The swift shift to e-commerce has required rapid adaptation in warehousing operations to support multi-channel fulfillment, highlighting the need for precision and efficiency. This transition presents unique challenges but also offers unparalleled opportunities for e-commerce retailers to surpass traditional fulfillment methods and gain a competitive edge.
Our goal at Planograma is to provide businesses with innovative, automated solutions to streamline their warehouse and logistics operations, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and profitability.
We are dedicated to helping our clients optimize their supply chain processes, ensuring seamless, efficient operations that meet current market demands and pave the way for sustained success.
Here are five strategies essential for thriving in the dynamic multi-channel environment:
1. Embrace flexibility for efficient order handling
E-commerce has expanded delivery expectations, including direct-to-consumer shipping to buy online or pick up in-store (BOPIS) options.
Traditional warehouses, originally optimized for larger retail orders, now confront the challenge of efficiently handling a wide range of order sizes.
Adopting a modern Warehouse Management System (WMS) that seamlessly adjusts to these diverse requirements can greatly enhance operational efficiency.
This transition allows you to manage any order with precision, speed, and efficiency – a vital step in redefining warehousing success
2. Achieve exceptional inventory visibility
Before the pandemic digitalization, companies tended to have a blinkered view of their inventory, monitoring only what was within the four walls of the warehouse.
Now, with far more tools available to meet demand, it’s critical to step back and take a wider look.
One solution to improving visibility is to pick a WMS that provides reports and dashboards able to meet the information requirements of sales, marketing and supply chain personnel.
You may also choose to use a WMS that features real-time dashboard visualizations that can be displayed prominently inside the warehouse.
3. Enhance the returns process
Managing returns is crucial in e-commerce fulfillment and the reverse supply chain. It’s essential to conduct quality checks to maximize restocking returns instead of liquidation or landfill.
Additionally, handle tasks like return shipping, warranty documentation, and processing customer credits.
The right WMS should offer online tools that involve customers in the return process, allowing them to specify return methods and receive updates while the return is in transit.
If processed through the store, customers should be able to communicate directly with the store’s POS system to get all necessary information upfront.
4. Innovate labor management
Rethink labor resources and deployment. A good WMS can analyze labor and task performance to optimize product mix, pricing, and minimize costs.
With labor shortages in the U.S. and high warehouse wages in countries like Australia, alternative labor arrangements are worth considering.
Rapid worker turnover is a challenge, with some warehouses experiencing 100% turnover every three months.
However, the gig economy shows many workers prefer casual, part-time jobs. While employing many part-time workers was problematic due to training time, smart warehouse automation simplifies tasks into step-by-step workflows.
User-friendly systems can enable new associates to reach 90% productivity within a day.
5. Adopt a responsive carrier selection strategy to manage last-mile fulfillment
With the rise in smaller individual deliveries, the last mile can become a bottleneck, making quick arrangement of outward transport crucial.
Various carriers offer different speeds, costs, and delivery times, complicating carrier selection per order and making it costly and time-consuming.
A WMS integrated with a multi-carrier management system streamlines this process by seamlessly combining carrier selection with fulfillment and dispatch functions.
This enables you to quickly and efficiently choose the optimal transportation services for each order, ensuring timely and cost-effective deliveries.
Planograma: empowering warehousing success in the E-Commerce era
At Planograma, our forefront philosophy centers on streamlining warehouse management through our comprehensive, cloud-based WMS platform, making warehouse operations efficient and adaptive in the multifaceted realm of e-commerce.
Our dedication is evident in our commitment to offering businesses a seamless combination of scalability, integration, and user-centric design. By leveraging Planograma’s suite of solutions, businesses can achieve a swift return on investment while gaining the versatility necessary to thrive in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.
Echoing the sentiment on the importance of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, our approach is tailored to meet the high-paced demands and varying needs of the e-commerce sector. We understand that the agility to adapt to e-commerce trends and the insight to manage cost are critical. Our systems are crafted to offer these vital insights, aiding businesses in amplifying their operational capacities while fine-tuning expenses.
Planograma is not merely a tool; it’s your partner in transforming warehouse management challenges into strategic advantages. By collaborating with us, you journey towards a future marked by unprecedented growth and operational excellence in the digital commerce era.
