Omnichannel Fulfillment for 3PLs: Streamlining E-commerce, Retail, and Wholesale Operations
The U.S. logistics sector is quickly evolving, and online sales are expected to reach over $1.29 trillion by 2025-end, according to a recent report. Given the growth of online shopping and the evolution toward multi-channel retail models, such as BOPIS (Buy Online Pick Up In Store), has created a complex problem for 3PLs throughout the US. Did you know that fulfilling online orders along with deliveries for retail outlets or wholesale logistics isn't just time-consuming, but also requires a streamlined system that effectively connects everything into one smooth process?
Here at FulFillor, we have collaborated with hundreds of 3PL businesses just like yours, trying to juggle and manage orders across multiple platforms. Thankfully, omnichannel fulfillment powered by integrated 3PL warehouse management systems (WMS) makes that chaos manageable, even scalable.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the reasons why more US-based 3PLs are adopting omnichannel fulfillment solutions, and which cutting-edge technologies are shaping the future of fulfillment.
What Is Omnichannel Fulfillment for 3PLs?
In simple words, omnichannel fulfillment means ensuring that your clients and their customers have a seamless, unified shopping experience, irrespective of where or how they shop. No matter where a customer places an order or from which website or point-of-sale (POS) system, this process allows your 3PL software to receive, process, and ship orders without any headaches down the road. This ultimately keeps your back-end operations in sync so your clients (as well as their end customers) benefit from a consistent, efficient experience. Isn’t it great that instead of juggling multiple fulfillment pipelines, a single system can automate your entire packing and delivery operation, route orders, track inventory, and manage returns all in real-time? That’s the power of an omnichannel fulfillment solution.
Why 3PL Omnichannel Solutions are Essential for US-based E-commerce and Retail?
US shoppers expect fast and flexible delivery and return options, setting a high standard for 3PL providers. To keep up with consumer demands, 3PLs need real-time, accurate visibility into inventory across all sales channels. In the absence of a centralized system, order routing can become slow and inaccurate (failure to match delivery address, items, or discount), which will cause high delays in time-to-delivery and unhappy customers. A returns add another layer of complexity, and streamlined reverse logistics ensure that customers have a smooth, trustworthy experience. Lastly, it automates billing and reporting operations, which in turn reduces the manual involvement of work, minimizing errors, translating to increased growth and consumer trust.
Key Benefits: Why More US-Based 3PLs Are Adopting Omnichannel Solutions
In the US logistics industry, the adoption of omnichannel fulfillment with integrated 3PL warehouse management software is highly beneficial. Here’s how it drives transformation:
1. Real-Time Inventory Visibility Across Channels
Integrated platforms such as FulFillor take the guesswork out and give instant updates across all your sales channels. This live visibility prevents the operational nightmare of costly oversells and stockouts.
2. Automated, Accurate Order Management
By integrating our next-gen fulfillment solution, FulFillor, with your multiple sales channels, you can rest assured that every one of your orders, from large wholesale to small direct-to-consumer, gets shipped timely with complete precision.
3. Streamlined Returns Handling
FulFillor takes care of authorizations, restocking, and refunds with its automated returns process, keeping the workload off your plate, while securing your clients' brand reputation with a customer service experience that leaves their customers happy.
4. Strengthening Customer Bonds
This fast, accurate fulfillment with improved returns enhances satisfaction among clients and end-customers. This further helps in keeping your customer base engaged, improves loyalty, retains repeat business, and develops lasting relationships/ quality partnerships.
5. Cost and Space Optimization
With FulFillor, you can reduce labor costs, shipping costs, and inventory by consolidating previously siloed workflows. These efficiencies allow your team to focus on growing the business and delivering great service.
6. Unified Dashboard and Client Portals
FulFillor is also designed with a centralized, unified dashboard for all E-commerce, retail, and wholesale fulfillment needs, along with white labeled client portals that offer an unprecedented view into inventory, orders, and billing. This lessens maintenance requests and expedites critical decisions.
Omnichannel Retail Logistics in Action: A FulFillor Success Story
One of our US-based 3PL clients we partnered with was handling fulfillment for various clients - a Shopify beauty brand, a wholesaling health food supplier selling to Whole Foods, and even a retail apparel label that was doing pop-up events. They used to go back and forth between three different systems manually before using Fulfillor, resulting in mismatches in inventory. With Fulfillor's retail logistics solutions for E-commerce fulfilment, their inventory accuracy was massively improved, and their order processing time went down by 25%, saving time weekly on manual billing and reporting. With our top-tier integrated 3PL WMS, FulFillor, they’re not just managing omnichannel, they’re excelling at it.
Essential Features Your 3PL Software Must-Have!
Here is a checklist of must-have features that will help you choose the right tools to power your omnichannel strategies.
- High-tech-driven order routing across different sales channels for frictionless targeted flows.
- Handhelds to enable mobile-friendly picking and packing.
- Powerful built-in wholesale order management modules for bulk shipping.
- Must integrate with top leading platforms such as Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, and carriers.
- Customer control and visibility through white-labeled client portals.
- Automated billing and invoicing tailored for the US market’s financial nuances.
Cutting-Edge Technologies Shaping Omnichannel Fulfillment!
- BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store): As customer expectations change, BOPIS needs to connect seamlessly with fulfillment systems by syncing stock levels in real-time and enabling store associates through mobile alerts to prepare orders efficiently.
- Delta Sync: An intelligent data update approach that optimizes system load by syncing only what has changed, ensuring near real-time accuracy with no drop in performance across POS, ERP, WMS, and E-commerce platforms.
- AI and Automation: The use of smart technology allows the 3PLs to predict what inventory they require, and hastens shipping, they require and hastens shipping, plus it aids in saving time, money, and operating efficiently.
- Composable Systems: Flexible software lets 3PLs quickly plug in new features or make changes as their business scales, without causing headaches or delays.
- End-to-End Integration: Comprehensive integration of the various aspects of the fulfillment process keeps everyone in the loop, streamlining operations and keeping customers satisfied.
Conclusion: Why US-based 3PLs Need Omnichannel Fulfillment Solutions
For 3PLs, omnichannel fulfillment is more than software; it’s about making clients and their customers feel valued. With the ability to consolidate inventory management, order management, and returns management across channels, a next-gen 3PL WMS significantly streamlines operations, lowers costs, and improves customer service. FulFillor, an omnichannel fulfillment solution integrated with an advanced 3PL WMS software, combines smart automation technologies and a traditional warehouse management system into one platform. With more than a hundred implementations, FulFillor merges industry knowledge with advanced technology to facilitate growth for 3PLs.
Ready to turn your warehouse into a growth engine? Schedule a demo with Fulfillor today to streamline your E-commerce, retail, and wholesale fulfillment.
