WINNING! A new customer (with tons of Instagram followers) just found your site and placed an order! They immediately get an email notification thanking them for said order. This new, very social customer shares with their followers that they just ordered something cool and can’t wait to share their review. They go on about their day…and the next day…and the next day…and then they remember the order but they DON’T remember getting a shipping confirmation email.
BECAUSE IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!
The order is still sitting in ‘pending’ status in some warehouse management system days after it was placed. In today’s instant gratification world, that’s not acceptable, right?!? And now, when that customer takes to their social media platforms to share their experience with your brand, it will unfortunately be prefaced with the slow delivery. Patience is no longer a virtue.
YOU HAVE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM!
But first, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page here. We're not talking about same-day delivery…that’s an entirely different ballgame. We're talking about simply processing the order and having it ready for the carrier pick-up the same day the order was placed. Whether you’re managing fulfillment from your own facility or outsourcing to a 3rd party provider, same-day shipping IS a big deal! Here are 3 important factors in achieving this:
Order integration vs. manual processes
The key to speed is eliminating any manual transfer of data. When the customer clicks “submit,” data should move at lightning speed into the warehouse where it splits into multiple automated notifications and actions — it updates inventory availability, it sends a shipping label to a printer, it tells the staging team what size box to prep and if you’re really high-tech, it alerts the system managing the team of robots so the order can be optimized among the fleet. To achieve this, you’ll need quality technology and integration capabilities.
Fulfillment infrastructure built with D2C in mind
Part of the secret sauce to meeting same-day shipping metrics has to do with the ability to successfully ship eaches. Manufacturers have historically been built for bulk, so shifting that fundamental structure can present multiple challenges that slow things down. For this reason, many mid to large-sized manufacturers outsource to 3rd party fulfillment providers for the direct-to-consumer portion of their business to meet today’s delivery expectations.
A sense of urgency
It’s not just about the machines and computers and conveyors. It’s about the people. While the goal is to automate and eliminate human error, people are still ultimately running the show. A fulfillment team who embraces a sense of urgency and a commitment to a great customer experience will put an emphasis on getting orders out the same day whether the SLA requires them to do so or not.
68% of consumers said fast shipping would lead them to place an online order*.
If your current fulfillment process leaves orders sitting in ‘pending’ status for days at a time, maybe it’s time to reevaluate and find a better solution. Learn more about www.dmfulfillment.com.
*February 2021 Digital Commerce 360/Bizrate Insights survey.