Omnichannel Fulfilment Explained…
Selling online has never been easier with the hundreds of channels that are now available to sell on. If you’re currently only selling on one platform, you could be slowing down your business’s growth, and omnichannel fulfilment may be the best option for you. Omnichannel fulfilment can help you maximise the number of customers you can reach, and therefore increasing your sales and brand awareness.
So, what is omnichannel fulfilment? This blogpost will dive into exactly what it is, and the advantages and disadvantages for your business…
What is Omnichannel Fulfilment?
Omnichannel fulfilment involves picking, packing, and shipping orders to customers that are sold across multiple stores, online marketplaces, or sales channels. Your inventory and each channel will be integrated into a single system, meaning you can track your stock and orders across all channels, from one platform.
3PL providers can offer omnichannel fulfilment, meaning no matter what platform your customers have ordered from, they will pick, pack, and ship your orders to your customers fast and efficiently.
Omnichannel fulfilment requires software and APIs to work together to create a fulfilment funnel, which can allow you to track all your stock and orders. Channels such as Amazon, Shopify and eBay will all be shown under one platform, and this makes inventory management ten times easier, as it is all in one place.
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The Benefits of Omnichannel Fulfilment
So, what are the main benefits of omnichannel fulfilment? Well, there are many, but here are some of our key favourites…
With all the platforms being integrated into one place, it makes it so much easier to keep track of data. Having one singular dashboard to view all orders, returns and stock makes the process more streamlined and therefore should result in more accuracy when it comes to picking/ returns and stock levels.
The more platforms you sell on, the more customers are going to know about your brand and therefore it is building more brand awareness. Some customers may only buy from certain platforms, so it’s key you’re selling on multiple to broaden your customer base and reaching everyone you possible can.
Also, seeing your products being sold on reputable websites such as B&Q or Amazon, may be the reason a customer chooses your product over a competitor's.
Omnichannel fulfilment allows you to send orders out fast, and efficiently, with very few mistakes, which essentially leads to happier customers. If customers are receiving their orders fast and with no issues, they will likely shop with your company repeatedly, creating loyalty.
You can get real-time inventory updates and order tracking meaning you won’t miss a thing with your orders. This also means you can make fast decisions in time with your orders and can highlight what requires improvements on your channels.
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The Challenges of Omnichannel Fulfilment
Despite there being many advantages, it’s important to consider there are challenges to think about too.
Omnichannel fulfilment takes a lot of time, due to having to learn each channel that you sell on (and there are constantly new channels being created), it can be a lot to keep up with. Each channel can be quite different from the other, so you need to create new SKU types, add all your data, images, and product descriptions to fully optimise each channel.
It also comes with more customer service to deal with via each platform as customers will contact you via that platform (this can take a lot of your time).
You may have little knowledge on certain platforms and not be aware of how to perform well on them. Performing well on TikTok does not mean you will perform well on Amazon, as both have completely unique needs and requirements from customers.
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This is where a 3PL comes into play. Your 3PL provider should have lots of knowledge and years of expertise to help you perform well on all your platforms. You want to ensure you choose a 3PL provider that has expertise in all industries (specifically your industry) so they can help guide you through the omnichannel process.
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How It Works with GNOC
When seeing up omnichannel fulfilment, you will choose a 3PL provider (like GNOC) and you can start your journey. Putting your trust in GNOC means we will integrate with the world’s leading software and marketplaces that make it simple to manage your inventory, track orders and returns and help you connect with customers.
Here at GNOC we work with some of the leading platforms such as Amazon, TikTok, eBay, Etsy, and way more (read about them here). If there is a particular integration you don’t see and want to use, you can speak to one of our team members here, and we can see what we can do.
Once your stock is at our warehouse, let your orders roll in on each of your channels, and we will sort the rest and get these sent out to your customers fast and efficiently.
We will manage your inventory carefully so you’re aware of your stock levels, sales and returns. Our data can help you make decisions for your business and help you grow.
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Contact us here, and we can explain more about helping your business grow via omnichannel fulfilment and start your 3PL journey today.