How fulfilment is evolving

The order fulfilment process has often been over-burdened by inefficiencies that waste time, money, and manpower, but as technology for order fulfilment has developed, capabilities have been enhanced and customer service has improved massively.

Order fulfilment is the method by which eCommerce vendors process cart checkouts on their sales platform and with customers having higher expectations and holding more power, efficient order fulfilment is key to brand reputation, company profits and client retention.

Improvements to fulfilment accuracy, speed, and efficiency are valued beyond all others and automation technology is delivering all three, to deliver order processing, that is streamlined and automated to create extremely fast and resilient solutions.

This is good news for eCommerce vendors and their fulfilment centres, who are under immense pressure to meet spiking demand and the rapid growth of their eCommerce customers.

Automated order management systems can consolidate orders and handle multiple tasks, from multiple sources, so that fulfilment centres can handle a multitude of tasks including:

• Support offers and promotions
• Manage order and payment processing
• Add customer service capability
• Enhance the customer relationship

Warehouse technology in fulfilment centres can coordinate activities, from managing inventory, and the put away/pick/pack functions, to streamlining workflows to maximise efficiencies.

The next generation of technological solution are already emerging, with augmented reality improving the speed, skill, and efficiencies of operatives and wearable AI devices, like smart glasses, using the technology to guide pickers to items and determine where to place them in a cart.

Driven by AI, robotic systems can boost the efficiency of pick/pack operations by selecting the most efficient picking routes and eliminating unnecessary routes through the warehouse.

Fulfilment centres and real-world data warehouses, are rich with insights that can enhance decision-making processes across the supply chain.

Utilising advanced analytics and logic-based technology, with the integration of artificial intelligence into the order process, fulfilment centres can realise their potential for process improvement and expand the boundaries of speed and efficiency for years to come.

Noatum Logistics operate retail eCommerce fulfilment centres in the UK, Europe, North/South America and Asia, with new state-of-the-art facilities opening in 2023, incorporating the latest conveyor and robotic automation, alongside leading-edge inventory, fulfilment and warehouse technology.