If you are new to the ecommerce industry, there’s quite a bit of lingo you will need to familiarize yourself with if you really want to succeed. The phrase “pick and pack” is a fine example of this, and many people are unsure of what it means. Below, you’ll discover the definition of the phrase and what it entails, allowing you to make better choices about the future of your own ecommerce endeavors.
What Is “Pick and Pack,” Anyway?
The phrase “pick and pack” refers to a specific part of the supply chain management process during which the products a consumer ordered are taken down from warehouse or storage shelves and packed into a box for shipment alongside a packing slip, invoice, flyer, advertisement, and any other packing materials requested by the merchant. Though the concept itself seems quite simple (and it is), the actions behind it can become very complicated very quickly.
Standard vs. Complex Orders
If your ecommerce store sells a single item in a few colors or variations, then picking and packing is quite simple. You look at the order, pick the product color the customer wants, and put it in the box with the proper documentation. However, if you sell numerous products in a wide variety of sizes, styles, colors, and other options, picking and packing can quickly become insanely complicated – especially when one customer orders numerous items that must be retrieved from different parts of a warehouse or even different warehouses altogether.
Possible Issues with the Pick and Pack Process
The more complex the product, and the more complex the order, the greater the risk of issues in the manual processes involved in picking and packing those orders. Some common errors include:
- Choosing the wrong packaging. If an employee chooses the wrong packaging type or size for a product, it can result in damage during shipping and unhappy customers.
- Picking the wrong items. Employees can also pick the wrong size or color item, which also results in dissatisfied customers.
- Omitting items altogether. The more complicated the order, the more likely it becomes that an item will be omitted from an order altogether.
- Not enough resources. Finally, as a company grows, it can be difficult to find enough employees or even a large enough warehouse to fulfill the orders coming in.
Preventing Issues with a Fulfillment Partner
The best way to prevent the common issues that occur during the pick and pack process involves hiring a professional fulfillment company to do the job. These individuals focus solely on making certain that the right products get to the right customers undamaged and in a timely manner, which not only takes the stress of the world off your shoulders, but also improves your company’s reputation over time.
The term “pick and pack” refers to a relatively simple concept that has the potential to become increasingly complex depending on your industry and the products you offer in your ecommerce shop. Learning more about it – and when to delegate it to a specialist – can help your company thrive and grow over time.
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