Latest News

  • Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact truck wins Red Dot Award
  • New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale to Industry Challenges
  • Clark introduces new high-lift pallet truck with mono mast and initial lift
  • New Modulean Rack End Boards, from workplace visual communications and safety products specialists Beaverswood
  • Jungheinrich introduces POWERLiNE lithium-ion trucks to market 
  • Home
  • News
  • Materials Handling
  • Health & Safety
  • Notice Board
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Book Review
    • T.V.
    • Video
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

The right credentials?

Sep 26, 2015 Warehousing Ireland Logistics, News Comments Off on The right credentials?


Online fulfilment has become something of a gold rush in the past couple of years. But it is attracting companies that lack the expertise or infrastructure to undertake the services they claim to offer, says Mark Elward

Google ‘Fulfilment Company’ and the search engine throws up page after page of businesses claiming to offer everything the online retailer needs to maintain a slick supply chain.

Of course, with the growth in internet shopping set to continue its upward trajectory for the foreseeable future, it’s hardly surprising that third party logistics companies are keen to play up their ‘fulfilment’ credentials as they seek to ensure that they grab their share of this increasingly lucrative market.

With online fulfilment becoming something of a ‘gold rush’ in the past couple of years, it is attracting companies that do not really have the expertise or infrastructure to undertake the services they claim to offer.”

For example, traditional hauliers and transport companies who have built their business around storing and trunking full pallet loads, may find they have 10,000 sq ft of spare storage space and decide to set themselves up as a ‘fulfilment specialist’ but the reality is they do not have the IT infrastructure, facilities or the staff numbers that are required to pick, pack, re-kit etc etc efficiently.

To be a true fulfilment specialist, the right software is essential. Most of my company’s clients operate a number of sales channels– some can have up to 8-9 channels with pan-European coverage and all these orders have to be integrated seamlessly.

Many new entrants to the fulfilment market fail to invest in the appropriate software and their service – and the reputation of their clients – suffers as a result.

And, when it comes to offering a fulfilment proposition, a company also needs to have the flexibility to adapt its processes to meet its customers’ requirements as and when required.

For example, one of our clients – a major high street fashion accessories retailer – recently took delivery of 1.5 million products that had to be relabelled to go back in to their stores. We brought in extra staff from our other sites and completed the job within 10 days. I can think of several of the so called leading logistics firms that would still be having meetings to discuss how best to proceed after 10 days!

Of course, the bigger logistics firms do have a significant advantage when it comes to costing solutions for shipping. After all, e-commerce is all about volume. Quite simply the more you ship the better the price you can negotiate.

But, while price will always be an important consideration in any fulfilment contract discussion, any online retailer must consider all aspects of the potential fulfilment partner’s service proposition.

It goes without saying that it is frustrating to lose business to a competitor who I know does not offer the expertise that we provide because they quote a price that is 5-10% per cent cheaper. However, I also know in the first week of January we will receive three or four phone calls from companies that we have spoken to throughout the year asking us to ‘rescue’ them because their chosen provider has not been able to cope with the Christmas rush or lived up to any of their promises.

Mark Elward is managing director of Coventry-based DK Fulfilment Ltd. He has been involved in the logistics industry for most of his career and has held senior roles with a number of the best known names in the sector

Tweet

  • tweet
DIARY DATE – Supply Chain Ireland Seminar Dachser welcomes 558 future logisticians

Warehousing Ireland

Related articles
  • Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact truck wins Red Dot Award
    Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact...

    Jul 03, 2022 Comments Off on Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact truck wins Red Dot Award

  • New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale to Industry Challenges
    New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale...

    Jul 03, 2022 Comments Off on New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale to Industry Challenges

  • Clark introduces new high-lift pallet truck with mono mast and initial lift
    Clark introduces new high-lift pallet...

    Jul 03, 2022 Comments Off on Clark introduces new high-lift pallet truck with mono mast and initial lift

More in this category
  • Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact truck wins Red Dot Award
    Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact...

    Jul 03, 2022 Comments Off on Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact truck wins Red Dot Award

  • New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale to Industry Challenges
    New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale...

    Jul 03, 2022 Comments Off on New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale to Industry Challenges

  • Clark introduces new high-lift pallet truck with mono mast and initial lift
    Clark introduces new high-lift pallet...

    Jul 03, 2022 Comments Off on Clark introduces new high-lift pallet truck with mono mast and initial lift


Tweets by @warehousingIrl

Recent Posts

Forklift market rebound causes gap between order intakes and shipments

Forklift market rebound causes gap between order intakes and shipments

Nov 24, 2021 Comments Off on Forklift market rebound causes gap between order intakes and shipments

Long-term forecast of global market in 2028 raised by 40% APAC accounts for 54% of 2021 forklift shipments E-commerce, digitalization, and electrification will drive the market  Updated...
The new Visuclean vinyl from Beaverswood

The new Visuclean vinyl from Beaverswood

May 01, 2021 Comments Off on The new Visuclean vinyl from Beaverswood

New Modulean Lite shadow boards from Beaverswood

New Modulean Lite shadow boards from Beaverswood

Nov 14, 2020 Comments Off on New Modulean Lite shadow boards from Beaverswood

Hyster Europe expands its range of electric counterbalance lift trucks

Hyster Europe expands its range of electric...

Sep 13, 2020 Comments Off on Hyster Europe expands its range of electric counterbalance lift trucks

Linde Training Solutions – Well Trained Without Fail

Linde Training Solutions – Well Trained...

Aug 09, 2020 Comments Off on Linde Training Solutions – Well Trained Without Fail

Recent Posts

RHA launches tail lift safety guidance

RHA launches tail lift safety guidance

May 15, 2021 Comments Off on RHA launches tail lift safety guidance

The Road Haulage Association in the UK has published long-awaited guidance to improve safety around the use of tail lifts. The Tail Lift and Pallet Truck Guidance Document released aims to...
Axial Properties Ltd fined €80,000 following serious incident in Clonee warehouse

Axial Properties Ltd fined €80,000 following...

Nov 22, 2020 Comments Off on Axial Properties Ltd fined €80,000 following serious incident in Clonee warehouse

New Modulean Lite shadow boards from Beaverswood

New Modulean Lite shadow boards from Beaverswood

Nov 14, 2020 Comments Off on New Modulean Lite shadow boards from Beaverswood

How to safely buy a used ATEX forklift

How to safely buy a used ATEX forklift

Jul 12, 2020 Comments Off on How to safely buy a used ATEX forklift

A-SAFE launches new hygiene partition for industrial facilities

A-SAFE launches new hygiene partition for...

May 31, 2020 Comments Off on A-SAFE launches new hygiene partition for industrial facilities

Newsletter

Recent Posts

  • Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i compact truck wins Red Dot Award
  • New Hyster A Series Lift Trucks Scale to Industry Challenges
  • Clark introduces new high-lift pallet truck with mono mast and initial lift
  • New Modulean Rack End Boards, from workplace visual communications and safety products specialists Beaverswood
  • Jungheinrich introduces POWERLiNE lithium-ion trucks to market 
  • Garbe Industrial Real Estate hands over new Warehouse to Iron Mountain in Germany
  • BotsAndUs White Paper on Warehouse Management Systems
  • New Hyster Forklift set for launch at Logimat 2022
  • iF Design Award for Jungheinrich’s ERE 225i 
  • Groundbreaking ceremony for logistics centre in Bitterfeld-Wolfen 
  • Groundbreaking ceremony for new Jungheinrich plant at Chomutov, Czech Republic
  • CKF design and build Auto Packer cell for bio-bean, the world’s largest recycler of coffee grounds
  • Gowan Group moves to new impressive new facility at Citywest
  • Jungheinrich starts 2022 financial year in line with expectations
  • EPAL pallet production reaches record levels in 2021
Copyright 2020 Warehousing Ireland / All rights reserved