When it comes to your customers, you want to make sure their orders are delivered on time every time. But there are a number of issues that can pop up in your supply chain, including natural disasters, weather conditions, and other factors that you may not have control over.

Whether you sell direct to consumers or businesses, it’s important to have a strong order fulfillment strategy in place that will help ensure on-time delivery. After all, you won’t get repeat business if your customer has a bad experience during shipping. In fact, according to a recent study, 37% of people will not shop with a brand again after having a negative experience.

The order fulfillment process includes receiving and storing inventory, picking, packing, and shipping your goods to your customers. It’s an integral part of your ecommerce business and something that needs to be done right. If not, it can have a serious impact on your bottom line.

Some businesses handle all their order fulfillment in-house, while others opt to partner with a third-party logistics (3PL) service to handle it for them. There are also those who choose to use a hybrid model and combine a few different models depending on their needs. Ultimately, you need to determine what’s best for your business and what will give you the most control over your inventory management and logistics operations.

If you’re not sure where to begin with your business’s order fulfillment strategy, start by assessing your unique needs and the type of products you sell. This will give you a good idea of what kind of warehouse space you’ll need, how much storage and labor costs you’ll have to pay for, and what kind of transportation options are available to you.

As you think about your fulfillment needs, you should also consider whether or not you want to locallyize your inventory. This means stocking your product in the warehouse closest to your customers, so they can receive their orders faster. This will cut down on the cost of shipping, as well as the wear and tear that can happen when products are shipped long distances.

Once you’ve identified what kind of warehouse space you’ll need, the next step is to build your ecommerce order fulfillment workflows. This involves integrating your order management systems with your logistics software, generating optimized picking lists for each order, and tracking inventory through the entire process. It’s also a good idea to work closely with your shipper so you can address any issues as they arise. In addition, you should keep your expectations realistic when setting your shipping timelines. This will prevent customers from being disappointed if they don’t receive their product in a timely manner, especially during a busy holiday season.