There comes a point in the journey of every successful business where you experience your first fantastic boom. This is the point where your systems are set up, your staffing is in place, your product is perfected and the whole thing is running pretty smoothly.
A growing business in its first boom will start to experience higher volumes of orders. This is a great indicator of your business’ place in the market. As the order volume increases, however, you may need to look to outsourcing some aspects of your process in order to ensure your business continues to perform well. One of the ways you can do this is through choosing to outsource your fulfilment. At first, this option may sound a little risky, but ultimately it is often riskier to continue in-house fulfilment, depending on the nature of your eCommerce business.
Is outsourcing your fulfilment as risky as you may have heard? Let’s take a look at the facts. Here are 3 of the main myths surrounding outsourcing fulfilment.
Myth 1: Outsourcing fulfilment is too expensive
The concern: Outsourcing fulfilment is pricey. My eCommerce business is at a vital time in its growth and I can’t afford to lose money on performing tasks I can do in-house.
Fact: Outsourcing fulfilment can save you a lot of money
It’s true! While there are some upfront costs surrounding organising a fulfilment service provider, the cost overall can be much less to you business. This is because fulfilment service providers can offer great discounts on warehousing costs and also on postage and packaging. These are discounts they benefit from because they often work with different providers themselves and buy things in bulk. By choosing to outsource your fulfilment, you can actually end up saving money for your business.
Myth 2: Keeping your fulfilment in-house means you can fulfil orders quicker
The concern: If I outsource my fulfilment, orders will take longer to be fulfilled and my customers will be dissatisfied.
Fact: Fulfilment service providers are able to fulfil orders in record time
Because fulfilment service providers specialise in order fulfilment, their processes and systems are speedy and streamlined. This means that when your customer places an order it is dealt with quickly and professionally. With orders fulfilled quickly, customers remain satisfied and loyal to your eCommerce business.
Myth 3: In-house fulfilment is a good use of my time
The concern: It’s important that I, or my staff, fulfil our orders in-house. It may take up some of our work time but it’s not a waste.
Fact: If your eCommerce business is at the right stage of growth, then outsourcing your fulfilment is more than worth your while. Fulfilment service providers can make sure your orders are fulfilled in a speedy, cost-effective way that will keep your customers satisfied and allow your business to continue to prosper. With your time freed up, you can then focus on the more important things for your business: growth, strategy, and whatever aspects you feel require your attention.
Outsourcing your fulfilment can be a daunting step to take for your eCommerce business, but it is often the best one you can make to ensure your business continues to experience the success it deserves.
