Drop shipping
Flexible assortment expansion in up to 24h feasible
The cost of storing goods is a key success factor for retailers: Making a wide range of goods available to customers at all times can be expensive. Instead of storing large, bulky items, seasonal products or goods with low sales volumes, retailers are now able to work with third party suppliers, known as drop shippers: In this scenario the manufacturer of the product that has been ordered, acting as a drop shipper, delivers it directly to the customer. This enables retailers to expand their range of goods, while reducing their internal efforts, lowering storage and delivery costs, and minimizing capital outlay.
The Simple Approach to Staying Connected with the Drop Shipper
Drop shipping is a particular challenge in Omni-channel sales: orders need to be taken across all analogue and digital channels, including the online shop, apps, direct marketing, catalogues, stores, market places and so on. All orders need to be synchronized and processed in the same way. The drop shipper module of an Order Management System can help with this challenge:
Web based
Once they have created an account and imported their product catalogue, the drop shipper uses a browser to access the retailer’s system. This simplicity means that it is perfectly possible to integrate a new drop shipper in under a day. Manual web-based access is ideal for suppliers with a light to medium order load, and who do not want to integrate their IT systems with those of the retailer.
Integrated
With larger volumes of orders a direct integration between the retailer’s Order Management System and the drop shipper’s IT systems is recommended: using a range of interface technologies, it is simple to integrate an OMS into the drop shipper’s system environment so that orders can be transmitted directly.
Staying in Control of All Processes
Once the retailer has created drop shipping partners within his Order Management System, all following processes are fully automated: when an order is placed, the OMS knows which products the retailer will supply and which should come from the drop shipper. Without the customer needing to know, the Order Management System divides the orders into separate deliveries, taking account of all order channels. Thanks to this complete process integration, retailers do not need to worry about losing control of the fulfillment process – quite the opposite in fact:
Up to the minute
So as to avoid supplier bottlenecks, drop shippers can keep their system fully updated on the availability of each individual product.
Corporate design compliant
The Order Management System creates all the relevant documents for the drop shipper to supply the goods, including invoices, delivery notes, return stickers – all using the retailer’s corporate design.
Secure
The retailer can control and manage all processes within an Order Management System so keeping full control at all times.
Reliable
As part of the process definition and layout phase, the retailer defines customer communication policies. The OMS then keeps customers automatically informed on the status, progress and delivery of their order.
Professional
The drop shipper accepts returns directly in the OMS and processes them from there, including sending the return label and automated customer communications.
Benefits for You, the Retailer
Your Contacts for Drop shipping