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What is order fulfilment?
Order fulfilment is defined as the process of receiving, picking and packing, and delivering orders to customers. It sounds simple, but order fulfilment is about more than putting products in the post – it’s about creating a brilliant experience for your customers.
That’s where James and James Fulfilment comes in.
We provide order fulfilment services to retailers of all sizes. This enables you to outsource the order fulfilment process to the experts, and focus your time and energy on other things.
What are the steps in the order fulfilment process?
There are usually five key steps in the order fulfilment process:
- Goods in: you send your inventory to a warehouse or fulfilment centre
- Warehousing: your inventory is stored ready for orders to come in
- Pick and pack: the items in each order are collected and assembled in a parcel
- Shipping: the parcel is despatched to the customer via a courier
- Returns: products are returned to the fulfilment centre for processing.
At James and James, all of the steps are managed and optimised by our order fulfilment software, creating a seamless experience for you and your customers.
How does the order fulfilment process work?
1. Goods in
We create an account for you in our order fulfilment software, enabling you to integrate your store, set up your products, and send your inventory to one of our global fulfilment centres.
We receive your stock and check it carefully. We then add barcodes, photos, weights and dimensions for each item to the system. This lays the foundations for accurate, efficient fulfilment later.
2. Warehousing and storage
Next, we find a place for your stock in one of our fulfilment warehouses. We put small, fast-moving lines into pick storage, ready for speedy delivery, while larger items remain on pallets.
Thanks to the information we collect on each item as part of goods in, we can segregate and trace batches, and only charge you for the exact space your items take up.
You can monitor your stock, in real time, using our order fulfilment software.
3. Pick and pack
Pick and pack is the step in the order fulfilment process that has the biggest impact on customer experience. It ensures the correct items arrive on time and free from damage.
Through our expertise, processes and technology, we pick and pack with an industry-leading accuracy of 99.9%, updating you and your customers on each order in real time.
We also offer a range of recycled and recyclable packaging and void fill options as standard, ensuring each order is packed safely and securely.
4. Shipping
Once your orders are picked and packed, the next step is to despatch them to our global courier network.
We ensure that 98% of orders are despatched same day. Each one is automatically allocated to the most cost and time-effective shipping service, and your customers can track its progress in real time.
In short, we deliver the fast, affordable and trackable shipping that keeps customers coming back for more.
5. Returns management
92% of shoppers say that they’ll buy from a business again if the returns process is easy. As part of the order fulfilment process at James and James, our returns management service creates this simple experience.
We first eliminate returns that should never happen – due to incorrect or damaged items. We then make it easy for customers to initiate and track returns online.
Finally, we receive and process returns quickly, enabling you to refund customers and re-stock products fast.
What do other brands say about our order fulfilment process?
Dragons' Den entrepreneur Hanna Sillitoe values accuracy, value, intel and most importantly - security
After discovering her first outsourced fulfilment company were stealing her products and struggling to keep up with orders, Hanna made the switch and put her trust in James and James.
The staff welfare, security and pick/pack process at James and James is the best I’ve seen anywhere.
– Hanna Sillitoe, Founder, Hanna Sillitoe
Tina Davies Professional’s international expansion is a stroke of genius
Tina Davies Professional wanted to deliver their cosmetic products to artists in the UK and Europe which meant appointing a trusted UK-based fulfilment partner. James and James is now relied upon to run the European and UK part of the business.
James and James’s combination of dedicated support, online dashboard, and sophisticated tech-enabled fulfilment process was a clear winner.
– Luke Davies, Founder, Tina Davies Professional
James and James supports Nutravita’s brand diversification strategy
Established in 2014, with many more years of experience in health and wellbeing, Nutravita is continually updating its product ranges of supplements and vitamins, to help people live healthier lives.
By partnering with James and James, we’re able to spend less time packing and shipping orders, and have more time to focus on plans to grow our company.
– Arash Peyami, CEO/Founder, Nutravita
Bare Conductive builds a global brand and community
James and James has helped the Printed Electronics pioneers reach thousands of engineers, designers and developers, and get time back for design, marketing and sales.
James and James has been a crucial partner in growing our community, cutting our costs and putting our business at the forefront of Printed Electronics.
– Bibi Nelson, Co-founder, Bare Conductive
Cambridge Mask Co meets 2,500% increase in demand with James and James
The provider of military-grade face masks has been able to ship five-figure batches of masks rapidly, as COVID-19 created unprecedented demand from consumers and healthcare organisations.
James and James is an essential element in our ability to help the UK and international community respond to COVID-19.
– Christopher Dobbing, Founder and CEO, Cambridge Mask Co
Dope Ropes takes a leap of faith amidst pandemic chaos
The retro jump ropes brand turned to James and James, when demand for its home fitness products surged during the COVID-19 lockdown.
I have an edge over people who drop ship products, which can take ages to arrive, and I can also compete with the likes of Amazon on speed.
– Keon Ghaharian, Co-founder, Dope Ropes
“Freaky fast” delivery helps Frenchie Bulldog double European sales in two years
The US-based pet supply brand choose James and James to support its European launch, thanks to the advice of our friendly team. Two years on, its sales have doubled and it's built a loyal fanbase this side of the pond.
James and James has given us quite the reputation! It’s so satisfying to know that we have a strong team behind us as we continue to grow.
– Victoria Shanley, Global Distribution and Social Media Management, Frenchie Bulldog
Protein Empire saves money and grows faster
Protein Empire – an innovative sports nutrition brand – has reduced wastage, improved customer experience and grown 50% month-on-month since working with us.
James and James Fulfilment provides everything required to run a growing eCommerce business successfully.
– William Evans, Managing Director, Protein Empire
Supplement store sees growth thanks to James and James Fulfilment
for the Ageless is a food supplement store, specialising in groundbreaking herbal and multivitamin formulas, aimed at “people who see ‘complete wellbeing’ as the new ‘beautiful'”.
We chose James and James for their ethical and organic standards, and slick software system and processes.
– Daniel, Director, for the Ageless