What is Omnichannel Fulfillment?
Omnichannel fulfillment is the ability to fulfill orders across multiple channels, whether that’s eCommerce orders or brick-and-mortar purchases. It ensures that a company’s orders are seamlessly accepted, shipped, and delivered to customers in the method they want and at the location they prefer.
Products can be stored and shipped from a retail location, warehouse or fulfillment center, direct from the manufacturer, or the entire order fulfillment process can be managed by a third-party logistics provider (3PL). Orders can also be picked from or sent to a retail location where customers can pick-up at their convenience.
How is the Rise of Omnichannel Fulfillment Impacting the Supply Chain?
Customers’ expectations have been changing drastically over the past 3 to 5 years as Amazon has set the stage for how we shop, but the COVID-19 pandemic has only added fuel to the fire. For retailers supporting omnichannel fulfillment models, “supply chain disruption” is an understatement. There is now increased demand for lightning-quick shipping/delivery/pick-up. However, with the right solutions, retailers operating eCommerce and brick-and-mortar stores can work efficiently to process, store, pick, pack, and deliver products to customers while minimizing disruptions across each stage of the supply chain.
What Challenges Does the Rapid Growth of Omnichannel Fulfillment Present for Businesses?
The rapid growth of ominichannel fulfillment has presented a myriad of challenges for businesses. This is especially so for those who are just beginning to adopt omnichannel fulfillment strategies.
Top challenges in omnichannel fulfillment:
- Orders need to be filled quickly and accurately from multiple stores or websites
- Creative solutions for increasing profitability are needed with thin margins
- Maximizing space for a high number of stock keeping units (SKUs)
- Maximizing storage density and accessibility of SKUs
- Implementing First In, First Out (FIFO) stock rotation
- Meeting customer expectations due to lack of organization
- Struggles with reverse logistics, impacting customer satisfaction and loyalty
How Businesses Can Address the Top Challenges
Businesses can implement dynamic storage solutions to address the challenges faced today with omnichannel fulfillment. UNEX dynamic storage solutions can help those looking for creative ways to increase space utilization and boost efficiency.
If you have static industrial shelving or pallet racks in your warehouse or retail backroom, you have everything you need to transform your operation with dynamic storage solutions that will increase space utilization and store more SKUs in the same — or less — space.
By maximizing space with dynamic storage solutions, a company will:
- Speed up order fulfillment by reducing travel times for order pickers.
- Increase SKU visibility and better organize inventory, reducing search time when picking orders.
- Increase order accuracy, which will increase customer satisfaction.
- Help better manage reverse logistics when processing returns.
Leverage UNEX Solutions for Omnichannel Fulfillment
Every warehouse needs a healthy mix of storage solutions that fit the needs of each type of SKU stored. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to SKU storage.
The best way to solve omnichannel fulfillment challenges with dynamic storage is to examine SKUs and develop a slotting system that allows each SKU to be stored in its optimal position. SKUs should always be slotted according to their throughput.
Dynamic Storage Solutions for Every Type of SKU
SpeedCell — High-Density Storage
SpeedCell is a high-density storage solution that is ideal for slow to medium-moving SKUs. It can compress 200 feet of rack or shelving into 40 feet of highly organized space. With more pick facings and greater SKU density, SpeedCell helps condense multiple bays into a single bay, allowing a company to reclaim much-needed space in a warehouse or retail backroom, reduce search and travel times for workers, and increase picks and restocking.
Benefits
- SpeedCell increases storage density by 40-60%
- Reduces labor costs up to 40%
- Transforms space into useable storage
- Adds more SKUs in less space
- Creates a highly efficient and accurate picking process
SpanTrack — Carton Flow
SpanTrack’s dedicated roller lanes and universal wheel beds are the perfect fit for medium to fast-moving SKUs. SpanTrack offers efficient, durable, and dependable carton flow rollers that drop into existing structures. It increases throughput and space utilization, and also creates ideal FIFO stock rotation. SpanTrack eliminates hang-ups with 300% more product contact than plastic wheel rails. It increases throughput and space utilization, and also creates ideal FIFO stock rotation.
Benefits
- Add to any new or existing pallet rack; no shelves or intermediate support required
- Store products with a wide variation in size and weight
- Depend on a strong and sturdy solution for even the most active warehouses and assembly plants
- Eliminate hang-ups with 300% more product contact than plastic wheel rails
Pallet Track — Pallet Flow
This pallet flow solution creates a dynamic system ideal for your fastest-moving SKUs. The durable Pallet Track rollers or wheel rails optimize flow, increase efficiency and storage density, and can be customized to fit an operation’s unique needs.
Benefits
- Select from a variety of track lengths and mounting options to fit an operation’s needs
- Create an ideal FIFO storage system
- Increase storage density
- Reduce fork truck operations
- Reduce labor costs
- Reduce damage to inventory
- No energy consumption required
- Establish a safer environment for workers
Dynamic storage solutions help with a variety of order completions, allowing more retailers to dive into the growing needs of their customers with omnichannel fulfillment.
