What does e-fulfilment mean, exactly?

As an online shop owner, you have undoubtedly seen this word before, but what does e-fulfilment actually mean?

In general, e-fulfilment is about the processing and shipping of orders. This includes the entire logistical process from the reception and storage of products before they are sold to picking, packing and shipping orders to customers.

In many cases, e-fulfilment does not stop there. For example, you can also use the services of the fulfilment company to handle your returns. If you want, you can even outsource your customer service to your fulfilment partner!

What do you need for e-fulfilment?

For orders to be processed quickly, it is important that an online shop's products are stored in a central location. The fulfilment company has a modern and well-organised warehouse for this purpose.

As soon as the online shop receives an order, it is passed on to the fulfilment company, where order pickers pick and collect the right products. Next, the order is carefully packed and made ready for shipping.

The fulfilment company has signed agreements with various courier services, including PostNL, DHL Parcel, FedEx, UPS and GLS, for the shipping of orders. These parties make sure customers receive their ordered products as fast as possible.

What services does e-fulfilment consist of?

At Active Ants, e-fulfilment consists of the following core services:

• Reception
• Storage
• Order picking
• Packaging
• Shipping
• Returns processing

This means we can take care of your entire logistical process: from the reception and storage of products before they are sold to preparing orders for shipping and delivering them to the couriers. You can even outsource your returns processing to us.

On top of this, we offer a range of additional services with regard to e-fulfilment:

• Payment processing
• Photography
• Online shop development
• Online reports
• Workshops
• Customer service

We can e.g. help you set up your payment system or even assist with the development of your online shop from the ground up! We also provide product photography services to help you present your products in your online shop in an appealing manner.

Would you like to outsource the handling of customers’ questions and/or complaints? Active Ants also has an excellent internal customer service department. With our detailed online reports, online shop owners are always kept up to date on everything that goes on in their online shop.

Responding to clients’ growing expectations

It can be quite a challenge for online shops to meet their customers’ ever-higher expectations. Especially when it comes to online shop logistics, customers expect lightning-fast service. If an online shop does not offer next-day delivery, chances are that a customer will simply shop at the competition instead.

You probably want to avoid that. Active Ants offers a very sharp cut-off time of 23.59 (NL & BE) and same-day delivery for orders placed before 12.30. Customers can also opt for timeslot delivery, which gives them more control over when their order is delivered and ensures they are home when the courier rings their doorbell.

Would you like to know more about the possibilities of e-fulfilment for your online shop? Contact us for more information and tailor-made advice.