When it comes to online sales and distribution channels, shipping cases and pallets of products to retailers isn’t the only option for brands. While in-store retail and drop shipping still exist, vendors are increasingly selling direct to consumer via eCommerce, cutting out the retail middleman and seeing greater profits. But the giant upswing in eCommerce has generated new challenges as brands acclimate to the shift, from decreased operational efficiency to unoptimized item data. So, how can you optimize your business process with an expanded focus on eCommerce? Increase sales by expanding eC ..read more

Orders come into a supplier’s business through a variety of wholesale, distributor, and direct-to-consumer sales channels, including: Wholesale and distribution channels like Target, Walmart, Costco, etc. eCommerce platforms such as BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Shopify Marketplaces like Amazon Marketplace , Etsy, eBay, Target Plus, etc. Suppliers don’t want to miss a single order, but it takes time to continually check all these sources. And we all know that suppliers don’t have extra time these days! At SPS Commerce, we spend a lot of time listening to the suppliers who use our Fulfillment ..read more

SPS Commerce has recently partnered with RF-SMART to bring our joint customers more efficiency when they process their orders through NetSuite. We talked with Kevin Gaul, product manager at RF-SMART, and our own Siobhan Finders, senior product manager at SPS to learn more. SPS: First off—Kevin, can you tell us more about RF-SMART? Who are you, what do you do and how do you do it? Gaul: Sure thing! For more than 40 years, RF-SMART has been a leading supply chain software and hardware provider, offering tools from Warehouse Management System (WMS) and shipping software, to label printing and aut ..read more

In the fast-paced world of eCommerce, efficient processes and workflows are essential for success. One critical aspect of online business that often poses a significant challenge is EDI order processing. Every trading partner presents unique specifications, and accurately meeting these requirements can be a time-consuming task, especially when managed through manual processes. In some cases, these challenges can even limit a distributor’s ability to expand its customer base. Difficulties in scaling eCommerce Inventory management: One of the primary difficulties in scaling an eCommerce business ..read more

At first glance, shipping seems like a straightforward process. Pick the right product from your inventory, pack it securely, book a shipment with a carrier, label the package and send it to the customer. But there’s much more to shipping than meets the eye. Shipping involves complex steps and requirements that vary depending on the type and size of your business, the products you sell, the markets you serve and the retailers you work with. Whether you’re a small business shipping from a storage facility or a large corporation shipping products out of a warehouse that rivals Amazon, you’re lik ..read more

Retailers and distributors are looking for real-time updates on the status of their orders. Why? They want to: Maximize open-to-buy budgets Remove the need to carry safety stock Improve order and supply chain visibility Manage inventory without compromising customer satisfaction  If buying organizations have confidence that orders are filled and are on the way as promised, they have the order visibility and supply chain insights needed. Order visibility requires several documents shared between vendors and retailers, often via EDI, but none is more important than the advance ship notice ..read more

Meeting customers’ expectations for fast and flawless order fulfillment isn’t easy, especially when managing drop-ship orders.  As part of SPS Commerce Fulfillment, a full-service EDI solution, Carrier Service can help businesses satisfy retail or e-commerce customers while saving time and money on shipping. Learn how Carrier Service can save you time on data entry and money on shipping costs Cut shipping costs with EDI for FedEx, UPS, USPS and other carriers Shopping for the best shipping rates can be time-consuming, especially when shipping high volumes of individual packages. With new ..read more

Consumers have more choices than ever, with an enormous number of channels to shop from and an endless stream of products. With so much choice and flexibility, how do you stay relevant and profitable? According to the 2022 MHI Annual Report, a survey of over 1,000 supply chain and manufacturing leaders, many companies (around 74% of respondents) will be investing in inventory and network optimization tools over the next year. Businesses will also direct their funds toward cloud computing and storage, sensors and automatic identification, and predictive and prescriptive analytics. At least 66 ..read more

Inventory is the lifeblood of any retail business. Having accurate inventory data helps you fulfill orders correctly, minimize delivery delays and reduce chargebacks. Plus, you’ll know when you need to ramp up production so you can be ready for new orders. Communicating with your retail partners about what you have in inventory is essential for maintaining trust. But keeping your trading partners updated isn’t always easy. Here are four challenges we often hear from suppliers about sharing inventory data with their customers. Making frequent updates Many retailers require weekly updates of inv ..read more

Explore your options  Every business experiences growing pains. It’s vital for businesses to look inward and examine current processes and systems as they scale. What needs to change to sustain growth?   Part of that examination should include a review of current warehousing and fulfillment strategies. As your order volume shifts or increases, you may need to pivot to accommodate the changes. For some, utilizing a micro fulfillment center could be a beneficial solution.  What is a micro fulfillment center?  Micro fulfillment centers (or MFCs) are small-scale storage fa ..read more