Software business

E-commerce fulfillment consists of all the things you do to satisfy a customer’s order after it is placed. Although fulfillment is a crucial ingredient for the success of ecommerce, the current crop of e-commerce software products do not sufficiently address the needs of e-commerce business owners. Fortunately, it can be plugged in seamlessly to rectify the need for a robust automated fulfillment solution. In fact, the optimum fulfillment tool for integration in existing ecommerce systems, including Microsoft’s popular Site Server. For e-commerce fulfillment needs, let’s first take a look at the gap in current methods. Then we’ll illustrate how this can eliminate the gap because it can automate and track virtually all fulfillment functions.
Once your website has secured the order, you have to deliver. If you're selling content or electronic goods then you'll have automated the process. The customer just clicks to pay and receive the download. But physical goods involve warehousing, delivery, record-keeping and dealing with queries and returns. Many companies will be bringing a 'bricks and mortar' operation onto the Internet, and will have their storage, inventory and order facilities already implemented. Ecommerce fulfillment services are a straightforward extension, as long as it's remembered that customers expect painless orders to be followed by painless delivery. Some 40% of customers are in fact dissatisfied by ecommerce deliveries, and 25% never shop again at the site as a result.


Small companies just starting on the web may be tempted to store goods in a spare room or garage, but quite apart from the security and insurance aspects generally need a proper shipping department before too long. Goods have to be warehoused and inventoried. Records must be kept of stock, customers, and orders, shipping details and deliveries and this need to be computerized. Now is the time to find the software that integrates everything seamlessly orders, inventories, suppliers, customers, accounts , taxes and VAT. Our fulfillm.ent resources page lists some of the larger suppliers, but you should also consider custom.er packages.

Stock levels are communicated to them on a regular basis, and companies have backup suppliers just in case. The above ecommerce fulfillment system suits many fledge ling companies, but it's still a hassle, taking up much of the working day. An alternative becoming increasingly attractive is drop shipping. Suppliers handle specific brands, and will ship your orders directly to the customer. You just fax or email the drop ship company with the order, and they package with your logo, add the delivery slip, and send it off.Of course there's a charge for the service, and you have to the companies carrying the products you sell. Delivery is very much in their hands, moreover, and they may not keep you fully informed on items temporarily out of stock. Any delays will reflect on you, as customers are unaware of the shipping procedure. Further down the road is an ecommerce fulfillment company.

The contract you draw up with a fulfillment company requires the company to keep all your products ready for immediate delivery. You email or fax the order or have it redirected automatically from your website and the fulfillment company does the rest. Fulfillment companies are efficient, but they are not cheap. We provide directories for them on our resources page, and list those that will serve smaller companies.