4 Simple Ways to Beef Up Your Amazon and eBay Order Fulfillment.
by Chelsea Camper | Last Updated December 30, 2015Amazon® and eBay® are two of the most widely known eCommerce sites today. They’re a place for not only customers to buy a variety of items in one place online, but also a place where many can create a small to large business online.
Both eBay® and Amazon® make it easy for users to put items up for sale online on sites that are getting millions of views every month. But once you’ve sold your product online, how do you make a quick, accurate transition from your warehouse (or living room) to the customer who could be states (or countries) away?
There are several ways you can help make your orde
r fulfillment process quicker and more accurate. All of these can work for businesses both large and small.
1. Organize Your Inventory
Organization is a key part of having a seamless order fulfillment process. When your inventory is organized you (and your employees) know where to find each item that will be picked and packed into the packages.
For smaller home-based businesses this might be as simple as straightening up the living room and getting a few new cabinets or shelves. Those in larger businesses with a warehouse or two will need to try to figure out an inventory layout so that your workers to be able to quickly and easily access the items they’re going to be picking and packing.
It helps to put like things together. Example: Put all the cups in one place, but put blue cups and red cups in different bins so that the cups are all in one place, but each color has its own bin.
Arrange items that are typically ordered together close to each other. Example: Forks, spoons, knives, and cups are all completely different items, but if someone orders spoons they’re likely to also order forks, knives, and/or cups. Keeping all four of those items in the same area will make it quicker to pick and pack those items when the customer orders their spoons and forks.
2. Use Shipping Label Sheets
When you keep all of your information on a the same page and can easily peel and place the shipping label without using tape, you can increase your order accuracy while speeding it up at the same time.
Taping over the barcode of a shipping label can cause shipping errors. When the tape covers the barcode it allows light to reflect off of it which can mess up the scanning process. It can either cause your package to go to the wrong destination or cause it to not be delivered at all.
Not to mention it looks more professional to have a crisp label on the outside of a package instead of a label that has been cut out and taped on it.
By combining multiple shipping forms onto the same sheet (example: Packing list and shipping label on the same sheet) you can reduce the print time of your shipping forms. Instead of having to wait for 2+ sheets to print out and then try to match them with the correct order, you have all the information you need in one place, on the same sheet.
3. Use Correct Box Sizes
If you sell a variety of items that range from jewelery to kitchen appliances, you’re going to need a variety of box sizes. By using a box that’s too big or too small for the item you’re shipping, you’re wasting valuable order fulfillment time!
When your box is too big for your items, you waste time by filling up the empty space with packing materials so that the item isn’t thrown around the box during shipping. By using a smaller box you can not only save money on your packing materials, but you’ll save time by not having to fill up a ton of empty space.
If you’re using a box that’s too small you have more to worry about than time! Too small of a box can damage the item while you’re trying to force it into the box. Make sure the box is big enough to easily slide the item in and the customer can easily get it out.
Also, you’ll want to use a sturdy box that won’t get damaged in transit. Damaged packages on a customer’s door step isn’t good. Not only will the customer be unhappy but you’ll have to spend time making a damaged package claim with your shipping carrier, wait for the package to return, and refund your customer in one way or another.
4. Use a Packing List
What is a packing list for order fulfillment? Well, if you’ve ever been on vacation you’ve probably used a packing list to get your suitcase ready.
It’s simply a list of items and quantities of each item that the customer has ordered. It helps whoever is picking and packing your packages to make sure that they have packed everything that the customer has ordered.
You can also add the packing list in the package before it is sealed and taped to remind the customer of what they ordered and how many they ordered. They can then use that packing list to keep a record of what they bought and from whom if they need it for their business or personal records.
How else could you beef up your Amazon® and eBay® order fulfillment process?
Image: Aurelijus Valeiša
Not affiliated or endorsed by any of the following: Amazon® is a registered trademark of Amazon®. eBay® is a registered trademark of eBay®.
