Order Fulfillment Services That Contribute to Your Bottom Line
Your order fulfillment process is responsible for all picking, packing, shipping, storage,
and product return operations. A reliable order fulfillment service should be the quiet, yet
crucial, catalyst to the success of your business. That's where Red Stag Fulfillment fits
into the picture. We partner with you, design a custom solution, and execute the order
fulfillment process for your business.
We guarantee excellence in our core competencies, while you execute excellence in yours.
We guarantee excellence in our core competencies, while you execute excellence in yours.
Addressing One of Retail’s Biggest Challenges
Red Stag Fulfillment's national fulfillment warehouses allow you to deliver to your customers quickly and cheaply. We provide full coverage of the U.S. from our multiple strategic warehouse locations. That makes your inventory management easy and your customers happy.
Red Stag's order fulfillment centers, located centrally and on the East and West Coasts, mean that the cost to ship orders to your customers is drastically reduced. Combined with our shipping rate discounts and same-day fulfillment guarantees, our order fulfillment network saves you money while increasing your customers' satisfaction.
More About Our Fulfillment CentersOrder Fulfillment’s Intelligent Makeover
Fast and accurate order fulfillment services are crucial to your eCommerce company’s
success. Every mis-pack or mis-shipment is money out of your pocket in the short term,
and possible damage to your company’s reputation in the long term.
At Red Stag, we understand the importance of getting your orders right the first
time, every time. That’s why we’ve invested in our technology to track every item
of every client's stock, from the moment it lands on the loading dock to the day
it is packed and shipped.
The Foundations for Efficient Order Fulfillment
Red Stag takes the work of order fulfillment off your hands, but you keep control
of your inventory.
Real-Time Intelligence
Time is money in eCommerce. You can’t afford to have your inventory sit in pallets
for two weeks while your orders back up.
Red Stag’s powerful order fulfillment technology ensures that we can put
your stock on our shelves the day after it arrives at our warehouse. That
same technology allows us to offer same-day order fulfillment, while keeping
your shipping costs down.
Our up-to-the-minute reporting places the power of information in your hands, so you can make smart decisions and stay nimble in the fast-paced world of eCommerce.
Our up-to-the-minute reporting places the power of information in your hands, so you can make smart decisions and stay nimble in the fast-paced world of eCommerce.
Operational Transparency
When you trust Red Stag as your order fulfillment company, we hand the controls over
to you. Our WMS (Warehouse Management System) allows you to view and track your
inventory every step of the way, from our receiving dock to the shelves, and out the
door to your customers.
Red Stag sets the standard for order fulfillment centers. We guarantee zero shrinkage of your inventory, and we take full responsibility for any damage that happens in our warehouse.
See More of Our Fulfillment Guarantees
Red Stag sets the standard for order fulfillment centers. We guarantee zero shrinkage of your inventory, and we take full responsibility for any damage that happens in our warehouse.
YOU'LL LOVE HAVING RED STAG FULFILLMENT AS YOUR COMPANY WAREHOUSE
Fill out our fulfillment questionnaire to find out if Red Stag Fulfillment is the best fulfillment
company for you. If you need help finding the right fulfillment company for 3PL and warehouse
services, give us a call. We're happy to make a recommendation — even if it isn't us.
30-Day Risk-Free Trial Signup
After 30 days of experiencing our processes, people, and service, if you're not satisfied with what Red Stag Fulfillment did for your company and your customers, we won't bill you for any fulfillment service fees.
How Fulfillment Companies Work
Have you ever questioned how that package came to arrive on your doorstep after placing an
eCommerce order? If you’ve wondered how the order fulfillment process works, look no further.
In this article, you will learn about fulfillment centers, the technologies they use, and how
they efficiently pick, pack, and ship your orders.
What is order fulfillment?
Order fulfillment is the process in between receiving a customer’s order information
and delivering their order. The logistics of fulfillment begin when the order
information is routed to the warehouse or inventory storage facility. The product
matching the order information on the invoice is then located and packaged for
shipping. Although the customer does not see any of the efforts behind the scenes,
order fulfillment is one of the biggest components of customer satisfaction.
The order must be accurately packed and shipped in a timely manner so the package
arrives exactly as the customer expects and on time.
What happens at an order fulfillment center?
A fulfillment center is a facility that specializes in inventory storage, picking
products accurately, packaging for shipment, and handing off to a shipping provider.
This laser focus on the fulfillment process itself allows fulfillment companies
to optimize their core competencies and execute masterfully. The strategic advantages
of partnering with a fulfillment company extend beyond their ability to leverage
these core competencies. Working with a centrally-located fulfillment center
allows you to reach more of your customers in less time. The centralized distribution
also allows for reduced shipping costs.
How Fulfillment Companies Work
Choosing a Fulfillment Provider
When deciding to transition your fulfillment needs to a dedicated third party you will want
to evaluate them to ensure they can meet the needs of your business. For example, if the
majority of your customers are in a particular geographical location it makes sense
to work with a fulfillment center close to your customers. Also, if your product is fragile,
over-sized, or requires additional care during packing and shipment, you will want to find
a partner who can accommodate your needs.
Adding Inventory
Once you have vetted the fulfillment company that best meets the needs of your business,
you can arrange to ship bulk inventory for storage and fulfillment. When receiving
inventory, fulfillment centers typically rely on barcodes, including UPC, GCID, EAN,
and ISBN codes to distinguish between various products. The fulfillment center will
also tag the product’s location in the storage facility to easily find and package the
product when your customer orders.
Routing Orders
In order for a fulfillment center to integrate effectively into your company’s
operations, there must be a process in place for customer orders to be directed to
your fulfillment center. Many fulfillment companies have the ability to integrate
with major eCommerce platforms to immediately receive the order information from
your customer’s purchase. Most fulfillment companies also have other methods of
communicating order information such as single-order reporting or the option to
upload multiple orders in CSV format.
Picking, Packing, and Shipping
The bread and butter of any fulfillment service is the ability to pick, pack, and ship the
appropriate items in a timely manner. When the order information arrives at the warehouse
the items need to be located and collected. Once gathered, the products will need to be
packaged in a durable box with the necessary packing dunnage, secure tape, and shipping
label. The finished package is then ready for pickup by a shipping provider.
Managing Inventory
Although you will no longer have direct oversight of your physical inventory, most
fulfillment companies provide a digital dashboard allowing you to manage your inventory.
The dashboard is helpful to track daily, weekly, and monthly sales data and estimate when
inventory levels will need to be replenished. The dashboard is also a great tool for
managing damaged products and customer returns.
Handling Returns
Production manufacturing inevitably has a small percentage of defective goods. Defects will
likely be the basis for your return policy and any additional guarantees will increase the
volume of returns that need to be managed. Many fulfillment companies offer return management
services and the option to ship the defective product to you for review or handle disposal.
Fulfillment Center Technology
eCommerce Platform Integration
Many fulfillment companies have built software solutions to seamlessly integrate with the
platform you have chosen for your eCommerce business. This eliminates the need for you to
monitor and report new orders as they come in, further reducing friction and time for
you when managing the fulfillment process. Integrating your eCommerce store with your
fulfillment partner is also great for handling returns and customer service issues
pertaining to fulfillment and shipping.
Inventory and Order Tracking
As your business continues to grow, it is essential you stay on top of your inventory
levels. This is why fulfillment companies provide a tool that lets you track your stock
level and helps predict when your inventory will be exhausted. This inventory
management dashboard also typically allows you to review returns and damaged product, and
track product through the fulfillment and shipping process.
Scanners for SKU, Location
Fulfillment companies utilize barcode scanners when receiving product to verify
the correct item has been received and document where the product is stored.
This way a product’s whereabouts in the warehouse will be known instantly when
an order is placed. Modern fulfillment centers also employ mobile devices to
communicate status updates of the product through the fulfillment process.
Conclusion
Fulfillment companies work as the unsung heroes of the eCommerce lifecycle, often going
completely unnoticed for their efforts. Fulfillment companies are efficient operations
with but one overarching goal—getting your product picked, packed, and shipped to your
customer. Although this seems like a simple and easily attainable goal, it is a complex
ballet of efficiency. If you decide to partner with a fulfillment company, or if you
are considering moving your operations to another fulfillment center, it’s important that
you understand how various fulfillment companies work and differ. You may want to consult
our fulfillment checklist
to assure a mutually beneficial partnership.