Did you know that the United Kingdom had the third-largest e-commerce market in the world in 2016? The most recent UK governmental figures placed the value of UK e-commerce sales at 586 billion British pounds in 2017. (*)

With eCommerce at an all-time high, ensuring warehouse efficiency for your ecommerce merchandise is arguably the most essential factor not only for customer satisfaction, because quick shipments are at the forefront, but to ensure your business gets the most out of your warehouse usage.

Warehousing your eCommerce is so vital. Safety and security, tracking stock and deliveries are only a few considerations you need to keep in mind if you were to take control of warehousing on your own. A remarkable amount of what makes warehousing so crucial for successful eCommerce is the management behind the scenes.

NO NEED FOR DIY.

We are sure that many eCommerce business owners will believe they can handle running each aspect of the business entirely alone. We applaud you, but wouldn’t it be much more beneficial and stress-free to hand over the warehouse aspect to the experts? That way, you can focus on what is most important, your business development.

Trying to save money is one of the main reasons why eCommerce businesses try to handle warehousing in-house, but, maximising warehouse efficiency for your eCommerce merchandise is more cost-effective than you think. First of all, here are some of the benefits.

• Ship products quickly and efficiently, and at preferential rates
• Detailed stock-lists to prevent overstock
• Better organisation and more space
• Everything in one place

There are several things to ask or consider your warehouse provider to truly get the most out of your investment:

COMMUNICATION

Stay in touch with your warehouse provider just as you would your customers. Have the orders been received in the warehouse? Is there any particular product that sells better than others? That way, you know what to push on your social media profiles and the eCommerce site. A good warehouse provider will be keeping you in the loop without wasting your time.

MAXIMISE YOUR SPACE WITHOUT PAYING THE PRICE.

You don’t always have to pay megabucks to store your products in a warehouse. Cleverly storing your stock will serve you well if you want to start small and steady. Ask your warehouse provider if they have taller storage units available so you can stack high rather than far. Using various types of racks to store both big and small products will help you store smarter and more efficiently.

KEEP IT LEAN.

Adapting a lean inventory process is just as important as it is when you are manufacturing your products. Practising lean inventory means only storing what you need, and that is it. That way, you are never paying for more space than you require. – Nothing goes to waste, whether it’s the space or product itself! As mentioned previously, a good warehouse provider will know which products are selling well and those that are not. They will be able to support your business by ensuring that you have this type of data at the tip of your fingers.

THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY MATTERS.

A warehouse management system (WMS) will improve efficiency in the warehouse massively by providing solutions for the best routes and methods for picking or put-away. While an eCommerce business will not witness this benefit, it means that the warehouse will remain well-organised, which, in turn, provides a  limited risk of mistake and the cost of an unhappy customer.

If you are wondering what questions you need to ask your warehouse fulfilment provider, check out our previous blog here. 

Improving warehouse efficiency can improve your eCommerce business quality or service without putting added stress on you as an owner.