Logistics Viewpoints

JANUARY 26, 2021

The rise of ecommerce. The definition of agility and resilience will continue to evolve. The creation of a new digital ecosystem has enabled these and other changes that will shape the definition of supply chain agility and resilience in the 2020s and beyond. A Positive Example. Natural disasters. Geopolitical events.

Supply Chain Software 171

Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Software Definition Supply Chains 171

Ship Monk

JULY 1, 2021

The eCommerce boom is upon us. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a logistics and eCommerce expert. Is eCommerce a highly competitive field? By far, this is one of the biggest misconceptions about eCommerce, and one of the number one mistakes made by novice business owners.

eCommerce 98

eCommerce Price Reduction Cost Reduction Purchasing Skills 98

Ship Monk

DECEMBER 6, 2023

Ecommerce brands looking to stand out amongst competitors and enhance customer satisfaction need to keep this in mind so their orders foster unforgettable unboxing experiences. Stay True to Your Branding Branding is one of the key factors that differentiates ecommerce companies within the same market. How are you unique?

eCommerce 63

eCommerce Tips Packaging Procurement Solutions 63

Ship Monk

JULY 11, 2022

As the hero of your business journey, every eCommerce entrepreneur also needs their own amazing method of transportation that they can count on to get their goods to customers. That being said, it is definitely helpful to understand the benefits each shipping carrier brings to the table. Think – books, clothing, stuffed animals.

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Logistics Network Optimization Software Purchasing Skills Supply Chain Design Software 52

Ship Monk

OCTOBER 17, 2022

3PL —a simple abbreviation for one of the most complex, integrated, helpful entities operating in the eCommerce landscape. 3PL stands for third-party logistics, and at a glance a 3PL partner provides eCommerce brands with solutions to their fulfillment needs. 3PL vs. 1PL, 2PL, 4PL, and 5PL. Don’t worry; you can change later on.

eCommerce 109

eCommerce 3PL Logistics Network Optimization Software Supply Chain Design Software 109

Ship Monk

JANUARY 27, 2021

Although it might be easy to pin these closures solely on the eCommerce piñata, there are other factors that contribute to a store’s decision to shut down, namely: Events outside of our control , such as the economic effects of a global pandemic The shift from a service to an experience-based economy A shrinking middle class Poor management.

eCommerce 98

eCommerce Picking Material Savings Production 98

Ship Monk

JULY 7, 2022

As online shoppers, we see examples of minimum order quantity everywhere. This article will define minimum order quantity, show you some examples, and help you decide if it’s the right strategy for the type of items you sell online. Minimum Order Quantity Definition. It’s that pop-up in your shopping cart that says, “Add $17.96

Purchasing Skills 98

Purchasing Skills eCommerce Ordering Negotiating Skills 98

Ship Monk

APRIL 28, 2021

Starting an eCommerce business is certainly no small feat, and it takes a special kind of tenacity and follow-through to find long-lasting success in such a competitive — but exciting! In practice, this could mean, for example, slowly but steadily growing your inventory instead of adding lots of items all at once. Embrace Change.

eCommerce 72

eCommerce Inventory Reduction Definition After-sales 72

Ship Monk

JULY 9, 2021

We’re talking, of course, about eCommerce packaging. Cardboard boxes, for example, are an ubiquitous shipping staple, and for good reason! The definition for “oversized” varies by carrier. The post Your Guide to eCommerce Packaging appeared first on ShipMonk | Fulfillment Center | Order Fulfillment Services. Let’s begin!

Packaging 98

Packaging eCommerce Packing Production 98

Ship Monk

MARCH 14, 2023

If that’s you and you’re an ecommerce business owner, keep reading for eco-friendly packaging options your company could invest in this year to save money and help preserve the planet. Example: a bicycle is more eco-friendly than a sedan, but a sedan is more eco-friendly than a Hummer. What is Eco-Friendly Packaging?

Material Savings 52

Material Savings eCommerce Packaging Ordering 52

Ship Monk

MARCH 14, 2023

If that’s you and you’re an ecommerce business owner, keep reading for eco-friendly packaging options your company could invest in this year to save money and help preserve the planet. Example: a bicycle is more eco-friendly than a sedan, but a sedan is more eco-friendly than a Hummer. What is Eco-Friendly Packaging?

Material Savings 52

Material Savings eCommerce Packaging Ordering 52

Ship Monk

AUGUST 22, 2022

In our eCommerce fulfillment blog we sometimes highlight industry jargon that’s essential for every entrepreneur. For example, if you’re a clothing vendor, the type of garment would have an alphanumeric assignment (jacket, coat, shirt, skirt, pants, etc.). How to Calculate SKUs in Your eCommerce Inventory.

Inventory Reduction 52

Inventory Reduction eCommerce Inventory 3PL 52

Ship Monk

JANUARY 8, 2024

Definitely not. For example, if milk wasn’t FDA-certified you wouldn’t have verification that the cows producing it are healthy. ShipMonk is an omnichannel ecommerce fulfillment enterprise that services ecommerce brands of all sizes across all verticals, including ecommerce brands that need FDA registration.

eCommerce 104

eCommerce Food and Agriculture Temperature Compliance 104

Ship Monk

JANUARY 30, 2023

If you’ve read PART 1 of our Ultimate Ecommerce Merchant Guide then you are halfway through absorbing the best lessons any entrepreneur can learn from the previous peak season, and are primed with the right knowledge to restructure for a stronger 2023. Welcome to the ecommerce party! And if you haven’t read PART 1, no worries.

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Supply Chain Planning Software Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Software 52

Ship Monk

JANUARY 27, 2023

While “going with it” is an acceptable strategy for some areas of the holidays; it’s not a strong plan for ecommerce brands during peak season. Get Faster Shipping Options Peak season is when ecommerce brands of all sizes across all verticals feel the most pressure to deliver on the delivery front. Reduce Cart Abandonment 2.)

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Inventory Reduction Purchasing Skills Material Savings 52

Ship Monk

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

In PART 1 of our “Peak Season 2022 Guide for eCommerce Brands” we discussed the major problems that affect eCommerce brands for peak season 2022, and the solutions entrepreneurs can seek to resolve them. It can be difficult for eCommerce brands, (DTC brands in particular) to prep for the onslaught of Black Friday sales.

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software 52

Ship Monk

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

For others, they’re signs of elevated stress levels, which can definitely lead to eating way too many cookies. If that sounds like you, then you’re probably an ecommerce business owner. While ecommerce has experienced boom after boom, 2022 has proven to be an interesting year in its already storied history. Slice of cake.

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Material Savings Inventory Reduction Cost Reduction 52

Ship Monk

DECEMBER 1, 2022

While a hundred years ago you’d be lucky to get a package across the country in a few weeks, over the last twenty years the ecommerce industry has completely changed customer expectations. Ergo, ecommerce brands that don’t offer fast shipping options could be missing out on a lot of business. Sound simple?

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Purchasing Skills Eliminating Excel in Purchasing Price Reduction 52

Ship Monk

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Every step of an ecommerce brand’s journey is important. Here at ShipMonk, we understand that, and because of it we assign every ecommerce brand a 3PL onboarding expert to help guide merchants through this critical time. Q: How is it different working with smaller vs. larger ecommerce brands?

3PL 63

3PL eCommerce Inventory Webinar 63

Ship Monk

JUNE 30, 2023

There seem to be about a million metrics to watch if you want to run a successful ecommerce business. You can track as many metrics as you want, but not every performance indicator qualifies as a KEY performance indicator (KPI) for your ecommerce business. Let’s start with some definitions. Which ones are the most important?

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Inventory Reduction Manufacturing Procurement Procurement Analytics 52

Ship Monk

JANUARY 16, 2024

Is your ecommerce business growing so quickly that you’re having trouble keeping products in stock? Let’s start with a few definitions. The ecommerce business can see inventory levels and order status at a glance through a centralized portal. What is a Perpetual Inventory System?

Inventory Reduction 103

Inventory Reduction Inventory Supply Chain Software Logistics Network Optimization Software 103

Ship Monk

APRIL 26, 2023

While a hundred years ago you’d be lucky to get a package across the country in a few weeks, over the last twenty years the ecommerce industry has completely changed customer expectations. Ergo, ecommerce brands that don’t offer fast shipping options could be missing out on a lot of business. Sound simple?

eCommerce 98

eCommerce Purchasing Skills Eliminating Excel in Purchasing Procurement Solutions 98

Ship Monk

AUGUST 21, 2024

There are certain types of data every ecommerce business owner should have at their fingertips to make well-informed decisions. Let’s test if you have what you need, explore key takeaways for what data can accomplish, and go into the must-haves for all ecommerce brands from small to mid-market to enterprise level.

Supply Chain Planning Software 58

Supply Chain Planning Software Data Supply Chain Software eCommerce 58

Ship Monk

MAY 1, 2023

8 Factors Ecommerce Brands Should Consider What makes ecommerce logistics particularly challenging is not only its extensive scope—from packaging to transportation and beyond—but its constant fluctuations. No two days are ever the same, and your warehouse-storage needs are a prime example. It’s as simple as that. #4

Inventory Reduction 52

Inventory Reduction eCommerce Supply Chain Planning Software Inventory 52

Ship Monk

MARCH 20, 2023

Safety nets aren’t just for folks jumping out of airplanes; every ecommerce business owner should have safety nets built into multiple levels of their operations to deal with an industry that is always in flux. Manufacturers can also keep safety stock to cover the ecommerce businesses they work with. What is Safety Stock?

Supply Chain Planning Software 52

Supply Chain Planning Software eCommerce Supply Chain Software Inventory 52

Ship Monk

AUGUST 15, 2022

If your eCommerce business sells lanyard bracelets or fuzzy socks, shipping costs and shipping processes are easier than, say, if you sell grand pianos or plasma televisions. For eCommerce merchants who are selling pianos, plasma screens, etc. For eCommerce merchants who are selling pianos, plasma screens, etc.

Purchasing Skills 52

Purchasing Skills Logistics Network Optimization Software Procurement Solutions eCommerce 52

Ship Monk

APRIL 12, 2022

However, in our evolving technology-driven era defined by words like online , virtual , and eCommerce , focusing attention on customer service has never been more critical. At ShipMonk, it has definitely been one factor that makes our success. “It

Logistics Network Optimization Software 63

Logistics Network Optimization Software Supply Chain Software eCommerce Groups 63

Ship Monk

AUGUST 3, 2022

Not all of those examples are exactly illustrious, but they do (for the most part) prove that two heads really are better than one. In the world of eCommerce, that proverb certainly holds true. But what is this mysterious entity in the eCommerce world? Logistics Service Provider Definition. Ready, Set, Migrate!

Logistics Network Optimization Software 52

Logistics Network Optimization Software eCommerce Inventory Reduction Resource Reduction 52

Ship Monk

JULY 14, 2023

In the case of shipping for an ecommerce brand, in addition to harnessing ShipMonk’s Virtual Carrier Network , we recommend using a variety of shipping carriers vs. relying on one provider. However, it’s definitely helpful to understand the highlights of each shipping carrier, so here we go! Think – books, clothing, stuffed animals.

eCommerce 52

eCommerce Negotiating Skills Material Savings Supply Chain Design Software 52

Ship Monk

JUNE 26, 2023

You’ve built a strong ecommerce brand with amazing product(s) and are actively growing. There are many reasons ecommerce brand owners begin considering outsourcing order fulfillment. Too Much Time Spent on Fulfillment As an ecommerce brand owner, you wear many hats. For example: How will you manage your inventory?

Outsourcing 52

Outsourcing Ordering eCommerce Inventory Reduction 52

Ship Monk

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

This is one of the simplest ecommerce metrics to calculate. For example, if your omnichannel ecommerce business processed 5,000 orders last month for a total of $300,000, the average order value for the month was $60. Simply divide total revenue during a period, by the number of orders during that same timeframe.

Inventory Reduction 52

Inventory Reduction Cost Reduction Expense Reduction Price Reduction 52

Ship Monk

AUGUST 21, 2023

The literal definition of entrepreneur is “a person who organizes and operates a business, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.” Our leadership team has successfully been providing best-in-class 3PL fulfillment services to ecommerce brands of all sizes across all verticals for years.

Logistics Network Optimization Software 52

Logistics Network Optimization Software Modeling Software eCommerce Resource Reduction 52

Ship Monk

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

In the ecommerce industry it’s a feeding frenzy out there—DTC and B2B retailers doing everything they can to get shoppers’ attention. Colossal companies like Amazon created this “new normal” in the ecommerce industry, and all merchants have been forced to follow or get left out in the cold. That’s a problem for ecommerce brands.

Cost Reduction 52

Cost Reduction Negotiating Skills Inventory Reduction Purchasing Skills 52

Ship Monk

JANUARY 11, 2024

‘Tis the season for processing ecommerce returns. Depending on which article you’re reading, ecommerce brands should be prepared for return rates of anywhere from 16% to 30%. Let’s take apparel, for example. It’s the dictionary definition of a PITA. That’s a lot of merchandise flowing backwards up the supply chain.

Procurement Solutions 110

Procurement Solutions Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Material Savings 110

Ship Monk

MARCH 6, 2023

In the world of an entrepreneur, such is the case when you start your own ecommerce business, orders swiftly start flowing in, customers rave about your awesome products, and you grow by the day. Keep reading to see if outsourcing is right for you with this definitive 7-point checklist! #1 Sometimes things just work. Or your bedroom.

Inventory Reduction 52

Inventory Reduction Outsourcing Inventory 3PL 52

The Logistics of Logistics

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

You are Facing New Omnichannel Fulfillment Requirements : The boom of ecommerce and direct to consumer demands require new strategies and cutting-edge WMS capabilities. For example, a WMS vendor without its own label printing tools is unlikely to bring that topic to the table on their own, so make sure you know what questions to ask.

Modeling Software 221

Modeling Software Logistics Network Optimization Software Cost Reduction Vendor Strategies 221

Ship Monk

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Remember when you were managing your eCommerce business out of your garage? Holding cost (or carrying cost) by definition, is the cost of holding inventory in a warehouse until it is sold or removed. When starting your eCommerce business, knowing formulas and fancy inventory metrics may not seem like a big deal.

Inventory Reduction 52

Inventory Reduction Cost Reduction Purchasing Skills Inventory 52