Ecommerce forms an important part of the supply chain. Even ecommerce itself comprises of several aspects, including the order fulfilment process, customer relationship management (CRM), marketing, and enterprise resource planning (ERP), as well as customer service.
Ecommerce businesses often look forward to Black Friday. It’s a peak within a period which is already one of the busiest times of the year leading up to Christmas. Despite the opportunities, this can also lead to challenges at all stages of the process due to the sheer volume of orders being placed. If these challenges can be overcome, then this period can be extremely profitable. Here’s the basics to tackling this important period as an ecommerce business.
What is ecommerce delivery?
Ecommerce involves receiving and processing orders made via an online shop, picking and packing the products in a warehouse. The delivery process is usually facilitated by a delivery partner for ecommerce, such as Panther, who take packed parcels to their destinations.
What challenges can Black Friday cause?
Dealing with such a high volume can pose challenges for ecommerce and logistics businesses, particularly if assurances have been made to customers around delivery times. If there aren’t enough staff available, then orders can be delayed and the operations of warehouses and logistics best practice can break down. Furthermore, ecommerce order fulfilment can be heavily affected by the overcrowding of demand into a short period, with fulfilment being limited by things like the number of vehicles and drivers available.
How can these challenges be overcome?
Plan ahead
Periods like Black Friday are going to result in an increase in orders if your promotional offers are enticing enough, but it’s important to have an idea of how effective these promotions may be. Use robust methods to predict the amount of orders that may be received and plan accordingly. Ensure that enough warehouse workers are available and that your fulfilment partners are equally prepared to deal with the increase in workload.
Work with reliable fulfilment partners
Ecommerce delivery or fulfilment partners are a key part of any ecommerce businesses operations. It’s essential to have a partner that works with you to understand your business’s needs and is able to respond to the changes in demand caused by events like Black Friday. This is especially important if your business sells products that require a specialist ecommerce delivery process, such as two-person delivery services.
Panther can be that reliable fulfilment partner for your business, providing high quality, white glove delivery even when demand is high. Find out more here.