and to “welcome the unknown into your world.” Close your eyes and feel the all-empowering love of the Great Divine flow through every part of your living body, every cell and every breath…ah, now breathe deeply as if you were gaining your first breath of fresh Spring air – now open your eyes. Without any reservations, ask the Higher Power to help you find what it is you are searching for in life. Ask how to discover the passion that will help you to create the destiny that you so desire.

Because you have awakened your inner consciousness, you are suddenly more aware and more tuned into your sacred self; and the answers that were slow in coming in the past, are now within your mind’s eye…and within your reach. You see, the vision that you gain through your sacred self is not only your intuitive consciousness, but your inner guide to fulfilling your destiny.

Until we speak again,

Joan Marie, Intuition Girl

© Copyright – All Rights Reserved
Fulfill Your Destiny with Your Sacred Self
By Joan Marie Whelan

Over the past two years, I have read several blogs about Living the American Dream, Lincoln’s Dream Fulfilled and lots of other universal mumbo jumbo.  Okay, I’m sure those dreams hold a lot of value and validity for the individual(s).  Trust me there is nothing wrong with having a dream.  However, I don’t know about you all, but I don’t think we were talking about the same American Dream.

Let’s see….like many of my brothers and sisters, I grew up poor but appreciative of what it means to be Black in America.  What it means to persevere and embrace the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Therefore, I’m not sure if I could ever relate to the definition of any other American Dream.  Okay I Digress…..

Now let’s get down to what really matters.  Just in case you missed all of the emails, blogs and other media, let me inform you….Honey, we have a new President…an African American or Black President…..Whatever floats your boat because I am not good with technicalities.  Anyway, as I was saying, Barack Obama will be etched into history as the 44th president of the United States.  Wow!  He did that.

I am always telling people about how I Rewrote the Script and created a new life for myself.  But our new President has raised the bar for all Americans, especially politicians.  This magnificent man has redefined and reshaped the political process.  Sorry but they never saw him coming.  So, now I have to ask….what’s your excuse for not getting up off your butt and fulfilling your dreams?

I must say, being the very outgoing and optimistic person that I am, I never doubted the possibility.  Yet, I am still in awe.  I woke up this morning and our new President was one of the first people on my mind.  First I thanked God for his blessings. Then I watched the news, once again (just for confirmation). After that I began calling my friends.  I couldn’t help it.  I needed to someone to celebrate with.

There’s one thing that I know for sure.  From this day forward, no one should Ever live down to anyone’s expectations.  Like it or not, some of us have done this for years.  We have and have always had the ability to do something Remarkable.

It has been more than forty-five years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his I Have a Dream speech.  Like many of you, I was just a twinkle in my mother’s eye. I am not sure how that speech affected her or any of my family members.  But when I was old enough to comprehend the true meaning, I marveled at Dr. King’s eloquent words of hope and prosperity.  From the moment his words entered my ears, I knew a new revolution had begun…and I wanted to be a part of it.  Like Dr. King, there were a lot of obstacles thrown in my path but I never gave up hope.  When I think about it….I am still not sure if Dr. King thought Change would happen so soon.

Understand this people…. this is not the time to focus on the many trials and tribulations that we went through to get here.  Just understand that we have finally arrived and we have work to do.  Now, I am not naïve.  I am aware that there will be many naysayers, non-supporters and other media entities seeking to down play this momentous event.  Nevertheless, this is a time for celebration.   We live in American, so we understand that this journey will not easy, for any of us.  But we can do this.

For those of you who didn’t think Barack Obama would be elected because of the color of his skin, I have news for you.  The world is so elated that we can only marvel at the fact that he was elected in spite of the color of his skin.  Therefore, we must remain positive.

Do you all realize the universal significance of this event?  Think about all of the little boys and little girls who now realize that Dreams really do come true.  They too, can be the next president of the United States.  They can be leaders of substance, integrity and character.  And for those of you who don’t value education…..after last night, I hope you never under estimate the power of education and determination.

No longer will our children be forced to equate success with just entertainers and athletes.  Like it or not, education is the key that will open the door to many possibilities.  Furthermore, don’t let our children forget the words of Dr. King, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  I think most people understand that everyone….new generations and old were included in his Vision.   On November 4, 2008 that Dream became a reality.

Throughout his campaign, Barack Obama often spoke of Hope and Change.  He sealed his campaign, when he coined the phrase, “Yes We Can.”  The young but capable Senator from Illinois had the world shouting in unison, “Yes We Can….Si Se Puede“….and We Did.  You Go Boy!  America, please join me in welcoming the new First Family.

While at work, is your mind distracted by all the things you need to do when you get home?  When you’re home do you think about things you need to do at work?  Our minds travel at light speed jumping from one thing to another.  Think back to your early school days when you daydreamed out the window during class.   Or maybe you were bored near the end of summer wishing for school to start?  It seems like we have a hard time focusing on the here and now! 

How do we slow our thoughts down and why should we slow our thoughts down anyway?

There’s a lot of buzz lately about “being in flow.”  Even Oprah has talked about it on her show.  Research supports the notion that the most fulfilling time in a woman’s life is when she is deeply engaged in what she is doing.  Flow is when we are so engrossed in an activity that time flies by and we may even forget to eat, sleep, and keep the date we made with that guy on the internet!  All of us have had these experiences and engaged in what researchers term a “flow” activity.

Flow is the term a psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi gave to the experience of full engagement in what you are doing.  He has done extensive research on identifying and understanding the times when people feel enjoyment and deep involvement in life.  Flow is defined as being engaged in an activity that challenges and provides an opportunity for you to use your skills.  There has to be a right balance between challenge and skills.  If there is not enough of a challenge then boredom tends to creep in.  If the task at hand is difficult you may become discouraged and anxious.  Creating the right balance is essential to making all this work.   You can experience flow at work or home – working in the garden, walking in the park, or while playing the piano.  Some people are deeply engaged while looking at a painting while others may find it boring.   We each have our own unique way of getting in the flow.

The Challenge

So the question is what gives you flow?  Watch yourself during the day to notice what activities you are vigorously engaged in.  You could do this by checking in with yourself every hour or so.   If your mind is somewhere else other than what you are doing then you are not experiencing flow.  The key to living a deeply engaged life is to fill your day with as many flow experiences as possible.

When you’re having a conversation with someone, are you listening to what the person is saying or are your thoughts racing ahead to what you want to say or what you have to do later in the day?  Here’s something you can try: practice allowing the racing thoughts to flow right past you and don’t grab on to them.   Don’t give them a place to land.  Refocus on the person you are speaking with.  You’ll automatically be able to increase your enjoyment in the moment if you do not give other random thoughts any attention.  The same thing can be said while reading a book:  Are you thinking about what you want to eat or how someone made you angry?  Notice the thoughts and let them flow by while refocusing on your reading. 

If our minds are always anxiously racing around we miss out on living in the moment.  When you think about it the moment is all we really have since there are no guarantees we have tomorrow.

So let’s talk about quality time at home.  If you have children then your evenings are probably filled with their activities and preparing them for school.  Turn each event into an engaging event in your mind without letting your thoughts race ahead outside of what you are doing.   Notice the small nuisances about being with your children.

Good old television!  Researchers found people are mildly depressed while watching television.  Many of us have experienced a night in front of the television while our minds were on other things.  Try limiting television to shows you really like or find a more engaging activity.   Make a list of all of the things you’re interested in trying, researching or special projects you want to complete and pick one to work on. 

Increasing flow will happen little by little as you become more aware of what activities engage you.  By refocusing on what you are doing in the moment you’ll find yourself more engaged in each moment of life and aware of how you spend your time.  You will learn to shift your attention and energy to turn boring moments when you are drifting into more engaging ones.

References: Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990). FLOW The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

 copyright Donna Deming 2008

The QC Software OMS (Order Management System) provides the functionality necessary to properly and efficiently execute the order fulfillment process. This robust module facilitates the planning, processing, verifying, and shipping of orders within the warehouse or distribution center.

According to Rich Hite, founder of QC Software, “Order picking strategies must take into account many different variables such as, storage and retrieval mode, picking method, order release method, picking communication (RF, voice, PTL, etc). With that premise companies need something to tie all of these methods and technologies together, and that is a WCS.”

Plan:  Planning orders for optimized picking is the most essential aspect in the order fulfillment process.   QC OMS is a configurable tool that allows orders to be streamlined for picking efficiency.   Utilizing the Wave Planner and Scheduling functions, the most efficient picking technique will be determined whether you are processing single line/single quantity orders, multiple line orders, or ship alone orders.   QC OMS releases the proper number of Pick Tasks to maintain a fluid work load.

QC OMS also provides functionality to select the proper carton(s) for shipping an order.   As orders are released, QC OMS analyzes the makeup of each order to select the proper sized shipping container.   The cubing algorithm first attempts to allocate all items for an order to a single shipping container.   If multiple shipping containers are required, QC OMS then allocates items to the various containers based on pick zone location in order to minimize the number of containers routed to each zone for a single order.

Process:  Orders that are processed through QC OMS may be picked utilizing various technologies.   Pick tasks can be accomplished using a combination of manual and/or automated solutions such as pick tickets, carousels, Pick-To-Light (PTL), and RF terminals.   QC OMS also allows for multiple picking methods such as Batch Picks, Cluster Picks, and Order Picks.

As containers are delivered to the various pick zones, QC OMS transmits Pick Request messages to the local pick controller, identifying the container ID and associated line items (SKU, location, and corresponding quantities) to be picked.   The local pick controller then notifies QC Navigator when each pick is complete via a Pick Complete message.   QC OMS uses these messages from the various picking sub-system controllers to track the status of each order and ensure order integrity.  QC OMS tracks the status of the order throughout the process and provides real time management statistics.

QC Software  is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries.   Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products.  Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.

Would you like to experience more happiness and fulfillment in your life? Or just feel sooo tremendously good – and even if it’s only for a few minutes a day…? Ok, good – let’s see what we can do.

Hmm – did you ever wonder, where all the happiness you are longing for is actually hiding? Maybe it’s in L.A., in New York, somewhere in Europe, on the moon, in your soul mate or maybe it’s just showing up after you made your first million dollars…?

No, far from it! It’s actually much closer and much easier to get than you might think. Getting excited? What I’m going to show you right now is really amazingly simple – almost too simple to imagine that this could work or even completely change your life.

But please stay with me – I promise this works like a miracle. Ready? Good, let’s get started:

* Look for a quiet spot where no one will disturb you for the next 5-10 minutes.

* Make yourself comfortable and sit down on a chair. If you prefer, you can also lie down on your back.

* Close your eyes and relax.

* Now comes the most important part: Switch OFF your mind. Whatever happened yesterday, today, or what might be tomorrow has absolutely no importance for the next 5-10 minutes. Let go of everything that keeps your mind spinning. Be like a new-born, absolutely free and unburdened. Just BE – open, wide, fresh. You know, you can access this freedom anytime you want and that’s actually the biggest luxury you can give to yourself. And it won’t even cost you anything – just a few minutes of your time.

* So, once again, switch OFF your mind. Right now (at least for a few minutes) absolutely nothing matters, nothing is important – except you and the new YOU, you are going to experience.

* Silently tell yourself: Open, wide, free… and then even let go of these thoughts and just watch and observe.

* Now, something is going to happen within you. It’s a very special, yet also very subtle feeling. You are connecting with your inner happiness. It’s a glimpse of the tremendous peace, bliss and happiness within you that you are becoming aware of.

* Simply feel it, let it happen, let it unfold. Swim and dance with this feeling.

* But careful, don’t allow your mind to interfere. Don’t judge what’s happening, don’t try to hold on to it, don’t wish for more… or the doors will close.

* Just BE with this feeling, don’t do anything, don’t even get excited about how wonderful it feels – just enjoy it. Stay with this feeling, become one with it – the more often you are doing this, the bigger your inner happiness will grow.

* Allow your newly gained inner happiness to flow into your day-to-day life: Re-focus and re-connect with this feeling, with your inner happiness several times throughout the day – this takes only a few seconds.

And yes, that’s not some kind of homework you HAVE to do to get what you want. No, it doesn’t work like that. Play, enjoy, have fun, let go and let it happen – that’s the magic formula.

And that’s really all! Maybe do this 2-3 times a day (or as often as you want). Of course, you can also remain more than 5 minutes in your divine happiness if you feel like it – however, don’t make this some sort of competition. It’s not the one with the most discipline who wins the big price at the end.

So please, just give it a try – you owe it to yourself. Do it for 21 day and your life will have already changed. Do it for a year and your life will never be the same again – I promise you will be one of the happiest and most fulfilled persons on earth.

Marketing companies exist to help you research and identify markets, research and understand competitors, build a plan for reaching consumers, building a strong value offer for customers, create brands, identify branding assets, design web sites and product packaging, establish and manage distribution channels, utilize marketing information systems, and design and manage advertising campaigns.

There was a time where a traditional marketing agency would handle every facet of a company’s marketing communications activities. From planning to implementation, they would be the middleman to make it all happen with outside vendors and publishers.

Today, most marketing companies specialize in these specific roles. While the complexity of marketing communications today requires technical and creative expertise, these often small agencies can’t quite put together an integrated marketing campaign. Marketing success today comes from establishing new markets, increasing sales, and maintaining customer loyalty.

The big shift from traditional marketing systems to the increasing use of Internet marketing is making business very difficult for small to medium-sized manufacturers who want to cut costs and handle their own distribution and promotion. There are providers of various channel services out there but there’s too many for a small company to manage. It’s understandable to try to do it yourself, however major players in the marketing industry, particularly large manufacturers that have opened their own stores along with major retailers favoring their own brands, are pushing small players aside. Major players have the distribution systems and sales information systems to make their marketing campaigns work smoothly and effectively. That efficacy simply drowns out smaller players trying to get retailer’s attention. They know what’s working and what isn’t right away and can respond quickly.

Marketing fulfillment is the process of delivering marketing materials through marketing distribution channels, along with providing sales training, and communicating with channel members to ensure the complete marketing campaign is carried out on time. Without this integration of marketing and promotional materials, and the coordinated timing of their delivery to retail and wholesale locations, the retail advertising campaign won’t achieve the results desired.

Retail marketing in particular is very competitive and each player or member in the marketing channel expects the best benefit they can extract from manufacturers and distributors. If a manufacturer or distributor can’t deliver the right payment or assistance, their products won’t be promoted by retailers as well. Without this paid empowerment of the marketing channel, the manufacturer’s goods may be ignored. Their marketing materials may be left in boxes and sales people will fail to deliver the appropriate information about their products to consumers. Communications is critical and must come from the manufacturer or value added distributor. Communications not supported throughout each stage of the channel will inevitably fail.

So in the realm of fulfilment marketing, it is the marketing company that can deliver all on all aspects of their advertising promotions from premiums and incentives right through to post sales support, will meet with success. It isn’t just a matter of greasing the channel with big money payments. Money can disappear fast without any benefit delivered. Channel members, particularly distributors and retailers must listen and fulfill their promotional agreements. They can’t always be left to do this on their own and there’s a need for clear leadership in this area.

Marketing channels today are shorter than they used to be, but they’re more complex. Even with online and electronic payment systems, marketing materials have to be created and distributed through larger distances and overcome stronger distribution barriers. Retail store networks for instance, may encompass many countries and each country will have its own physical distribution issues, language issues, and customs. Promotional products and incentives will need to be developed for specific geographical areas, different branding strategies will be needed, and even product packaging requirements will be different.

A Position of Strength

If you’re a marketing manager of a small to medium manufacturer and you’re currently distributing your products and promotional products through the same channels and you’re expecting your distributors to do your marketing for you, you probably know how ineffective it is. Things won’t get better. There’s no way to control such distant channel members and gain their continued cooperation. Competitors will be sure to analyze your distribution strategy and systems and find a way to crowd you out. By taking up your channel member’s time and energy, they can draw them away from doing a good job of promoting your products and brands.

The solution is to hire a promotional marketing company that has complete systems in place for designing your promotional campaigns and managing distribution and communications. These companies have strengths, capabilities and networks of distribution partners that can open up markets to your products. If new markets are not what you’re looking for, they can help better integrate your marketing efforts. That might be in the form of integrating and synthesizing traditional and new electronic promotions, or it may in the coordinated and timed distribution of your marketing materials from strategically placed warehouses. Their expertise in advertising promotions and after sales support can take your marketing to a new level of capability.

Expanding to new markets may scare you. One of the biggest impediments to growth in markets is marketing distribution. Effective marketers have this down pat and that integrated effort can eliminate regional brands trying to get a hold in new markets. They can shift resources at just the right time to make your promotions ineffective. If you’re coming from a weak distribution position, they can easily take advantage of it.

What you’ll need is a powerful ally to help you integrate your promotional marketing campaigns.

Managing all the items necessary to produce a direct mailing to a customer can be very challenging for a marketing person these days. In the past marketing pros had to get different vendors to do each job separately, but today, there are one stop shops that can handle it all from On Demand Production of DVDs to storing the materials. There are even companies that provide producer services for those producers who can’t be everywhere or need a little extra help. Services range from consultation to complete editorial supervision.

DVDs are fast becoming an important part of sales and press kits lately. First there is the DVD production, DVD video editing, DVD replication, then printing DVD labels, then choosing the case, etc. Mailings to customers typically include sales brochures, and sales or press kits. That means using a copy and print shop to copy, collate and stuff the press kits, which are typically designed by a graphic artist, then printed by a printer. Once the post office paperwork has been finished, samples can be sent to the client.

A critical part of kleeping things running smoothly, a fulfillment house is the answer no matter how big or small the job. Today, a well versed business can do it all. Printing. Duplicating CDs or DVDs. Collating. Stuffing. Delivering any of these items directly to a customer via a fulfillment house can provide convenience and a big savings. A premiere source for services, look for companies that offer 3 inch mini disc or business card disc production for both CD and DVD. If needed, there should also be a creative engineering team that can encode and pre-master a video presentation, or add PDF documents, templates, images and hyperlinks from a client’s website allowing for a dynamic marketing or trade show presentation.

In-house direct mail services teams often start the fulfillment process prior to project completion. Experts on postal rules and regulations, presorting, and postage discounts, a good company assures the best possible mailing rates using USPS-certified CASS address standardization software to provide significant postal rate discounts and maximize delivery efficiency.

Mailing pieces are assembled and addressed professionally; inkjet printed with bar codes and Zip+4, and then bundled according to postal requirements. Samples are sent to the client after post office paperwork is completed. Seamless, automated mailing happens once the product is delivered to the post office.

HOW YOU CAN FULFILL YOUR DREAMS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR MIND. Positive thinking by philipson.

It is important to think positive in life, when one becomes positive in life it attracts the universe to unfold your heart desires. Every one in life have potentials and God given talents, you can find your potentials through your passion, The things you do with satisfaction is your passion, when you find your potentials and stay positive in life, your Success keep on increasing, we’re not living in harmony with what the universe wants to provide and it’s keeping us from making our lives more meaningful and beautiful.

Yet most folks report they are bored with their

jobs tired of living from paycheck to paycheck and

tried of seeing so much money go down the deep

dark hole of paying off a credit card debt, you

must think to harness the powerful forces of the

universe. Life is a success the bottom line is if

you’ve got inner desire to be successful that all

you need to fire up your rocket ship to succeed.

The different between a rich man and a poor man is information and information brings transformation. When your mind get developed everything around you will become positive and it attract transformation in your life. To activate this ability, we must harness our creative minds, Typically we function with our competitive minds ,But to create things with thoughts we need to activate the creative minds we can come in harmony with the universal energy through the act of expressing gratitude. Gratitude unifies our mind with all encompassing universal energy. To manifest something new simply hold an image of what you seek in your mind and express gratitude to the universe for having granted this to you.

To achieve wealth apply this same principle and hold a clear vision of wealth you hope to attain then expressing gratitude that the wealth is coming to you. You must have unwavering faith and devout gratitude, All you include in your mental image will come to you through the physical realm through the process of natural ways such as trade and commerce. Its is gesture that renders us more porous to the offering of the divine, more receptive to the prompting of the infinite, we have to launch our self’s to a journey that will lead us to the fulfillment of our dreams in life.

To subscribe to a 5days e-course on how you can fulfill your dreams through the development of your mind.Send an email thrillions@getresponse.com

Q: I need a local fulfillment operation in Canada to effectively grow my business there. How would I proceed to develop an external fulfillment operation in Canada?

A: First and foremost, you have to develop a business model for the designated selling area. This is a three- to five-year strategic plan comprised of historical data and a projected forecast. A few pieces to the model are:

 Three to five years projected sales as orders, detailed to a weekly/daily (where appropriate) plan

 Average units and lines per order shipped

 Seasonal or peak volume increases as orders shipped, average lines per order, average units per line, average cartons per order

 Method of shipment and percentage of volume by type for purchase orders (small parcel, LTL, T/L, container)

 Preferred method(s) of shipping by percent of total volume

 Average weight per order shipped

Second, identify where your projected concentration of sales will be and determine the most advantageous physical location within the new selling area for a fulfillment operation for your projected business model. Site selection is critical to managing shipping costs and to assuring there is an adequate labor pool.

Third, decide whether you should handle your own fulfillment or contract a third-party logistics provider. You must identify any tax implications related to opening a new business as an employer. Normally the least-cost method of establishing a new operation is with a 3PL provider. Unless tax concessions for new employers are significant and long-term, it will likely be more economical to operate for the first two to three years with a third party. You can use the Internet to identify potential 3PLs. However, we definitely recommend a visit to prospective partners as a preliminary to any further conversation. It is much better to have a visual image later as you review respective proposals.

Third-party fulfillment

If you do decide to explore contracting with a 3PL, you must develop a request for proposal. The primary content of the RFP is your business model. The more accurate the information you supply about your business, the more effective the proposals from 3PLs will be. Send the RFP, with a clear deadline, to three to six 3PLs that you believe are stable, industry-proven, and can effectively handle the volume from your business.

It is important to identify clearly every statement of what the candidates propose to do and not to do, and every requirement and cost within a proposal. Establish a spreadsheet so you can compare proposals and details. If your team does not possess the experience to review and negotiate agreements, pursue the services of a consultant. Next you have to negotiate all the standards of work and contract terms to assure that the 3PL can actually provide the service you expect.

Your work is not complete even after you have negotiated an agreement. Developing a successful 3PL partnership requires a significant amount of time, effort, and follow-up by the client company. You need to make clear that you have relinquished only the physical handling of your product to the 3PL, not the responsibility to manage your business.

Identify key client contacts and decision-makers who will be issuing direction to the 3PL. The 3PL provider needs to clearly understand who will provide direction and who is responsible for resolving problems.

Remember that the 3PL is proud of how it manages its business. Use the same consideration communicating with the 3PL that you would extend to your most valued associates inside your own company. Never ignore issues or problems, but be firm and respectful in resolving them. The 3PL is normally quite aware of who is paying the bills and who owns the inventory. The 3PL exists to serve; you should be a gracious ruler.

Communicate daily with 3PL management and visit the site as frequently as travel restrictions permit. Discuss the basics of the previous day’s operations-receiving, shipping, inventory management-and always inquire what you can do to assist them to achieve their goals and objectives. If possible, visit monthly, but no less than quarterly. This sort of relationship can become a classic case of “out of sight, out of mind.”

The client has to be diligent in managing the 3PL through daily reporting. You are now managing a remote location, and therefore your best source of information is the 3PL’s daily reporting and invoices. This is no different than managing your own operation. Master the information reporting so you can identify trends and immediately spot issues as they appear.

Inventory management is the most important reporting in managing a 3PL. The client has to know where to look for issues such as lost or damaged inventory, out-of-stock, and when the inventory records indicate adequate supply. These are indications of performance concerns requiring the client’s follow-up and resolution.

Receiving performance reports and inbound scheduling are next in importance for daily follow-up. The client has to know if there are vendor delivery problems or 3PL receiving issues that will affect the customer service level. This is also where the daily phone follow-up will indicate any “carry-over” receiving issues on a purchase order.

Normal daily shipping follow-up is important, but the most important point is to know what did not ship.

Returns reporting is crucial not only to identifying customers’ satisfaction with your product, but also to discovering any 3PL -related performance issues. Detailed reason code reporting is imperative, and cumulative graphing is valuable in discussions with the 3PL.

Growing a business by expanding operations to Canada is an exciting and challenging prospect. If you take the time to lay the groundwork by developing a comprehensive business model and researching site selection and possible 3PL involvement carefully, you will significantly reduce the challenges and increase your chances of success.

You’re ready to sell online, but are you ready to handle all those orders?

You’ve spent time developing your ecommerce website and you have ploughed a great deal of effort into marketing your online presence.

But what happens when the orders start pouring in? How will you fulfil them all and at the same time maintain good customer relations and create a positive impression so that buyers return in the future?

Often online sellers think that the do-it-yourself system is the more economical alternative. But is it?

More and more businesses are outsourcing various aspects of their daily routines these days, and the reason for this is that it can actually provide substantial cost savings. Consider this:

How much space do you have to store stock?
If you had more space, could you place larger orders from suppliers and enjoy keener pricing?

What is your average order turnaround time?
If it was shorter, would more customers return rather than defect to a competitor who can supply them faster?

How much are you spending on printing invoices and despatch paperwork?
What do you think your average wastage is through print problems and errors? Now what do you think your expenditure on paperwork is?

Do you employ packing staff?
Are they busy all the time, or are you paying them during slower periods when you could do without their services?

How much are you spending on postage?
Are you in a position to negotiate postage discounts?

If you could spend less time on order fulfilment would you be freed up to market your business?
Would you be able to increase your turnover as a result?

 

Do you still think DIY order fulfilment is a more economical option?

Outsourcing to an ecommerce fulfilment could completely change the way your business functions: for the better. They will take the weight off burdened shoulders by managing the entire process, from the point of order acceptance and payment to the moment the package goes out of the door.

Their systems are professional and efficient and create a slick image for your company, making it one that buyers will return to and recommend to others. What’s more, you only pay them for the work they do, so if your sales are experiencing a seasonal low, you won’t be paying staff to do nothing!

They are able to offer savings on postage, and will keep you fully up to date with stock levels. Their ample storage space means you can order larger quantities from your suppliers. And they will leave you free to concentrate on generating more sales. So it’s good news all the way!