You may probably be aware of the value a picking and packing service can add to your business, as it has already become an integral and essential part of any supply chain management process. But if you have the mind to look for an outsourced pick and pack service and would like to make sure that your choice is a good one, there are several factors you should look at and consider. There may be more than a few pick and pack and fulfilment services out there, but how do you know that you are selecting the right one? It all begins with understanding what you can expect from a pick and pack service and knowing what the service is all about. Here is how you can effectively choose a picking and packing service for your business.
What the service can do
A picking and packing service is essentially a service which offers a form of centralised distribution. What happens is that with a pick and pack service, your products are sent to a central place or location, such as a warehouse, which is run and operated either by your business or by your outsourcing partner. The products are then picked once there is an order, and then packed according to their specifications and their final destination.
If you outsource picking and packing to an outside provider, you can take advantage of several benefits. For one, you can benefit from warehouse space or a storage location which is suited to your needs, and you can also take advantage of more than a few value-added services such as inventory management, bulk discounts from couriers, and so on. You don’t have to be worried or concerned about spending too much for the service as you only pay for what it is you need at different periods, and you don’t have to worry about finding the proper infrastructure for your goods. You can also benefit from experience and expertise since your pick and pack partner will have staff on-hand to provide you with the know-how you need.
Apart from all this, with a pick and pack partner, your items can be shipped more quickly, you can free up your own time so you can focus on your other responsibilities, you can avoid and virtually eliminate errors when it comes to shipping goods, and you can provide a better experience for your customers.
How to choose one
First, check out the kinds of services they provide. Chances are, the pick and pack service such as www.cannonpacking.co.uk will offer other services such as ecommerce fulfilment and the like. You should also consider your individual needs – for instance, do you need items shipped together in a specific way? Do you have food and other perishables which need to be stored at a particular temperature? Will your pick and pack partner handle returns and exchanges as well? Also, if you are engaged in international shipping or planning to offer international shipping, you need to know if your picking and packing partner can do this for you too.
You also have to think about the provider’s pricing. Needless to say, every provider will have different pricing terms, so do your research on this and decide which pricing model is best for your needs. Most providers will, however, offer terms depending on the storage of the inventory, the package weight and size, the handling of orders, and the shipping destination or location. You should also take a look at their guarantee on shipping, such as same-day shipping, for instance, 1-day shipping, expedited shipping, and so on. At the end of the day, you need a service which can provide you with timely shipping, which will further enhance the satisfaction of your customers.
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