6 Important Things to Look for in an eCommerce Warehouse
As eCommerce has taken off in recent years, so too have the demands of consumers. It is now commonly expected that once products are ordered, they will be shipped within the same day. Or the next day at the latest. This has put extreme pressure on retailers, transportation companies, and distribution centers to facilitate these quick order fulfillment. As a result, there are 6 important things to look for in an eCommerce Warehouse.
If you own an eCommerce business the best way to maintain customer satisfaction is to find a good eCommerce warehouse to work with. This is because warehousing services are an essential link in the supply chain network for local and global markets alike.
The warehouse you decide on significantly impacts the speed and efficiency of your supply chain. This means the warehouse you choose can directly affect how competitive your business is. Especially, when your competition is constantly growing.
How can warehousing services have such a big effect on your operation? A good warehouse provides much more than basic storage services. It also offers efficient accessibility, facilitates increased product turnover, helps improve production on different levels, and decreases shrinkage.
The Main Factors to Consider While Searching for the Perfect eCommerce Warehouse
With all the options out there, it can be a bit overwhelming when selecting an eCommerce warehouse. In fact, without knowing exactly what to look for, it can be hard to make a decision.
Therefore, before you begin your hunt, you must understand the various features of the eCommerce warehousing services that exist. Then understand how they can help meet the needs of your business. The following are 6 important things to consider when looking for the perfect eCommerce Warehouse:
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Location
One of the most essential factors to consider when selecting a warehouse is its location. It should be located relatively close to your customer base to make maintaining timely and cost-effective deliveries easier. Also, knowing your customer base will allow you to secure the transportation costs to ship items to that area.
Whether you are a regional retailer, a national supplier, or you have an international customer base, this factor is always going to be relevant. In fact, it is the only way that you will be able to get orders to your customers quickly and know your costs.
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Accessibility of an eCommerce Warehouse
It is important to consider how accessible a given warehouse is before deciding to use it. Especially, when you require a significant amount of importing and exporting in your day-to-day operations. The warehouse you choose should be located near a major port or highway to help facilitate faster turnaround times.
While considering location, you should also focus on the warehouse’s access to public transportation. The nature of the traffic in the area. The road conditions, the safety of the area, and highway interconnectivity, among other things.
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A range of capabilities
Some warehouses only offer basic storage services. On the other hand, others have a wide range of capabilities that you can take advantage of. It is always much better to go with the latter type. When a warehouse has several integrated order fulfillment solutions, it can help improve the efficiency of your supply chain network.
For instance, asset-based warehousing service providers tend to invest a lot of money into their facilities, trucks, and employees, making it possible for them to offer higher levels of service.
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eCommerce Warehouse experience level
Like with any other industry, experience is valuable. The amount of experience that a warehousing company has is usually a good indicator of how well they have refined their warehousing services. Additionally, if a warehouse has been able to withstand the test of time, it is a sign that it can continue doing so in the future.
When it comes to experience, however, a warehouse’s age is not the only factor worth considering. It is also important that the company has specific experience handling the kind of products you will require them to work with.
The ongoing advancement of technology is something that a good warehouse will always take advantage of. Why? Because the introduction of new technology can help optimize product storage and order fulfillment practices.
One of the main types of technology that you should investigate at a given warehouse is its management system. The quality of the system they have is integral to your business. These days, warehouses can also use other innovative technologies like drones, pick-by-vision systems, and electronic data exchange.
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Warehouse size
Another important consideration is the size of the warehouse. It must be able to accommodate all your storage needs. If it is too small for your requirements, this is a quick way to rule it out.
It is also important to think ahead about how much your storage needs may grow in the coming years. You want your warehouse to accommodate your growth requirements so that it can scale up with you. Otherwise, once your operation grows, you will need to search for a new warehouse again. Starting over will waste your time and be an unnecessary inconvenience.
Wills Transfer’s eCommerce Warehouses Have Everything You Are Looking For and More
If you would like to employ warehousing services from a company that meets and exceeds all of the criteria mentioned above, Wills Transfer is the perfect eCommerce warehouse option for you. We have all the knowledge, experience, and technology to ensure that your product storage and order fulfillment processes are optimized.
If you want your operation to run smoother than ever, leveraging our 75 years of warehousing experience will make a difference. Whether you need to store raw materials or finished products, we can provide solutions to all your storage needs.
On top of our 1,000,000 square feet of warehouse space, we have an incredibly advanced inventory tracking system. 24/7 comprehensive security, and a wide range of specialized services, including;
The services that we offer are also extremely dynamic and can grow or change along with your business.
For more information about our warehouses or to learn more about the additional warehousing services we offer, call Wills Transfer Limited at 613-704-7549 or contact us here
