Not every ecommerce store is big enough to require the services of a fulfillment center like ShipWire, or…
Not every ecommerce store is big enough to require the services of a fulfillment center like ShipWire, or Amazon Fulfillment. Many Shopify merchants handle the packaging and shipping of orders themselves. DIY order fulfillment means you have substantially more control over the process, and you should constantly work to optimize your workflow.
Here are six tips you can implement to help make your fulfillment as efficient as possible.
1. Set Up a Routine
Get into the habit of fulfilling orders on a regular schedule. If you fulfill orders everyday, make sure to do it at the same time each day. This helps take away the drudgery that many people feel when fulfilling orders. When you do it the same time each day it becomes a task like brushing your teeth, after a while it just's second nature. This becomes particularly useful when you need to get other things done during the day. Block off a set time when you handle fulfillment and make sure to get it done during this time. Like any other task, having a set timeframe to finish your packaging will make you work more quickly in order to finish on time.
Another advantage of fulfilling orders based on a set routine is that you will feel generally more confident that your orders were shipped correctly. When you are rushing to ship out a bunch of orders you've been putting off for a week or two, it's easy to overlook something. When you fulfill and ship your orders on a regular cycle, you can feel confident that everything has gone smoothly and no one was forgotten.
Fulfilling orders is a skill just like any other. People rarely become great at something by putting bursts of effort in every couple of weeks. We learn to be better by consistently performing the task at hand. Keep to the routine and it will certainly pay off. In no time, you will be fulfilling orders like a pro.
2. Don't Let Special Requests Bottleneck Your Flow
If you are packaging a large number of orders, you'll surely get into a good flow. This is when your efficiency is at it's peak and you should do whatever you can to avoid disturbing it. Don't let special requests or weird orders bottleneck your fulfillment flow. If you have to leave your fulfillment zone, spend an excessive amount of time, or any other activity that will put a kink in your packaging rhythm, skip the order and return to it once all of the regular ones are finished. When you have to switch mind sets to complete little tasks required by outliers you greatly decrease your efficiency.
3. Define Your Workspace
It's hard to be as productive as a fulfillment center since you don't have a warehouse dedicated to the task at hand. You can help level the playing field by creating a designated space for you fulfillment tasks. It's terribly difficult to package orders if you have to move things from one side of you couch to the other. This doesn't mean you need to own a dedicated office just for fulfillment. What you need to do, though, is clear off enough space to comfortably do your packaging before you start. Eliminating the obstacles that force you to fall out of your packing rhythm will instantly increase your efficiency.
4. Study Your Fulfillment Process
Every step in the fulfillment process is an opportunity to make it even more efficient. This is the secret to insanely efficient organizations. They actively spend time identifying weak points and make noticeable improvements whenever possible. The more you are conscious of the steps required to complete your oder fulfillment, the greater the chance of improving it are. Make it your goal to refine something each week and you will see the improvements in your order fulfillment in no time.
5. Grab a Friend
If at all possible, you should find someone to help you with your fulfillment duties. Nothing makes a not-so-appealing task seem even less glamourous than being the only one who has to complete it. Having more than one person fulfill orders also reduces the likelihood of taking excessive breaks and loosing focus. When there are multiple people working on packing orders, no one wants to be the person slowing down the process.
6. Try Using a Shopify App
If you're a Shopify merchant, there are plenty of apps available to make DIY order fulfillment easy. For example, PixelPrinter is a free lightweight option that generates and prints invoices and packing slips and other documentation needed for shipping.
Welcome to the latest version of Spare Change, the rebranded “ecommerce roundup”. As usual, here’s where I bring you all the latest interesting ecommerce news on the vast Web.