10 Steps to a More Agile, Flexible Ecommerce Supply Chain

| Brian Barry

An agile ecommerce supply chain is focused on speed, cost savings, productivity and responsiveness and flexibility to market demands. Supply chain management (SCM) exists to improve a company’s long-term performance. Here are 10 steps to help you improve your ecommerce supply chain agility and performance.

Customer Centricity Isn’t Just About the Customer

| Dean Mansfield

As ecommerce grows and expectations rise, experts say we can achieve Amazon-level service if we practice customer centricity. Many take this to mean putting the customer at the center of your business and provide amazing service. But customer centricity isn’t all about the customer – it’s really about the customer record.

Practical Machine Learning: How Data Can Optimize Inventory Forecasting

| Rod Daugherty

While the terms “machine learning” and “artificial intelligence” are often used interchangeably, the main takeaway is that these advanced technologies offer better ways to solve complex planning problems. More organizations are recognizing their benefits to improve inventory forecasting accuracy and optimize stock replenishment.

To FBA or Not to FBA: 9 Tips to Help in the Decision Process

| Mike O'Brien

Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) remains very popular among Amazon sellers, with over 650,000 using it in the U.S., but it’s not the right solution for everyone. So how do you make that decision? Executives from Complemar, Motor City Distributing and Tech Armor discussed the pros and cons at this year’s Ecommerce Operations Summit.

Improving Your Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Operations

| Brian Barry

To determine if your ecommerce fulfillment center is running as efficiently as possible, start with an operations audit or assessment, taking into account quantitative and qualitative aspects of all processes and systems. Here are 11 ways to reduce costs, make your operations run smoother and improve the customer experience.

20 Critical Implementation Tasks When Moving to a 3PL

| Brian Barry

Some ecommerce companies have gained tremendous benefits from third-party fulfillment partners. But once you contract with a 3PL you must develop a well thought out plan, coordinating with your departments and the partner as well as merchandise vendors, carriers and IT. Here are 20 critical tasks to ensure a smooth transition.

How to Determine Your 3PL System Requirements

| Brian Barry

Critical systems functionality and efficient fulfillment are at the heart of a multichannel strategy, and merchants must meet compliance standards of marketplaces and big-box stores. Many 3PLs can bring this functionality and cost effectiveness to ecommerce sellers, manufacturers and brands. Here’s how to make it work for you.

20 Ways to a Better Inventory Count in Your Ecommerce Warehouse

| Brian Barry

Inventory is typically the largest balance sheet asset in most companies. Accurate inventory is required to not only deliver timely and stellar customer service but also calculate profitability correctly. These 20 steps will help make your physical inventory count more accurate, improving customer satisfaction and the bottom line.