There is no denying the fact that the pandemic has caused havoc in our lives. While some countries have recovered from the outbreak, others like India are still reeling under the devastating impact. Most states went through a rigorous lockdown- restricting a majority of economic activities. As the economy strives to return to normalcy, we observe an accelerated pace of technology adoption in eCommerce and logistics, where a 3PL, Shyplite (go to website) is helping online sellers streamline their order fulfillment and boost sales.
A majority of customers have switched to online options and prefer making purchases from the convenience of their homes. The eCommerce industry is expected to experience a global jump to $26.7 trillion. For sellers, this means more significant sales, the opportunity for better profits, and a superior market reputation. To meet these demands spurred by the pandemic, sellers are looking forward to technology platforms that help meet the requirements of order fulfillment with cost and delivery efficiency.
As traditional logistics players fulfill eCommerce orders, sellers are looking for more comprehensive platforms that help them with more than just one aspect: shipping. While several 3PL platforms are emerging in these times to offer many logistics and fulfillment services to eCommerce players, Shyplite stands distinguished with its growth-focused offerings. The logistics platform provides a unified dashboard where sellers can effortlessly manage their orders and move forward with their order fulfillment.
Logistics support can help shape an eCommerce business, which is why with Shyplite’s technological robustness, sellers have the upper hand in delivering orders and thinking about growth. Even though the market opportunities seem favorable, not many businesses can capitalise on them. Research indicates that eCommerce enterprises performed far lower in the indicator of digital inclusion than other digital industries like telecommunication and hardware. While several factors contribute to this underperformance, one of the main is the lack of technological support in carrying out their order fulfillment operations.
Similarly, market competition has increased by several folds than it was a decade ago. Today customers have many options for purchasing a single product, and it is only evident that they will choose the one with the most satisfactory experience. In other words, the age of your business has lost its relevance in the competition. Whether you’ve set up a business yesterday or a year back, you need to compete with an Amazon-like experience.
For small and medium enterprises with a limited amount of resources and investment by their side, all this might seem quite intimidating. That’s where the role of 3PLs comes into the picture.
“Shyplite has time and again handheld sellers shipping 50-100 orders a month to scale up to over 5,000 shipments a month by simply automating their logistics burden. Our product & technology provide the right shipping support with a seamless operational layer any growing shipper needs.“, says Parinay Itkan – Co-founder & COO, Shyplite.
Wider Delivery Fleet
As the pandemic motivated the average customer to go digital, customers even in rural areas are reported making purchases through eCommerce platforms. For a small business, catering to the far-off regions from their warehouse can seem challenging. Even if they partner with the best possible individual courier company, there is no way to ensure that they have an equally efficient delivery fleet in all such extended regions. The only solution is to leverage multiple courier partners on a single platform. This is where eCommerce sellers can exceptionally benefit from the option of shipping to 26000+ pin codes with 30+ courier partners, provided under Shyplite’s platform.
Building a Plan for Crisis Management
If there’s one thing that the pandemic has taught us, it is the value of being prepared. Sellers more than ever need to stay prepared for upcoming trends and demands for their stocks. The nearing lockdown and an effort to go back has become routine, which is why it is imperative to understand the demand and stock up supplies before it. In these times, there is also a need for better order and inventory management, along with a pay-as-you-go partner.
Sellers might have a surplus of orders at one point, requiring rapid allocation of the best and fastest courier partners, keeping the shipping costs in mind. At the same time, when the orders are scarce, online retailers must not have to incur any logistics expenses. Catering to the seller’s need as an on-demand eCommerce logistics partner, Shyplite aims to help with capitalizing market opportunities as and when they arrive.
Faster Deliveries
A secret of making more sales is fulfilling the orders faster. Especially in times of the pandemic, customers need products such as essentials delivered to their doorsteps at a much faster rate. Therefore, sellers commonly face two challenges: the support of a fast and efficient courier partner and faster order preparation strategies. The unified dashboard of Shyplite provides a solution to both of these issues. Sellers who are selling on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Shopify, Opencart, etc., can easily integrate their sales channel with their logistics platform. Additionally, they can leverage the fast courier partners while keeping track of their orders seamlessly.
Superior Post-Purchase Experience
One of the highlights of the sales made during the pandemic was customer experience. Online buyers are looking forward to safe and convenient delivery options. They might be looking for order deliveries at a specific time, along with facilities such as no-contact delivery. While these were additional options earlier, they have turned into the bare minimum in present times.
Therefore, not only do sellers need a courier partner that can handle the parcels with the utmost care, but they also keep all precautions related to safety and sanitation in check. It also includes sending customer notifications at appropriate stages of the order. Shyplite, as a 3PL, helps sellers in these challenging times connect with their customers and drive maximum satisfaction. This can be achieved by sellers using customised labels, packaging, custom tracking page, and free SMS/email notifications.
Leveraging Tech for Crisis
To live up to the customers’ high expectations and engage in a competitive market, sellers need a solid technological backup for order fulfillment. Shyplite’s AI-backed intelligent courier allocation system serves as a leading example in logistics. It solves the seller’s most troublesome issue- selecting the right courier partner for every order. The tool lets sellers find the best-suited courier for their order by evaluating several parameters such as delivery cost, pin code coverage, positive delivery rate, etc.
Conclusion
eCommerce shipping and fulfillment can power budding online retailers and help them grow their reputation in the market. While the business idea might be a great one, it needs a powerful logistics backup to delight the customers. Instead of tying themselves with endless cost negotiations with the courier and juggling between different selling and shipping platforms, sellers must choose an intelligent and responsible logistics platform like Shyplite. Therefore, the sellers must optimise their time and costs with a 3PL integration for growth strategies and advancement of the business plan.
