SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! doing the wrong thing, just faster. Seek an outside perspective to audit your fulfillment operation — one that not only understands technology, but what optimal fulfillment processes look like today, not just theoretically, but in practice. These individuals should have extensive expertise and experience in your industry and be able to point to real-world success stories. 4. Include people-focused improvements: Fulfillment leaders are keenly aware of the significant labor challenges facing warehouse and distribution centers, from attracting talent to retaining it. However, the impact of the fulfillment process on employees is often overlooked. An optimized fulfillment process is naturally more ergonomic and creates opportunities for upskilling, like learning to operate and maintain robotics. Even subtle changes — for example systems that enable pickers to slide items rather than lift them — can dramatically impact the health and happiness of those in warehouse roles. A refined fulfillment process is also less complex and more intuitive for employees. This makes it easier to train and onboard new hires, including the extra help needed for peak periods. 5. Build the fulfillment process around the customer promise, then track outcomes in real-time: Do your customers expect same-day delivery? The customer promise not only determines basics such as when shipments must depart the warehouse, but also whether internal processes — such as how long it takes the order on the website to reach the warehouse, be picked, packaged, and shipped — are adequate. The fulfillment process should reflect the customer promise, not determine it. It's also imperative to measure the ultimate effectiveness of the fulfillment process. This includes tracking outcomes influenced by external partners like suppliers and carriers, as well as post-shipment activities. Metrics such as the percentage of orders that arrive on time, addresses where items more frequently arrive damaged, and other metrics must be tracked and mitigated. By keeping these factors in mind, supply chain, logistics and shipping leaders can approach the optimization of fulfillment processes in a measured, comprehensive and effective manner. Most importantly, they can proceed knowing they have taken into account the most fundamental considerations required to ensure success.
Andy Lockhart, director of strategic engagement for North American warehouse solutions at Vanderlande, provides retail customers — including many of the world’s best-known brands — with the innovative, scalable systems, intelligent software and reliable services needed to optimize distribution and fulfillment operations. Drawing on his extensive experience in materials handling and e-commerce, Lockhart ensures that each retail customer is equipped and positioned for success in a dynamically changing business environment.
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