The e-commerce and logistics sectors are evolving at a rapid pace. Customers are increasingly determining when, where, and how their orders should be delivered. On top of that, they want 24/7 visibility into the status of their orders. Fortunately, the IT sector is also evolving quickly. Thanks to advancements in IT, you can meet customer demands. If you want to build an online store, you will undoubtedly come into contact with the IT sector. Processing an order involves much more than just sending a package.
What do we mean by the term ‘IT’?
IT, or information technology, refers to hardware, software products, and services. To run an online store, you need to look for software that enables fast information sharing, is easy to scale, and ensures flawless communication with other systems. This way, you can immediately respond to market developments, changing customer demands, and maintain control over the logistics process.
IT is Everywhere
Do you think IT is not important for your online store? Then you’re completely wrong! As you read this blog, you’re already using the necessary IT functionalities. IT is present everywhere in your environment. Think of your smartphone, laptop, desktop, etc. IT is also a key link throughout the entire flow of your e-commerce process. In every step, you will use the necessary hardware and software. Below are some examples.
Hardware
Hardware is needed in every link of the chain to work efficiently. To create an online store, you obviously need a laptop or desktop. To kick-start the entire logistics process, you also need a laptop, desktop, or smartphone. You need to know which orders you need to process. During the picking process, a tablet and barcode scanner are particularly useful. Why? Various inventory management systems, such as Webship Online, already work with digital picking. This minimizes the number of errors.
During packing, you will again need a smartphone, laptop, or desktop to track the packaging materials you’re using and generate the shipping label. You’ll also need a label printer or a standard printer to print the shipping label. Oh, and then you’ll need a smartphone, laptop, or desktop again to maintain customer service.
Inventory Management System
To guide the order processing and logistics, an inventory management system is crucial. Too many businesses still operate without the proper systems, causing valuable time and money to be wasted. An inventory management system like Webship Online lets you receive sales orders in a central system. From there, you can process the orders and print the shipping label. Once the order is completed in Webship Online, the system sends a signal to the webshop, automatically updating the order there and notifying the customer that their order has been completed. Want to know all the benefits of a modern WMS system? Take a look at the Webship Online website.
Track & Trace
Once the package leaves your warehouse, customers want to track its location. Thanks to Track & Trace systems, this is possible. It’s a feature that everyone knows, but people often forget how many links are involved in making a Track & Trace system work. Moreover, with certain couriers, you can even change the delivery time. In such cases, the entire chain must process the new information because the driver’s route needs to be adjusted, and the new delivery time needs to be scheduled. With other couriers, you can see in real-time how many stops the driver still needs to make before coming to you.
System Security
System security is an often-overlooked link in the chain that ensures a webshop’s success. It’s absolutely necessary to secure all your systems and devices against viruses and cyber-attacks. There are countless examples of companies that have faced cyber-attacks. What is a cybercriminal trying to steal? In 99% of cases, the answer is money! How do they try to do it? There are many ways, such as stealing personal data, blocking the webshop, or making user account data public. Protect yourself well against such practices with the motto: better to prevent than cure.
IT & Fulfillment
You’ll undoubtedly notice that the logistics side of your webshop is not to be underestimated. Of course, this brings necessary costs and a need for expertise. Why expertise? You need the necessary IT knowledge to, for example, determine which inventory management system to choose, work with Track & Trace codes, understand certain workflows, and choose the right hardware/software to support the entire logistics process. However, all of these elements require an investment. Without these investments, your webshop will fall behind. Still, we often notice that these investments are not made because businesses want to save costs here.
Is there no solution? Of course, there is a solution! We’re talking about a partnership with a fulfillment center. A fulfillment center takes over the logistics process from you, allowing you to benefit from their expertise and investments. A fulfillment center has the most suitable equipment to process packages, not only in terms of actual product packing but also regarding hardware and software installations. A fulfillment center like Webship uses a custom-designed WMS system that meets all current requirements. Does this cost nothing? At Webship, for example, you only pay for picking/packing products and shipping the order. Want to calculate your all-in fulfillment price? Use our online cost calculator or contact us at hallo@webship.be.
