Operational burdens for omnichannel and e-commerce fulfilment are greatly streamlined by a warehouse management system (WMS) at free trade warehousing zone with integrated e-commerce 3PL connections. E-commerce 3PL suppliers are facing more and more pressure to keep up with the growing demand as online shopping continues to surpass traditional retail locations. Technology integrations are now a crucial component of company plans in order to keep up with the rapid advancements in supply chain and logistics.

Because e-commerce fulfilment is different from traditional B2B fulfilment, you need to set up the 3PL interfaces appropriately. The greater order volume, unique picking and packing requirements, increased rate of returns, e-commerce platform and marketplace connectors, customer communication, and varied delivery choices are all taken into consideration in the design of e-commerce 3PL integrations.

We’ll look at the different 3PL integrations in this article that no e-commerce 3PL can operate without.

1. E-commerce Store Builders Integration

The information flow between the two systems is substantially streamlined by an e-commerce 3PL WMS connection with store builders.

Syncing Orders in Real Time with Customizations and Customer Details

Orders are immediately and instantaneously loaded into the WMS through integration with e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce, Shopify, etc., which minimises human data entry and speeds up order processing. In the event that clients provide specific instructions about order modifications or packing, the 3PL connection transmits all pertinent data to facilitate expedited and more precise fulfilment.

Moreover, effective order routing, delivery, and customer communication are made possible by real-time synchronisation of client data.

Syncing and Allocating Inventory to the Sales Channel

A synchronised system created by e-commerce 3PL interfaces gives 3PL providers an accurate, real-time picture of inventory levels across several sales channels. This helps to maintain ideal stock levels, avoid overselling, and facilitate efficient inventory management.

You may increase sales possibilities and decrease out-of-stock circumstances by dynamically allocating inventory to various sales channels based on specified criteria or strategies through e-commerce 3PL connection.

Creating and Syncing Product Kits and Bundles

Accurate inventory levels at free trade warehousing zone might be difficult to maintain for manual paper-based operations when selling goods bundles and kits. You may immediately manage and monitor product kits and bundles for 3PL clients on the e-commerce platform with a fully integrated 3PL WMS at free trade warehousing zone. This implies that it is capable of precisely managing the inventory levels of the entire kit or bundle as well as individual pieces. It facilitates more adaptable sales tactics, improves inventory count accuracy, and streamlines the process of selling many things at once.

Product Information Management

Massive order quantities are processed via e-commerce systems, which necessitate constant revisions to product details, availability, and catalogues. Between the e-commerce platform and the WMS, an e-commerce 3PL interface may automatically update product information, including SKU data, product descriptions, weight, measurements, and more. Multiple 3PL clients may track inventory and stock more easily with the help of an automated system.

This guarantees that product data is consistent amongst all systems, which boosts accuracy, improves customer satisfaction, and makes 3PL warehouse activities (such as pick and pack procedures) more efficient.

Catalog Management

The complete product catalogue may be synchronised from the e-commerce platform to the WMS using e-commerce 3PL interfaces. It’s an easy-to-use yet sophisticated way to keep track of every product being sold on all e-commerce platforms in one place.

Even if your 3PL clients are selling items on marketplaces, it streamlines the process of adding or deleting products, updating product descriptions, and managing product categories.

Syncing E-Commerce Shipping Status and Estimated Delivery Date

To today’s e-commerce clients, order fulfilment time and predicted delivery dates are critical. In a Statista poll, 41% of worldwide consumers stated they wanted their orders delivered in less than a day. Real-time information, expected delivery dates, and expanded insight into the e-commerce fulfilment process are what the majority of 3PL clients want.

Order shipment status and expected delivery date updates may be automatically sent to 3PL clients via an e-commerce 3PL WMS interface. Customers may now track their purchases and use self-service features like rescheduling and requesting redelivery, which significantly improves the customer experience. Moreover, it lessens the number of customer care inquiries on order status, increasing operational effectiveness.

Efficient administration of several e-commerce 3PL clients at free trade warehousing zone need constant access to and management of product and inventory data. An easy mistake can result in cost overruns, refunds, and cancelled orders. A smooth information flow between the systems is made possible by integrating a 3PL WMS with an e-commerce shop builder, which improves the effectiveness of 3PL warehouse operations and the order fulfilment procedure. Keeping consumers updated on the status of their orders and the anticipated date of delivery is essential to providing a better customer experience.

2. Marketplace Integration with E-commerce 3PL Provider

Each of the largest online retailers, including Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba, has its own policies for shipping, labelling, and packaging. Penalties or possibly suspension may result from breaking these rules. Here’s how e-commerce 3PL procedures at free trade warehousing zone can be streamlined by a marketplace integration:

Product Information Management

The WMS may immediately get product data (such as SKU, product name, price, weight, and dimensions) from the marketplace with the help of the e-commerce 3PL interface. This is crucial for controlling the warehouse’s picking, packing, and shipping procedures. In order to avoid overselling, it can promote items below a specific threshold as “out of stock” or “limited quantity” and force real-time inventory levels back into the market.

Centralized Order Management

Order details, such as client and product details and delivery instructions, may be automatically retrieved by the 3PL WMS from the marketplace after an order has been made. This involves making any necessary updates to the product catalogues on the marketplace in light of current orders. To synchronise the changes across several markets, you may also upload new goods or delete old ones straight into the WMS.

Packing Requirements‍

Marketplaces frequently impose stringent regulations on the kind of packing material, package dimensions, and package weight. Some additionally demand unique packaging for particular product categories. To guarantee that every order is packaged in accordance with the relevant marketplace requirements, an integrated WMS may hold these marketplace-specific packing rules. This lowers the possibility of damage occurring during shipment and avoids non-compliance concerns, increasing customer satisfaction and decreasing returns.

Labeling Requirements‍

E-commerce platforms have certain guidelines on warehouse labelling procedures, such as what information must be disclosed and how labels should be positioned, sized, and formatted. For instance, in order to manage inventory, Amazon needs certain FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) labels. Every product may be accurately recognised and tracked with the help of a 3PL WMS with marketplace connectivity, which can automatically print labels based on the regulations of each marketplace.

E-commerce Shipping Requirements‍

Certain delivery methods or preferred carriers may be used by e-commerce marketplaces. They could also have guidelines for paperwork and shipping tracking. An integrated WMS can choose preferred carriers automatically, match shipping methods to market rules, and guarantee that tracking data is correctly returned to the marketplace.

Real-time Updates and Communication‍

By integrating your 3PL WMS at free trade warehousing zone with e-commerce platforms, you can offer real-time updates on tracking data, order progress, and inventory levels. From a single dashboard, you can manage buffer stock, sync inventory, and synchronise product identities and barcodes between the 3PL WMS and the seller central. Maintaining seller ratings on marketplaces, avoiding overselling, and guaranteeing that buyers are always informed about the status of their orders are all made possible by this openness.

Return Management‍

Specific rules apply to refunds and returns on marketplaces. According to projections from the National Retail Federation (NRF), 16.6% of all US retail purchases in 2021 were returned. A better overall customer experience may be achieved by using an integrated WMS to monitor and handle returns in accordance with marketplace regulations, immediately update inventory levels upon return, start QC procedures, and guarantee prompt reimbursements or swaps. The effectiveness and compliance of the fulfilment process may be significantly improved by integrating a 3PL WMS with e-commerce platforms, which in turn helps preserve a seller’s good reputation on the marketplaces.

Next Steps

E-commerce third-party logistics (3PL) connections at free trade warehousing zone like OSV facilitate seamless communication and information sharing between various platforms, hence streamlining the administration of 3PL clients. The WMS platform is the foundation of integration and has to be able to manage the various demands of several 3PL clients. It is now more important than ever for 3PL providers to assess their supply chains and logistical requirements in order to create a thorough system that can handle every step of the e-commerce fulfilment process.