Storage and Fulfillment

storage and fulfillment

In today’s age of next-day delivery, one-click purchasing, and a mobile app for everything, people in all industries have become accustomed to speed and convenience. Standards for fulfillment have become incredibly high, and failing to meet those standards on a consistent basis can spell disaster for any organization that ships materials to its customers. The key to avoiding this disaster? Expert third-party storage and fulfillment services.

Storage and fulfillment services, when handled by a team of experts empowered by the best inventory management tools available today, can keep your business competitive with the most well-known online retailers out there. Meeting the expectations of an increasingly demanding customer base may seem impossible for your organization without an enormous investment of capital, but in reality all you need is the partnership of a storage and fulfillment provider that has already built the infrastructure and has put the team in place–a provider like Spectra.

Inventory management is one of the features of storage and fulfillment that consistently presents an efficiency challenge to companies that engage in B2B marketing. And for good reason! Predicting how much inventory will be needed for upcoming campaigns is incredibly difficult and requires the help of metrics and analytics software. Keeping track of that inventory as it is shipped and reordering when needed is only a slightly less complex task, and is most effective when the storage and fulfillment process is powered by automation.

Inefficiencies in storage of your inventory lead to a variety of problems, all of which have a negative effect on your organization’s relationship with its customers. Without enough stock on hand for shipping when orders come in, fulfillment will be delayed and customers will be forced to wait for materials, which may be part of a seasonal or otherwise time-sensitive campaign. This issue erodes confidence and may well prompt those customers to look elsewhere for a more dependable provider.

On the other hand, keeping too much stock on the shelves wastes your marketing dollars, putting money into materials that won’t be used immediately–or perhaps ever–when that money could be more effectively spent in other areas. The digital inventory management employed in Spectra’s storage and fulfillment system uses detailed metrics to streamline your inventory and make the best possible use of your marketing budget.

Even when your inventory is being managed in a highly efficient way, there is another critical step that must be executed well in the storage and fulfillment process–actually getting those materials to your customers when they place an order. Spectra’s use of digital tools extends through the picking, packing, kitting, and shipping processes, with multiple quality and accuracy checks along the way to verify that the correct materials are headed to the right customers.

For an organization that depends on getting items to customers dependably and efficiently, expertly managed storage and fulfillment services are non-negotiables. Spectra has these services ready to go for your business, matured over decades of experience and powered by today’s most effective digital management tools. Call, email, or chat with us today–we look forward to partnering with you to satisfy your customers each and every time.

FAQs

What is fulfillment?
Fulfillment is a third-party warehouse/fulfillment center that packages and ships orders.
Why should I use fulfillment services?
Using a third party fulfillment center is a great way to go if you don’t have shipping capabilities.
Why should I consider using storage and fulfillment?
If your business has grown beyond your existing space and you can’t keep up with shipping orders, using a storage/fulfillment center can be the answer to all of your fulfillment issues.
What is the difference between storage and fulfillment?
Storage is simply the warehousing of goods, whereas fulfillment is the preparation and shipping of orders.
How does a storage center work?
A storage center will typically charge you for the amount of space that you need to use to house your products.
How does a fulfillment center work?
A fulfillment center typically charges for the amount of space that you use. They will also charge you for the receiving of products, shelving or palletizing the products, the picking and packing of orders, as well as shipping. This can also include kitting and custom kitting.
Does a storage center offer kitting?
No, a storage center usually just stores products. You will need to use a fulfillment center for kitting.
How does inventory management apply to storage and fulfillment?
Most fulfillment centers operate with some type of inventory management system. This allows you to track your merchandise and help you decide when to restock your items as your inventory decreases.
What are some of the advantages of an inventory management system?
An inventory management system will track your inventory as items are shipped and this allows you to keep up with inventory levels for all of your products. Reporting will also give you low stock notifications, so that you have plenty of time to replenish stock before you run out of inventory.
How can an inventory management system help me with buying decisions?
An inventory management system will help you track trends of popular items. That way you can determine top sellers and dispose of items that are not selling which will help you save money on storage.

Spectra’s Charleston Fulfillment Center

Get in touch with us today to find out more about how Spectra’s Fulfillment Services Center and Warehouse in Charleston can help.