Step by Step E-commerce Fulfillment Setup
For any new e-commerce fulfillment contract, there are many process steps that must take place between new client announcement and program go-live. But regardless of the product being fulfilled or the complexity of its operational processes, the basic steps that a fulfillment services company should follow for program implementation should always be the same.
The standard process in place at Fulfillment America involves just eight (8) high-level steps between new client announcement and go-live. A brief summary below:
- Prepare service agreement and contract.
- Assign implementation team, this should be a dedicated cross-functional team with a designated primary and secondary customer service contact for the client.
- Schedule project scope meeting with client, include key members of the implementation team to ensure all processes are reviewed and questions addressed upfront.
- Setup internal meeting (account review). This meeting should communicate all requirements of the client such as material logistics, inventory levels, specific data and reporting needs. The roles and responsibilities of all team members should also be confirmed at this time.
- Start IT requirements, dependent upon close collaboration between management and IT groups at both companies.
- Prepare warehouse to receive, store and manage all client inventory for the account.
- Setup account in ERP system, require customer service team members to review and verify all account information with the client.
- Test entire process with client, execute some sample orders – including exceptions processing such as returns and backorders.
While these 8 process steps clearly involve weeks or months of careful planning and execution, boiling the process into such simple steps is beneficial for several reasons. First of all, splitting the process into simple and tangible steps will ensure that all steps are followed in a clear-cut linear sequence with minimal risk of something critical being missed. Secondly, maintaining a consistent set of setup processes drives quality as continuous improvements can only be implemented for a standard set of documented processes. And finally, as team members repeat these setup processes, their experience will increase as they learn the questions to ask and the pitfalls to avoid – which will ultimately benefit the fulfillment services company and future clients alike.
To learn more about how Fulfillment America sets up a new ecommerce account, contact us for further information. Or download our free white paper outlining the Six Sigma methodologies in place at Fulfillment America and the benefit they bring.