You have established your product range, and sales numbers are increasing – but gradually, packing and shipping packages are taking more and more time? And always finding the best rate for international shipments isn't that simple either? Then a professional fulfillment partner is the next step for your growing business. Quick and straightforward – with individual packaging solutions and returns handling included.
At some point, most start-ups reach a stage where they decide to outsource their shipping. It's crucial to set up your fulfillment in a way that allows you to respond to strong growth in sales volume whenever it occurs – because nothing is more frustrating than finally taking off and then stumbling when it comes to shipping the products. With a professional fulfillment service, you're well-prepared – even for the next Black Friday.
In this article, you'll learn everything about our fulfillment process and the individual services you can also take advantage of.
- No minimum volume requirements
- Transparent bulk customer prices from day one
- Established global logistics network
What interests you the most?
Preparation for Your Fulfillment: Connecting the Shop and Filling the Warehouse
Fulfillment Process – These are the Steps Your Shipments Go Through
Returns or Claims? We're Happy to Handle Them for You
Conclusion: 3 Advantages of Having a Fulfillment Partner by Your Side
Preparing for Your Fulfillment Process: Connecting Your Shop and Filling the Warehouse
Before a fulfillment service provider can take over your shipping, your online shop needs to be connected to the fulfillment center, both digitally and physically.
- The digital aspect: We integrate your e-commerce system through an interface. All addresses provided by you are already validated.
- The physical aspect: You deliver your items, which we inspect and store. The initial setup typically takes a few days to a week.
Address Validation: Why the House Number is Crucial for the Fulfillment Process
The e-commerce system must be designed in a way that address information is already validated to the extent possible. This includes, among other things, ensuring that delivery addresses in Germany include a house number. This can usually be ensured with a simple note to customers.
Without a house number, delivery is not possible. Carriers like DHL immediately recognize the error of a missing house number and therefore do not even print a label. Other transportation companies may not perform this check and only notice the error during delivery. This means that delivery is not possible and a return occurs. This is particularly frustrating for international shipments. The package might clear customs without an issue due to the missing house number, only to be returned in the end. This results in a waste of valuable time and leaves the customer dissatisfied. All of this can be avoided through careful address validation.
How We Integrate Your E-commerce System for the Fulfillment Process
Depending on the e-commerce system, as a fulfillment service provider, we receive the API, passwords, or usernames. We then integrate the shop into our system. We enter the user data and have user interfaces to process the data.
Before processing orders at INTERMAIL, we initially retrieve all the products. This is done to request information that might not be included in the product data. Examples of such information include HS codes or prices that frequently change.
Next, we verify whether the physically received inventory matches the products listed in the shop. Once everything is set up, we input the inventory levels for each product in the system.
Important: We advise against letting your inventory run too low. For example, if there are only five units of a product left in stock, unexpected high order numbers can lead to delays in delivery. This situation can arise quickly, such as when you run ads that result in higher sales. Therefore, always plan for a safety margin in your inventory levels.
Fulfillment Process – These are the 3 Steps Your Shipments Go Through
Once your shop notifies us that an order has been received, the processing begins on our end:
1. An employee gathers the items for the current package based on the pick list
Each item included in the package is scanned once. Once all the items that are to be included in the package are scanned, the station prints the shipping label. This completes the packing process, and we're ready to ship the package. The employee places all the items inside the package, seals it, and attaches the label.
If all but one item is picked correctly and only one item is picked incorrectly, for example, the employee receives a notification on their monitor indicating which item is wrong. This ensures that all ordered items are included in the package.
2. The package goes through the sealing machine and onto the pallet
It is completely sealed and then placed on a carrier-specific pallet. When the pallets are full, they are wrapped and prepared for the carrier. Good to know: At INTERMAIL, we use adhesive tape with strong adhesion to seal all boxes. The advantage of this is that the package cannot be opened before reaching its recipient. With lightly adhering tape, it often happens that individual items are "removed" from the shipment along the way. This is very frustrating for all parties involved, and it is not traceable where this occurred. A strongly adhering tape prevents this.
3. Der jeweilige Carrier holt die Paletten ab
Für jeden Carrier stellen wir eigene Paletten zusammen, die dann abends zügig verladen werden können. Auch über den Tag hinweg kommen immer wieder verschiedene Carrier bei uns vorbei und holen die Sendungspaletten ab. Bei jedem Schritt bis zur Auslieferung geht eine Tracking-Info an Ihren Shop.
Die Vorbereitung zum Versand im Überblick:
- Wir erhalten vom Shopsystem die Pickliste des Auftrags.
- Alle Aufträge, die uns bis 14:00 Uhr erreichen, bearbeiten wir am selben Tag.
- Entsprechend der Pickliste sammeln wir die Artikel.
- Wir erstellen einen Lieferschein – auf Wunsch in Ihrem individuellen Branding.
- Um 16:00 Uhr machen wir noch einmal einen Check aller aktuellen Bestellungen, um eine Prognose für den nächsten Tag zu erhalten.
- Wir verpacken und palettieren die Sendung.
- Der Carrier holt die Paletten ab.
- Die Tracking-Info geht an den Shop – und an Ihren Kunden.
Returns or Claims? We're Happy to Handle Them for You
We also handle returns for our customers. The shipment is automatically returned to us. Customers can print the label themselves and take the package to the nearest carrier branch.
Tip: We can also include a return label with the shipment. However, experience has shown that this often leads to a higher return rate.
Returns from abroad are less common, unless buyers send the package back at their own expense. In the premium segment, free returns from Austria, Switzerland, or other countries are more common.
Sustainability and Organic Approach in Fulfillment with INTERMAIL
- INTERMAIL participates in the GoGreen® Program by Deutsche Post.
- We have a comprehensive waste recycling concept: We environmentally separate and recycle residual materials such as films, paper, wood, or other materials.
- We can also store your organic products: INTERMAIL is certified for handling organic products.
Conclusion: These 3 Benefits Await You with a Fulfillment Partner
The compelling reasons for a fulfillment partner:
- You benefit from our years of experience and our cost-effective bulk contract rates for international shipments.
- You'll have more available capacity for your core competencies – and even on Black Friday, you'll manage all shipments.
- You can give it a try easily, without committing to a lengthy contract. The setup is quick.
We're also happy to handle your returns management.
