E-commerce Warehouse And Operations

With so many businesses switching to e-commerce or launching e-commerce businesses, now is a good time to learn about how the business model works and what it entails. Running an e-commerce business has its own set of requirements that are distinct from those of other businesses.

Where to store e-commerce stock and how to effectively manage it: e-commerce warehousing and e-commerce built to suit warehouse management are two such requirements that aren’t always given the attention they deserve.

Some e-commerce businesses use traditional warehouses for storage and are traditionally built to suit warehouse management systems for management, assuming that the processes are similar in both traditional and e-commerce warehouse management.

Traditional warehouses and warehouse management systems, while functional, are not designed to handle the unique demands of e-commerce, such as the amount of space and amenities required, the types and quantities of orders received, and demand fluctuations. Being unprepared for these events can negatively impact your productivity and efficiency and cost you more money than necessary.

E-commerce warehouses are what they sound like

E-commerce warehouses are any of the various types of warehouses that can be used to meet the storage needs of an e-commerce business. It’s best to keep e-commerce inventory in a dedicated e-commerce warehouse in India to keep things running smoothly, but there are a few different types to choose from:

Warehouses owned by individuals

Private warehouses are those that larger corporations usually own. Wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, large retailers, and, in the case of e-commerce, online marketplaces are all examples. Private warehouses are more expensive to buy or rent than public warehouses because they are built to suit the owner’s or user’s specific needs.

This could include the warehouse’s size, the specific amenities (such as an updated warehouse management system), or the warehouse’s design for storing specific types of products.

The long-term benefits of such a warehouse make it worthwhile to invest in, making it an ideal choice for small e-commerce businesses, private distributors, and wholesalers.

Public storage facilities

Government agencies own most public warehouses and then rented out to businesses, so the firm has complete control over the rates and amenities provided. They are less advanced than private warehouses in size and functionality, but they are unquestionably more affordable. For e-commerce start-ups with short-term storage needs, public warehouses are a good option.

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What do e-commerce warehouse management systems entail, and how can they benefit you?

An e-commerce warehouse management system is similar to a traditional warehouse management system, but it’s tailored to the needs of an e-commerce store. Here are a few instances where an e-commerce warehouse management system can outperform a traditional system:

Designed for orders of a single item

Traditional warehouse management systems are commonly used in warehouses that deal with orders containing multiple items. As a result, they’re set up to work with pallets, racks, and other large equipment to fill orders that include multiple products. Ecommerce, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with single-item orders.

As a result, an e-commerce warehouse in East India needs a system that can handle large volumes of single-item orders, which includes determining the quickest route to each item, selecting the correct item for each order, packing it properly, and shipping it to the correct address. While a traditional system might handle this, the work may not be as efficient as it could be if a system designed for this volume of small orders were used.

Adaptable to demand fluctuations

Consumer demand fluctuates in all warehouses, which is usually caused by changing trends and seasonal demands. The fluctuations could be for a single product or a whole category, depending on the type of business. For example, holiday-themed products are in high demand near the end of the year, but not so much during the rest of the year.

Changes in demand are usually expected and easy to manage in traditional warehouses, regardless of purchasing. E-commerce, on the other hand, experiences the same fluctuations as traditional warehouses, but demand fluctuates by a greater percentage.

To deal with this, you’ll need a system to manage all of your orders, as well as a server that can handle the traffic generated by all of your website’s visitors. Both of these features can be found in an e-commerce WMS.

Precise inventory control

Having a precise inventory count is critical for any warehouse, but it is especially critical for e-commerce warehouses. This is because these stock numbers are always visible to your customers on your e-commerce website. Knowing what you have in stock and displaying incorrect quantities can give the wrong impression, hurt sales, and make processing orders time-consuming.

You can display how many products you have left in stock (like Amazon does) with accurate inventory management, giving customers an incentive to buy from you before stock runs out. An e-commerce warehouse management system (WMS) can assist you in keeping track of all of your incoming and outgoing inventory and integrating with your e-commerce platform to ensure that everything is in sync and running smoothly.

More returns to deal with

A typical e-commerce return process begins with the buyer initiating the return, followed by the business generating a return label, collecting the returned item, updating their inventory and order status, and finally notifying the customer of the return status and refund or exchanged product.

For the return to be fully processed, each of these processes must be completed in this order, on time, and correctly. Even a minor hiccup in one of these processes disrupts the entire process flow. On the other hand, e-commerce businesses have the highest number of returns of any business. As a result, an e-commerce system is built to handle multiple return processes simultaneously in a timely and efficient manner.

StoreFresh is the most eligible choice for 3PL in East India

The supply of warehouses and godowns has increased in tandem with the rise in warehousing demand. Big corporations have always been a part of this industry, but middle-class businessmen have also been interested in warehouse leasing and rental. However, due to a misunderstanding of the end consumer’s requirements, there has been a significant gap between demand and supply.

StoreFresh understands the needs of both the client (MNC) and the landlord as a 3PL company (businessmen). These MNCs do not invest in real estate and instead prefer to lease it; they follow an Asset Light Model, which gives them a competitive advantage and reduces their capital requirements.

StoreFresh is well-versed in the product requirements, industry, and MNC expectations and searches for the appropriate vendor and landlord accordingly. It rents in and out warehouses and is fully responsible for sourcing, licencing, safety, housekeeping, and inventory management.

Our warehouses ensure the safety of your goods and timely delivery, resulting in consistent customer satisfaction and exponential growth by operating more efficiently.