Print on Demand Fulfillment: Exceeding Customer Expectations

By 2023, the global eCommerce industry is expected to generate $6.3 trillion in sales. If you run an online business, you’ll need to plan for increased demand over the next year and figure out how to meet it through print on demand fulfillment. A solid print on demand fulfillment strategy will allow you to ship and deliver products to your customers more efficiently. This, in turn, will improve your store’s overall reputation and may result in increased sales as customers are happy to buy from you again.

In this article, we’ll look at how print on demand fulfillment works and what top strategies or models to consider. In addition, we’ll show you how to optimize your fulfillment process to help you exceed customer expectations and increase the profitability of your store.

WHAT IS PRINT ON DEMAND FULFILLMENT?

Print on demand fulfillment is the process of handling online customer orders and efficiently delivering them on time. Inventory management, order management, warehouse management, eCommerce order fulfillment (picking, packing, and shipping), and returns management are all included.

Here is a brief overview of each stage of print on demand fulfillment:

1. Inventory and warehouse management

This is the first stage of fulfillment in which you receive your store’s products from the manufacturer. It is where you store this inventory in a logical, easy-to-find manner in your warehouse or eCommerce fulfillment center.

2. Order management

This stage encompasses everything related to customer orders, including receiving online orders, tracking their progress and shipment. In addition, this also includes delivering them to their recipients.

3. Order fulfillment

While similar to the previous stage, the eCommerce order fulfillment process is more specific in that. Order fulfillment includes the physical process of handling, picking, packing, and shipping items to customers.

4. Returns management

Ecommerce fulfillment does not end when the item is delivered to the customer. Sometimes, the customer wishes to return what they purchased. As a result, this is where returns management comes in to process order returns and restock the returned products.

HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR PRINT ON DEMAND FULFILLMENT STRATEGY?

You’re probably wondering how you can improve your fulfillment and delivery processes now that you’ve learned about the stages of print on demand fulfillment. Furthermore, to determine the best ways to optimize your strategy, use the steps below:

1. Evaluate Your Current Fulfillment Strategy

Regardless of how strong you believe your current fulfillment is, it can almost certainly be improved in some areas. In addition, here are some questions to ask yourself about your strategy:

• Are you experiencing logistics, storage, or efficiency issues in your current operations?
• Are you having trouble keeping up with orders and getting them out the door?
• Do you believe you could devote more time to other aspects of your business?

2. Pay Attention To Other Business Priorities.

It is critical to determine whether or not fulfillment is truly your company’s top priority. For example, if you want to scale, you may overlook key revenue-generating tactics (such as marketing and branding) because you’re too focused on fulfillment responsibilities. Similarly, suppose you want to reduce the frequency of customers complaining about slow deliveries. In that case, you should prioritize customer service to give your customers more attention. Thus, outsourcing some or all of your fulfillment needs to speed up the delivery process and improve your customer reputation.

3. Improve Last Mile Delivery

Optimize your last mile delivery process, in particular for local orders. The last mile of your product’s delivery accounts for more than 53% of your total shipping costs. As a result, it’s a critical step, if not the most important, in the entire fulfillment process. Furthermore, a smooth last mile delivery process allows you to deliver more print on demand products in less time. This can lead to increased sales and happier customers.

4. Hire Or Outsource Roles

When you determine that there are other fulfillment areas that you could outsource that aren’t a priority for your company, it’s time to find a new print on demand service provider if your company is already working with one of these companies. However, if you already use a third-party fulfillment solution, it is possible that they no longer provide the best value for your growth, money, and time.

Conduct some research and obtain quotes from different print on demand companies that provide better fulfillment options for your company. Moreover, compare these fulfillment partners and logistics companies to see which would be best for improving your current print on demand fulfillment process.

You could also take a hybrid approach to increase your efficiency and make fulfillment easier while maintaining some control over your fulfillment process and quality assurance. Whatever you decide, make sure to read print on demand company reviews and choose the ones that will allow you to focus on other aspects of your business.

5. Adjust Your Print On Demand Fulfillment Model

Finally, keep in mind that as your company expands and your priorities shift, you can switch to a completely different eCommerce fulfillment strategy. Perhaps you’ve reached the point where you can now hire a print on demand service provider to assist you with the new two-day shipping option you can offer, increasing the likelihood of receiving more orders and increasing your overall profits. Regularly, you should reevaluate your current strategy and adjust which models you’re using.

TOP-NOTCH PRINT ON DEMAND FULFILLMENT IS KEY TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

When you realize the value of fulfillment in your eCommerce business and invest time and effort to optimize it, you are ultimately investing in the quality of the customer experience and the future success of your company. This is because an efficient fulfillment strategy will help your eCommerce business increase overall revenue and make customers happier because you will be able to deliver products more quickly and accurately than ever before.

Want to know how Fulfillplex, a top eCommerce fulfillment company, can help you optimize your eCommerce fulfillment process and grow your online business? Contact us right away.