Running an eCommerce business isn’t all about marketing your products and watching as the orders fly in.
If you’re operating solo, storing products in your garage or bedroom and shipping as and when an order comes in, you may find that the more orders you get, the less time you actually have to focus on your business.
This is because you have to pick and pack.
These two operations can take time, and the amount of time it takes depends on how many orders you receive.
Getting ten orders a day? You should be able to handle it yourself.
Receiving 100 orders a day? You may start to struggle.
Luckily, there is an option available to ease the burden of these two tasks from you.
Pick and pack services are available across the country and come packed with benefits for your business.
But how do you find the perfect one for you?
Let’s find out.
Picking
When an order comes in, you have to collect the product in question.
Whether this is stored downstairs in your garage, in a nearby storage centre or in a warehouse, the order has to be located, and picked up.
This is the picking stage.
It is one of the most important stages of order fulfilment. In fact, around 2% of orders are often wrong because of picking errors.
When selling fashion items such as childrenswear, it can be easy to confuse a medium red t-shirt, with a large one.
This is a mistake that can be costly when it comes to your reputation with customers.
Picking also needs to be quick enough to satisfy the customer’s delivery needs. If you’re offering next day delivery, you must be able to locate the product quickly and have it ready to go before you miss the shipping deadline.
From the outside, picking can seem like a simple task. This is true in some instances, but it needs the perfect environment.
You must be organised.
No-one wants to be searching for hours through piles of products to find the right one.
You also must have a plan. Some orders may contain multiple items that need to be packed together but are at different sides of your storage area.
Knowing where everything is and the quickest way to collect all of your products can be a huge help in running an efficient pick and pack operation.
Packing
Once the picking process is over, the packing stage begins.
This is another important stage, as this is the last time you will see the product before it is in the hands of the customer.
There are a few things you need to be certain of when you are packing your parcels.
Firstly, is the item in good condition?
If there are signs of wear and tear, the product looks like it may have expired, or there is visible damage, you must not post this item. If you do, you’re sure to have plenty of returns and customer complaints to deal with.
Secondly, are you associating the right package with the right order.
When dealing with an abundance of orders, you may wrap the parcel up in one bag, when actually it is meant to be going to a different recipient.
Packing takes time. You have to be careful and make sure the packaging is strong enough to protect the object and also that it is sealed shut tightly so there is no chance of it coming open on its journey.
If you run an eCommerce business, you may find that these two tasks are taking up far too much of your time. If this is the case, maybe a Diamond Logistics pick and pack warehouse could be the answer to your fulfilment needs.
Diamond Logistics pick and pack services
At Diamond Logistics, we know a thing or two about fulfilment.
We have fulfilment centres up and down the country. From Bournemouth and Guildford, to Edinburgh and Bolton, our team of expert warehouse operatives can always offer lightning-quick and accurate pick and pack services.
With our state of the art DespatchLab technology, you can be sure that every order is processed quickly, meaning no time is wasted getting an order picked and packed.
Our destinations cover the whole of the UK, so if you operate an eCommerce business, whether just starting out or already established, get in touch to see how we can help you.
The benefits of outsourcing with pick and pack services
There are many benefits to outsourcing your fulfilment, including:
Save time
Fulfilment takes time.
If you are running a small business, you can quickly find that picking and packing is the thing you spend most of your day doing.
If you’re not careful, this could start eating into the time needed to do other things, such as interact with customers and market your business.
By using a Diamond Logistics fulfilment centre, you are removing the need to spend hours doing this, allowing you to focus solely on the items that require your attention.
Grow your business the way you want and make sure you are always giving your customers the best service possible by leaving the picking and packing to an outsourced company.
Allow your business to scale
For small business owners, there often comes a time when they decide they want to grow.
What can stop a lot of small eCommerce businesses from scaling is fear.
Where will I store all of my extra stock?
How will I manage to ship all orders on time?
Can I maintain high customer satisfaction with an increase in workload?
The answer to these questions is always yes if you outsource.
No matter how much stock you want to store, we will handle this for you. Our expert pickers will ensure every order is dealt with in the quickest way possible, and you can be certain it will be done professionally and in a way that delights your customers.
Leave it with the professionals
On the outside, picking and packing may look like simple tasks.
The reality though, is that these tasks require a lot of effort, both physical and mental.
You must be quick but not make mistakes, and this is tough.
Using a pick and pack service such as Diamond Logistics means you are leaving this task in the hands of experts. Our warehouse operatives have worked for years ensuring every order is collected, packaged, and shipped in the most efficient and accurate way possible.
You can even make the most of our courier service and offer your customers same day shipping!
Boost your revenue
Although it may cost to outsource your fulfilment, it is still a great way of boosting revenue.
Firstly, you can ship faster, meaning more orders can be processed every day.
Secondly, you have more time on your hands to focus on the one thing you want to do, sell!
And finally, there is an old saying that ‘time is money’ and this is very true when it comes to eCommerce. Whether you’re using up your own time, or you’re paying staff to lend a hand, this all costs.
By eliminating this price, you are giving your company a great chance to save money whilst always being sure your service level never drops.
Get in touch
If you’re looking for eCommerce fulfilment, the team at Diamond Logistics are sure to be able to help.
For a quote, or simply a chat about what we can offer, get in touch today.
If you have any questions, maybe our eCommerce fulfilment page already has the answer. Check it out!
