How do your online orders get from warehouse to customer? If you are a business that is managing your own fulfillment orders, you know very well that it can take so much of your time. As a business, your main objective is to provide excellent customer service and making sure your customers receive their products. However, it can be extremely difficult to do both tasks simultaneously. This is where Pick and Pack fulfillment services come in.
Learn more about Pick and Pack fulfillment services and make the logistics process simple for your ecommerce business or other venture.
What is Pick and Pack?
A pick and pack warehouse is an establishment where products can be stored for your business. Those working at the warehouse will then ensure that all of the correct items are picked and packaged, ensuring they are then sent to the right customers. There are a lot of different types of picking and packing and different ways that these warehouses can be set up, including zone packing, batch packing, and wave packing.
In a warehouse, pick and pack fulfillment is the process that occurs after an order is placed from an online store. Picking utilizes a list to find of the proper quantities of each product from its respective location in the warehouse. Packing is the placing of the items into the proper box, along with the appropriate packing materials and documentation before the package is labelled and shipped to the end customer.
Packing involves placing the items into the appropriate sized box with the right packaging materials to ensure they reach their final destination undamaged in the most cost-effective way. To reduce shipping costs and maintain order accuracy, packing should keep an order within the smallest number of boxes and use the right type of packing material(s) for each product. Many warehouses will have a warehouse management system that can help detail which box will be the most appropriate choice for the order at hand.
Pick Pack Ship Order Strategies:
- Piece Picking
This is the most straightforward of the processes. In this pick and pack method, each employee takes a list and completes all of the products on that list. Once the employee is done with this list, the employee will move onto the next order. While this is the easiest to understand, large packing warehouses tend not to use this process because employees might end up walking miles just to complete a single list. This may cause a major delay in the fulfillment process.
- Batch Picking
Similar to piece picking, except that orders will be done in batches all at once, instead of one at a time. Employees in the Batch pick and pack process are typically working on multiple lists at the same time. This is done to increase efficiency. Sometimes, more than one customer orders the same item. That way, an employee only has to visit an area one time. At the same time, employees also need to remember multiple lists at once. This can make it harder to maintain order accuracy rates.
- Zone Order Picking
This is becoming more popular in the fulfillment industry because it keeps employees in the same place and minimizes travel time. Employees are assigned to a specific area of the warehouse and only pick one order at a time within that area. If an order needs products from more than one zone, it is handed off usually via conveyor belt. This process is more efficient because it keeps employees in the same place; however, if lists need to visit multiple zones before being finished, this can slow things down.
- Wave Picking
A combination of batch and zone picking, where employees will stay within a zone but pick more than one order at a time.
Order Fulfillment
Pick, Pack and Ship
Pick, pack and ship is the process of grabbing the correct item, choosing the right box and packing materials and then shipping it off to the customer. It may sound simple, but there is actually a very detailed system in the background that ensures your item arrives on time and in perfect condition.
Scalable, Flexible Labor and Production
With labor costs accounting for an ever-increasing portion of cost-per-unit, our expertise and experience in the local gateway markets are a critical part of your supply chain strategy. Through the use of flexible staffing, an on-site engineering team, and proprietary productivity management systems, our operations scale quickly to the peaks and valleys of retail seasons, changing shipping patterns, and the challenges of the explosive growth of ecommerce.
Retail Store Replenishment
Replenishment is also an order management activity but it is restricted in definition to that of sending additional material, in addition to that which has been initially fulfilled. If you need more material from your suppliers you will send them an order to replenish your supply. If you need to move more material within your warehouse to different storage or processing locations so that they are positioned to fill orders, that is Replenishment. And if your customer or channel wants more products in addition to what you have already sent then that is also considered Replenishment.
Product Configuration
With a full array of value added services available at every one of our locations, our project experts make sure your product is ready for sale before it is shipped. We have the team and tools to manage any project, from simple price ticketing and labeling to complex sub-assembly or repackaging.
Why Should You Use Pick and Pack Fulfillment Services
As we mentioned earlier, your job is to serve your customers by giving them their orders in a timely fashion. It is no easy feat to also fulfill their orders because your inventory needs to be organized as well as being monitored and tracked. Also, customers expect their products to be packaged properly and delivered without any damage. All of these services need to be done in a physical space where you hire your own labor force to carry out hundreds of orders around the clock. In the end, this can be very overwhelming and daunting to take on one’s own time and expenses.
By outsourcing your pick and pack fulfillment services to a 3PL company, you will enjoy the following benefits:
- Your items will be shipped faster.
- It will free up your time which can be spent on customer service and lead generation.
- It will minimize costly mistakes when shipping your orders to your customers
- You can essentially handle more orders as your business grows.
The FLEX Logistics Team is Here to Help!
Our team understands the importance of getting your products to the market. That is why we aim to understand your business and build lasting relationships with you and your team. Whether you are looking to add a new warehouse to your existing operations, growing and need to increase your distribution efforts, or starting a new company, FLEX has the solutions to meet your supply chain needs.
Contact us today to discuss your current and future warehousing and logistics needs. We will work together with you to understand your requirements and develop a solution that will set you up for future success.