Tips on getting fulfilment right

The consumer doesn’t care how we fulfill their order, or that our supply chain and IT directors need to link warehouse and in-store inventory. They don’t care how you get the product to their door or chosen pick-up point. What they do care about is that their order is correct, on-time, easy to transact or return and that customer service is second-to-none.  

At Voiteq we understand that the warehouse is a key node in getting your Omni-channel supply chain right. If the warehouse lets you down, the rest will fail. Using voice-directed working our customers are able to efficiently and accurately process orders in batches and pack as they go; ensuring that your warehouse fulfillment is sorted will enable you to focus on other areas of the business. Here we provide a few tips to getting it right.

How to do I adapt to Omni-channel order profiles?

Unlike typical store replenishment orders, Omni-channel orders average one to two lines per order. Whether orders are shipping directly to the customer or to the store for a “click and collect” service, this order profile requires a different execution approach. In order to achieve the necessary efficiencies, orders will need to be batched together and picked on one warehouse journey, ideally with a single pick-and-pack process.

Which warehouse technologies are best to support my Omni-channel initiatives?

Supply chain directors have a range of options to choose from and the speed-to-market, flexibility and cost justification of each approach will need to be considered carefully. Full automation of eCommerce fulfilment is possible, however this requires considerable capital outlay, has a long return on investment and has limited flexibility to adapt to future changes. Applying existing mobile technologies, sometimes together with partial automation, to Omni-channel processes can provide a rapid, cost-effective solution. 

In particular, hands-free, eyes-free voice technology offers compelling accuracy, productivity and flexibility benefits that are ideally suited to batched, multi-order picking and packing processes that can co-exist with existing fulfillment operations. Voice can also be used for in-store fulfillment of Omni-channel orders such as pick-from-store, click-and-collect or “dark store” operations.

How to manage my Omni-channel warehouse execution?

Omni-channel orders are highly time sensitive and having ensured the accuracy and performance of outbound processes in an Omni-channel warehouse, the next area to consider is the real-time execution and overall management of the operation. Some modern warehouse management systems can offer this capability but many back-end systems are not designed to provide the real-time visibility and control that enables managers and supervisors to ensure service levels are consistently achieved as efficiently as possible. In order to support a growing Omni-channel operation, it’s not necessary to replace your existing WMS. Seek out an execution system that can easily integrate with your back-end systems, batch work to maximise efficiency, provide full visibility of the work in progress, automatically manage work prioritisation to meet transportation deadlines and provide full traceability of every step.

How do I efficiently execute the plan?

Part of the execution relates to the consumer front-end platforms, such as web sites and mobile apps. From a supply chain point of view, efficient, accurate, on-time delivery to the customer is more important than ever. Omni-channel has also resulted in a significant increase in returns processing resulting in additional costs and reverse logistics processes. Seek out solutions that have a proven track record of achieving accuracy and productivity – both will be key to an efficient Omni-channel operation. It’s also important to consider future flexibility. Ensure that your chosen solution can easily adapt and expand as your customer proposition changes and your business grows.