Problem
Our client is one of the largest online nutraceutical retailers in the USA, with warehouses at multiple locations in the country and offering global shipping services.
Lister, which provides end-to-end e-commerce services for this client, was contracted to consult and improve the warehouse management system for this client. They faced the following issues
- Inventory write-offs occurred due to the usage of LIFO (Last-In-First-Out) product stacking instead of FIFO (First-In-First-Out).
- There was a mismatch between electronic and physical inventory, leading to missed opportunities for sale on the website.
- Global shipping had its challenges. For instance, missed and destroyed packages lead to high costs for local logistics.
- Customers were receiving multiple packages for the same order. This ended up leading to wastage in packaging, higher shipping cost, and customer frustration.
Approach
Lister approached the above-stated problem by implementing several solutions for our client on their WMS system. We added the following steps to the scanning, shipping, and inventory management processes.
Validation
Lister Implemented validations on lot no. And manufacturing date during inbound and outbound scans. Capturing this information helps stack the products efficiently.
Inventory management Improvements
We implemented on-demand inventory verification to avoid a mismatch between physical and online inventory. We also built a solution for a near-real-time update of inventory quantities between warehouses synced to the e-commerce (what?)
Shipping Improvements
We implemented location-based shipping utilising a global shipment vendor for shipping packages to Canada and China. This led to reducing shipping costs and better package handling.
Improved Packaging
Lister implemented algorithms for e-commerce and fulfilment to determine package dimensions for an order based on the product size and weight. This improved shipping efficiency.
Outcome
- $40k/month saved by avoiding inventory write-off
- 30% saving on packaging and delivery costs
- Fulfillment Rate increased by 20%