Part 2 – eCommerce Success Factors
Many things changed in 2020, but the key difference in the supply chain world was companies changed from the traditional B to B model, to an Omnichannel or eCommerce model. In years past companies had long standing distribution processes built on medium to large orders with traditional demand models. Many of these orders were
headed to customer distribution centers which would in turn ship smaller quantities to their brick-and-mortar operations. But with the pandemic came a massive shift to smaller, more frequent orders, often going directly to the consumer. Overnight these companies found themselves needing to support a wider variety of order types, sizes and frequencies. As a result, many have been on a journey to leverage technologies, services and products that can enable them to meet these changes, and ensure they are prepared to handle future challenges and shifts in the market.
In part one of our series, we talked about the need for a WMS for eCommerce success. In part two we look at opportunities that eCommerce operations can take advantage of while leveraging a WMS.
DYNAMIC WAVE MANAGEMENT
eCommerce demands that companies maintain flexibility on how they process orders. Product types, service level commitments (SLAs) to customers, seasonal considerations and automation must be factored into and managed throughout the fulfillment process. Labor productivity and performance is also included in this process.
A WMS gives users order & wave management capabilities that allow decisions to be easily made and, in most cases, automated. And if things change quickly, dynamic waves give you the options to adjust on the fly without shutting down the entire system to do so.
PARCEL & LTL EXECUTION
A critical part of an efficient eCommerce operation is the management of transportation and the execution of carrier specific requirements. Whether you are using UPS, FedEx, USPS, LTL or others, a transportation management system (TMS) offers an integrated multi carrier solution that simplifies the parcel and LTL execution processes, supports advanced rate shopping to minimize freight cost and operationally connected out of the box with all of WMS’s picking processes supporting label and documentation requirements.
To learn more about the FASCOR TMS click here.
CAPACITY
When it comes to eCommerce, capacity can be as critical as operations as it can face rapid growth with added volume requirements. Some capacity may be driven by seasonality while other times it could be due to new product lines or market factors. To meet these challenges, companies must have solutions that can adapt, adjust and scale as needed. A WMS has the foundation to leverage a variety of additional technologies and automation including: robotics, mini AS/RS systems, sorters, carousels and more, making it easier to meet capacity requirements and avoid labor cost surges.
eCommerce Success - See how RepairClinic.com manages over 3 million SKUs and has grown their operations by leveraging a WMS.
REAL-TIME DATA / VISIBILITY
One of the most important aspects of a WMS is the ability to track tremendous amounts of data and provide real time visibility to the entire client organization. FASCOR’s WMS does just that with its integrated Dashboard / BI tools giving users fully customizable reporting and dashboard displays. Whether making day to day operational decisions about labor constraints or product availability to long range planning, the data you need is at your fingertips and fully actionable.
Next eCommerce Success Blog Post – One-Touch Fulfillment
Want to connect? Schedule a no obligation 30 minute demo with our FASCOR team and learn how we can help you take the next step in supply chain excellence.
