Order Fulfillment: 5 Tips For Successful Outsourcing (Tip 4)

The fourth tip for successful outsourcing is to never skimp on safety or security.

Order Fulfillment

This article is the fourth in our 5-part series on successful outsourcing. Up till now, we’ve concentrated on tips for finding an order fulfillment partner that can (and will) please your customers. That is critical. But your company has certain business needs that are equally critical. We’re talking about security – of your products, proprietary company data, and your customers’ personal information.

Mistakes in any of these areas can cost your company dearly, in financial losses and brand damage.

Tip #4: Never skimp on safety or security

In order to fulfill your customers’ orders efficiently, your outsourcing partner must maintain a warehouse with adequate inventory of your products. Few things are as annoying to customers as out-of-stocks and back-orders. But every retailer worries about shrinkage, and sadly this can occur at the hands of employees or outside thieves.

In some industries, product safety transcends protection from theft. If you manufacture health and/or beauty products, packaged foods, dietary supplements, or certain types of medical supplies, your inventory is date- and climate-sensitive.

You can’t sell inventory that has mysteriously disappeared. Or products that have expired.

At USA Fulfillment, we get it.

Our company is 100% employee-owned. We all understand that anything that goes wrong negatively affects each of us. So we’re highly invested in every aspect of safety and security:

• Our facilities are fully secured. They are protected by live-monitored, 24/7 video surveillance.
• We use a keycard access system.
• We offer Food Grade, FDA-registered warehouse facilities for those clients who require uncompromising control over their product’s condition and efficacy.
• Our operation is Level 1 PCI compliant, to protect customer transactions and information.
• Our technology systems are not only secure but redundant. They’re backed by a formal disaster recovery plan.
• And we’re ISO 9001:2008 certified. That tells you we’re committed to continuous improvement.

The fact is, few order fulfillment companies can make these statements. So as you’re assessing your company’s needs and expectations, make sure you ask prospective outsourcing partners about their ability to keep your products and data safe and secure – in every way. You can learn more vital questions to ask, by downloading our free e-book that explains how to choose the right fulfillment house for your company.

In our final installment in this series, we’ll consider how successful outsourcing affects your brand.