Modern 3PLs like Red Stag Fulfillment often emphasize the fulfillment technology we have available. These tools ensure that we’re working efficiently and accurately while making it easier for you to share, manage, and analyze order data. Fulfillment technology is deeply ingrained in how we work, and it’s constantly changing and improving. Understanding the technology and how our tools work with your business can give you a better idea of fulfillment technologies to invest in, ask about, or ensure you can integrate with during your next 3PL selection.
Fulfillment technology that makes orders go smoothly
Every 3PL likes to share the fulfillment technology that we use. That’s the fun stuff that we get to use every day. It makes our operations run more efficiently and helps our team members have a great day at work. However, having the shiniest, latest thing shouldn’t be the core focus of these discussions. Instead, your 3PL should discuss their fulfillment technology and how it benefits your operations. Your business should be at the forefront of any discussions about these tools and options.
So, let’s look at the technology that Red Stag Fulfillment employs and the why behind it. We think that understanding that reasoning will help you see how serious we are about elevating expectations by pursuing perfection. And it’s especially important during the holidays.
Your eCommerce store
Fulfillment technology starts with your eCommerce store and platform. Using a powerful tool ensures you can integrate with the systems of a 3PL like Red Stag. Modern eCommerce platforms can store a wide range of product information, order details, customer preferences, and more. Platforms send this data to us after a transaction finishes, giving our team everything we need to know to fill the order.
ECommerce platforms also include the plugins and tools you use to capture leads, make sales, and support customers. Shopping cart plugins simplify your data management and can pass on all the details we need, helping us make the right product and carrier selections. You get to control this data flow while still accessing the more favorable rates we’ve negotiated with carriers.
We take this integration seriously and have a variety of methods to connect, whether you’ve got a custom API or want to use our standard Shopify integration option. Our experts are available to help you with multiple integration options, tools, and techniques to run your business more successfully.
Discover more with this complete guide to eCommerce integration and fulfillment technology
Warehouse and order management systems
Order management systems (OMS) are platforms on your end that help you secure and use order data. These tools track customer relationships and create records for each order, which you can share with us. You can also use them to create a deeper business understanding. For example, a robust OMS can track payments, promotions, customer activities, service requests, and other aspects of your sales. These solutions can also help you track inventory levels, making it easier to keep everything in stock.
Our side of the coin uses a warehouse management system (WMS) that integrates with your eCommerce store and OMS tools. The WMS operates like a conductor, giving directions to everything and everyone in a warehouse to keep the music moving correctly. WMS helps us manage stock, pick the right products for every order, pack things according to your requirements, and more. This fulfillment technology is the heart of our operations because it integrates with everything we do and every company we serve.
Learn more about our integrations approach here
Automation for carrier selection and more
A core fulfillment technology is the account setup we do with every customer. Integrating your order systems with our management tools empowers a variety of automation options. The most useful is in carrier selection, where we can use your requirements to automatically select the most affordable option for getting orders out on time. You can choose your carriers and services and even protect your business by expanding with more options.
We want to encourage you to think big about automation and analytics tools. These solutions help us ship orders correctly and efficiently. Internally, they’re used to optimize where products are in our warehouses and how people move to pick your orders. AI assists us in creating a safer warehouse that allows pickers to work faster at the same time.
For your operations, analytics can help a 3PL like Red Stag expand your reach and capabilities. We might be able to provide detailed order information for a year or season. You can pair that with your marketing and web traffic tools to better understand your customers. That may point to new providers, manufacturers, or products to better grow your business.
At the same time, sharing information with us can help keep you secure. We’ve designed efforts to stay up to date with regulations and industry requirements, especially around things like lithium batteries. The more we connect and share, the better positioned you are to grow securely and safely.
Boxes and in-fill
There are also some seemingly low-tech options for the fulfillment technology used in our warehouses. Boxes and filler are the easiest options to look at and understand that analog tools can still be powerful. By focusing on heavy, bulky, and large items, Red Stag’s experts have become experts at picking the correct box size and strength to protect your products while minimizing shipping costs.
Learn more about box selection and size impacts on your shipping costs
The filler placed in boxes to protect your products should also be treated as leading fulfillment technology. The choice here not only safeguards your Capex but also helps you meet promises around company policies like green initiatives or lower-carbon efforts.
Dive into eco-friendly eCommerce best practices today
Printers and custom branding
3PLs place a lot of stock in the printers on warehouse floors. These powerful little devices may seem commonplace, but they protect your orders and our operations. Reliable printers create clear shipping labels that avoid carrier concerns. Paired with a robust packing station, these units ensure labels and pricing are accurate.
If you use custom branding elements or inserts for your company, a quality printer helps you look professional while keeping QR codes and other elements in good working order.
Printers also require a lot of data to get everything right. When labels are coming out correct, and your orders are moving swiftly, we know that your account is in good shape. If our standard checks find an issue with a label or any custom branding element, we can quickly review your setup. By keeping an eye on how you work with your customers, Red Stag can be a partner in meeting your promises.
Verification tools
Fulfillment technology also has some passive elements that work in the background while our team completes their tasks. Some of the more valuable options here include multiple verification tools. These tools are always running as our teams scan barcodes, put away inventory, pick orders, scan products before packing, and more.
Verification systems offer multiple checks on your inventory counts and individual order accuracy. They allow us to have 99.9% and higher accuracy rates for the orders we move out the door. That minimizes your customer service needs due to incorrect or incomplete orders — it saves both of us time and money while helping strengthen buyer relationships.
Verification systems are also how we track your inventory to meet our guarantees. If these flag an issue, we investigate to ensure there’s been no shrinkage. And if we determine something happened, our guarantees kick in, and you’re made whole.
The classic telephone
One of our best fulfillment technology options remains the telephone. This miracle of technology allows Red Stag and others to communicate quickly, address concerns, and notify customers before an issue occurs. Whether you run your own fulfillment or use a 3PL like us, the telephone should be a go-to piece of tech. It helps create and maintain relationships by building a personal connection.
In recent years, some telephone work has moved to Zoom and Slack calls and others. Video calls allow us to connect directly, showing the warehouse floor, shelves, operations, and more. But sometimes, nothing beats the classic phone for quickly addressing a concern and helping everyone feel better.
How does our fulfillment technology benefit your business?
That’s a brief overview of our fulfillment technology and how we approach its use to benefit customers. However, your company may have specific needs or product requirements that adjust how we implement the tech. Every company deserves a custom approach to integration and more, so that’s what we provide. Click the button below to learn a little more and tell us about your company to get the fulfillment technology stack of your dreams.
