The Pandemic, the E-Fulfillment Workforce and System Needs

| Mike O'Brien

One impact of the continuing COVID-19 crisis is omnichannel fulfillment operations need to do more with less to comply with safety protocols and restrictions. This special report explores different factors behind system decisions in light of the pandemic, with a particular focus on workforce limitations and unpredictable demand.

Take Our Survey on the State of Ecommerce Fulfillment Operations

| Mike O'Brien

To keep you informed about major changes taking place in the industry, Multichannel Merchant is conducting research into how ecommerce fulfillment operations are managing through this time and looking to improve their performance – but we need your help. Take our brief survey and we will share the results in a subsequent report.

Kendra Scott’s Fast Rollout of New Omnichannel Tactics Amid COVID-19

| Mike O'Brien

A decision by the leadership team at jewelry retailer Kendra Scott to invest in an order management system ahead of last year’s peak season was a critical element enabling the company to quickly turn its fleet of stores into fulfillment centers and initiate curbside pickup, after shutting them down to the public due to COVID-19.

Bezos Says Amazon May Test All Employees for COVID-19 Infection

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos addressed the company’s response to and operations during the coronavirus outbreak, saying they’re doing all they can to keep workers safe amid reports of growing positive tests, a worker death and walkouts. Bezos also discussed possible company-wide COVID-19 testing, a process that is taking top priority.

Handling Your Ecommerce Operations During the Coronavirus Pandemic

| Brian Barry

Many ecommerce companies are trying to stay open while keeping their employees and customers safe through the coronavirus pandemic. Others have temporarily shut down and are thinking about how and when they can reopen. Here are some things to keep in mind based on our consulting work with retail and wholesale companies.

supply chain illustration road

The Retail Supply Chain Reset After Coronavirus: Three Expert Views

| Mike O'Brien

While much is unknown about the long-term impact of coronavirus, retail supply chains will certainly look different once the crisis is past, industry observers agree. Multichannel Merchant spoke with experts from enVista, Le Tote and Johnson Stevens to get their views on the current situation and where things are headed.

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A 12-Step Process for an Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Assessment

| Brian Barry

Considering all the challenges facing today’s ecommerce fulfillment center operations, how should you go about conducting an assessment, and what are the objectives? Here are 12 key aspects of a complete ecommerce fulfillment center assessment that will help make your operations more productive and efficient.

9 Tips to Manage Ecommerce Fulfillment Labor More Effectively

| Brian Barry

Overall productivity in ecommerce fulfillment centers has remained flat over the years for many companies, and hourly wages continue to rise. After factoring in that cost, productivity in terms of labor dollars has declined. To help you become more efficient, here are 10 ways to improve your productivity levels.

Calculating Your True Ecommerce Fulfillment Cost Per Order

| Brian Barry

Ecommerce fulfillment cost per order (CPO) is the sum of all the warehousing expenses involved in receiving, put away and storage of product, picking, packing and shipping and reverse logistics or returns processing from customers. But do you know your fully loaded CPO? This calculation process will help you generate a true number.

7 Steps to Analyze Your Peak Holiday Season Ecommerce Operations

| Brian Barry

Many ecommerce businesses realize 60% to 70% of their profits in the fourth quarter. For multichannel businesses and wholesalers, their peak season starts months earlier to supply retail and ecommerce. Take the time now to analyze your fulfillment successes and failures and develop an improvement plan for this Q4 using these 7 steps.