Outsourcing doubts – why trust a fulfilment house?

Outsourcing fulfilment can be a challenging decision for any retailer, placing trust in a third party. However, when done correctly, this can enable retailers to grow and improve efficiency. PHL spoke about what this means for retailers, answering some of the most frequently asked questions. Here’s what they had to say:

Contributor: PHL With 20 years’ experience in Fulfilment, we know online retailers have concerns when it comes to outsourcing to a 3rd party. It’s difficult to cut through the jargon and headline-grabbing promises to understand the real benefits of outsourcing. At PHL, we like to make things simple for our customers, to offer straightforward advice, and help you decide if it’s the right solution at the right time. Over the years we have listened to and recognised the main barriers our customers come up against when considering outsourcing. Here is what we tell our new customers:

Will I be handing over control? Making the decision to outsource fulfilment, or change to a new provider, can be daunting. It’s easy to manage stock and sales you can physically see, but what about when they are miles away? Don’t worry, with PHL you will still have full control; Powerful order management system – Developed specifically to give you complete oversight of your business. Quite simply, you will be able to view and manage your stock and sales in real-time using a secure login. A few of the key benefits of this system include; •

Clear and easy to read online reports

Complete stock and inventory control Wide range of reports to help plan, manage and strategize your business Low stock and best before date alerts set to your parameters Easy multi-channel integration allowing us to process orders via your webstore, Amazon, eBay and a whole range of online marketplaces, shopping carts and inventory systems

Flexible fulfilment solutions – We really mean it when we say our fulfilment is flexible. PHL allows customers to fully shape their logistical process. If you need orders processing up to 4pm for next day delivery, because it’s your industry standard, we will do that for you. If you want us to package orders in a specific way or answer customer queries with a particular tone of voice, because it’s your passion, we will do that for you too.

Will it cost more money? Cost is always going to be one of the main considerations for any business. We understand the high costs of attracting and converting new customers and that consumer expectations are at an all-time high. Outsourcing fulfilment should be a cost-efficient way to improve service levels whilst maintaining profit margins;

Low overheads – PHL is dedicated to offering customers great service at a low cost. Our warehouse, in the heart of the country, allows us to keep overheads down but still have access to vital infrastructure e.g. courier/ haulier networks to make it a great location. Rapid setup – Integration with our system is quick, simple and flexible, so you can move to our facility with minimum cost or effort. You could literally do it over the weekend! Scalable solutions – Pay-as-you-use storage and fulfilment means you do not have to carry the cost of running a warehouse throughout the year. At peak season, PHL will ensure that you have the resources to meet demand quickly and efficiently. As demand drops, you don’t have to worry about scaling down to reduce operating costs. Competitive courier costs – Because we work with several couriers and postal providers, we offer our customers a wide variety of services at great prices.

Will outsourcing really help me grow my business? It’s quite a claim for us to make. Well, we believe that PHL can help, by simply providing you with the right support and resources.

Bespoke solutions – This is a fulfilment process designed with your

business in mind. Your products, services and customers will have unique requirements, and we will help you meet these by providing everything you need to deliver your brand promises. We also work with you to optimise your service level to customers and help give your business a competitive edge.

Wide range of services – PHL will support and enable growth as your business changes and evolves, offering a wide range of additional services, in-house, designed to help you grow.

Experiential and Sampling

Campaigns – targeting the right audience and getting product samples into the right hands

Point of Sale Design and Production – for events and sampling campaigns Dedicated Technical Support Services – seamless integration, data cleansing, email/web hosting and management etc. Customer Contact Centre – available in multiple languages Product Assembly and Co-Packing – gift sets, special purchase packs and samples Packaging Design and Sourcing – create a lasting impact when your products are delivered

With so many additional services available, customers can leave their fulfilment in our capable hands, allowing them to focus on developing their business.

Can I trust my fulfilment house to deliver? It’s difficult to hand over your logistical operations to another company and trust they will do things as you would. PHL understands it’s our job to provide you with the peace of mind that your business is in safe hands. Owner managed company – PHL take great pride in being Owner Managed. We actively encourage customers to come and visit us, sit down with a cup of tea and get to know us. Our staff are helpful, friendly and are always at the end of a phone, and there is never a problem too big for us to solve.

To help our customers, PHL offer the following; • Service level agreements

Picking accuracy of 100% on barcoded products Dedicated account management and pickers who you will know by name and be able to call and email directly Industry Accreditations to include ISO9001 for quality, good distribution practice Open door policy (it’s a policy, not an actual open door!) when visiting the warehouse, seeing your stock, talking to and instructing staff