The number of online stores worldwide is growing rapidly. When launching a webshop, you can initially handle everything yourself. However, as your business grows and the number of orders increases, there will come a time when managing logistics alone is no longer feasible. At this point, you face the decision of whether to hire additional staff. Fulfillment partners, such as Webship, can simplify this decision. With their expertise in logistics and WMS (Warehouse Management Systems), they allow webshop owners to outsource time-consuming tasks.
Fulfillment refers to the entire order processing journey—from the moment goods are received by the fulfillment partner until they are shipped to the end customer.
What Does a Fulfillment Partner Do?
A fulfillment partner takes care of the following steps:
- Purchase Orders – Before fulfilling sales orders, you need stock. You can easily place purchase orders via our cloud application.
- Inbound Goods – When your products arrive at our warehouse, we perform a quality and quantity check before storing them.
- Sales Orders – Orders can be entered manually into our system or automatically synced from your webshop or marketplace.
- Pick & Pack – Once payment is received, our pickers assemble and pack the order according to your specifications.
- Shipping – Couriers collect packages/pallets from us daily to deliver them worldwide.
- Returns Management – Returns are pre-registered, inspected upon arrival, and processed accordingly.
As you can see, the entire logistics process is handled by the fulfillment partner. These companies use advanced software to manage inventory and ship orders efficiently, which comes with significant advantages!
The Benefits of a Fulfillment Partner
1. Cost Savings & Economies of Scale
Fulfillment providers handle stock and shipments for multiple webshops. Since they ship large volumes, they can negotiate better shipping rates with carriers. Many fulfillment partners work with several couriers, allowing you to choose the most cost-effective option.
Additionally, fulfillment companies buy packaging materials in bulk, securing lower prices than most individual webshop owners can obtain. These combined cost savings allow you to reinvest in your business growth.
2. Logistics Expertise
E-commerce involves many different processes, and logistics is often not a core focus for business owners. By outsourcing to a fulfillment partner, you gain access to logistics expertise, turning fulfillment into a competitive advantage.
3. Scalable Storage Solutions
With a fulfillment partner, you don’t have to worry about storage space limitations. The warehouse is managed by the fulfillment provider, allowing you to expand your product range without investing in additional storage facilities.
4. Seamless Order Fulfillment – Even on Vacation
Taking a vacation can be challenging when you handle shipping yourself—every day off means orders are delayed. By working with a fulfillment partner, your webshop remains fully operational while you take a break, ensuring your customers receive their orders on time.
5. More Time for Growth (Marketing & Sales)
Packing and shipping is time-consuming. By outsourcing logistics, you free up time and energy to focus on marketing and sales, helping you scale your business faster.
Ready to Optimize Your Logistics?
A fulfillment partner handles time-consuming tasks, allowing you to focus on growth without hiring additional logistics staff—a decision that often causes uncertainty for webshop owners.
Interested in outsourcing your fulfillment? Contact Webship to explore your options. We’ll analyze your specific situation and provide a customized quote. Reach us at hallo@webship.be.
