I’ve learned over the years that it’s just in my blood to want to help people. I can’t fight it. I am who I am. So with that knowledge of myself in mind, I always start my conversations with prospects by asking “how can I help you?” Sure, my ultimate goal is to sell DMI Fulfillment service, but I first want to know where the pain points are in their business and help guide them to success. Often times, the first two or three things I hear are in fact not services I sell, but because of my resources and connections, I can help them find a solution. Helping someone overcome those obstacles is very fulfilling to me, and hopefully they will come to me again when they do need the services I sell. Here’s a perfect example – I recently had two prospects that were in the process of finding a fulfillment partner. Both had a single but different obstacle getting in the way of taking their business to the next level. Ironically, each one had the solution to the other’s problem. So, I’m sure you know what I did next -- I introduced the two prospects to each other. ...
No matter how you arrange the first 3 runners in a relay race, the 4th (a.k.a. the anchor) should always be the best. Think of your fulfillment partner as that 4th leg in your race to market. As the anchor of your team, they must be the strongest and fastest. Be very selective when choosing who will manage your fulfillment. It’s not as simple as putting product in a box and loading it on a truck. It’s about finding a company with: Experienced logistics professionals who know what it takes to exceed customer expectations. Quality, accuracy and speed are not just a result of technology. You need well-trained, long-term people who’ve done this for a long time at all levels of labor, customer service, IT and management. IT resources and the willingness to change and improve each and every day. Being complacent is not an option in any industry, especially if you are a small business trying to grow market share. Your fulfillment partner should be no different. The right equipment and technology to handle your products. Make sure they are equipped with inventory and warehouse management systems, RF scanners, systems integration software, and quality control procedures. Ask to tour their facilities and see ...
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Those in fulfillment could learn a few lessons from Jack. In so many business sectors today, speed is the expectation -- especially in shipping. Gone are the days of placing an order and being OK to wait a week for the merchandise to arrive. Your customers want it NOW. To deliver an outstanding customer experience and keep them coming back for more, you have to be quick. And to be quick, you have to be nimble. Find a fulfillment partner that can offer: • Multiple distribution locations shipping same-day • 1-2 day delivery via ground shipping • Enough volume to negotiate low shipping rates • Technology and automation for maximum efficiency • A track record for accuracy and speed in processing orders Automated, fast, flexible fulfillment is the name of the game to keep up with the demands of your customers because just like Jack, if you’re not quick and nimble, you’ll get burned. Bob Klunk, Managing Director at DMI Fulfillment DMI Fulfillment operates four strategically located distribution centers across the country reaching 99% of the U.S. population in 1-2 days via economical ground shipping. Together, these DCs total 280,000 square feet of state-of-the-art equipment, security features, inventory control systems and highly efficient ...
There are so many times in our lives when we want something done, but we don’t have the knowledge or resources to do it. Think about it. You buy a new suit; the pants are too long, the jacket too wide. What do you do? You take it to a tailor. It would never cross your mind to pull out a needle and thread and start snipping away at your brand new suit. Or what if you want recessed lighting added to your family room? Would you get out your ladder and buy a pair of wire cutters? You’d most likely call an electrician who specializes in lighting installations. Or how about this – you need a new driveway poured. Are you going to rent a cement truck and pour it yourself? Of course not. You’d call a professional. It should be no different with your business. You are the expert in your product, so partner with an expert in fulfillment who can effectively and efficiently get your products delivered to the world.
I interact with many startups in my business. There’s one common trait I see in all of them: They don’t let the unknown keep them from moving forward. I just read a quote from Napoleon Hill about the subject where he says, “When you brainstorm, don’t allow limits to be placed on any idea. Sometimes the ideas that seem the craziest at the time will later prove to be the most inspired.” Have you ever been trying to solve a problem but you have an expert on what won’t work on your team? No idea seems to move forward because there’s always a reason why it’s wrong. Dr. No rules the day. Now don’t get me wrong; we need practical-thinking people. It’s about timing. Early on, the flow of ideas must be free. Make mistakes early and often. Once something is working, then nail down a process and be consistent. Every successful entrepreneur I’ve worked with errs on the side of “Go,” but has a trusted source of sanity that will allow him or her to develop ideas, and guide them in a practical direction when it’s time to execute. I hope entrepreneurs see me as a trusted advisor who will brainstorm, ...
Trends in E-Fulfillment Technology: Expectations are Changing Faster than Ever St. Louis CSCMP March Event Thursday - March 21, 2013 Crowne Plaza - Clayton, MO Bob Klunk has a broad variety of experience in his 25 years in the Manufacturing and Supply Chain industries. He began as product engineer at Olin/Winchester, was promoted to plant manager, then became plant engineer at two separate ammunition factories and a grenade factory. A year of Information Technology consulting for an international pet food manufacturer led to a project to outsource logistics. The success of that project led Mr. Klunk into Third Party Logistics. He became Director of Operations, Director of Engineering, and Vice-President of Solutions at Lanter, a well respected asset based carrier and third party logistics provider that grew to become a division of Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, now known as OHL. In Third Party Logistics, Bob has had the opportunity to run operations or develop solutions for companies Including;, Apple, Sony, Samsung, Starbuck's, NutriSystem, Wal*Mart.com, H&M, Dr. Pepper/7UP, Spectrum Brand and Nestle/Purina. Bob is a member of Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), and International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA), and has served on the ...
You need someone you can trust to protect and promote your brand through the ecommerce channel. A trusted fulfillment partner will have facilities that are modern, secure, and located near hubs for major carriers, and equipped with the technology, physical network, and caring service staff needed to ensure the highest customer satisfaction. A good fulfillment partner will provide an information interface that gives you and anyone you choose real-time visibility to inventory and order status. You can rest assured that your product is safe, secure, and deployed near your customers. With product positioned in a third-party warehouse, orders can often be shipped same or next day and arrive at the retail consumer within one or two days using low-cost ground shipping. You or your customer’s brand and logo will be prominently featured on all documentation. Promotional materials may be printed on demand at the time of order to promote awareness of your brand and products. Your customers will begin to associate your brand with great service and a pleasant experience. There are also advantages to aggregating export shipments. In order to keep costs down, it’s better to ship full containers, but that requires more operating capital and puts more inventory at risk. ...
After talking with numerous retailers who are building their business online, I’ve found that many view the physical fulfillment process like others might view the process of selecting a smartphone and carrier. When I buy a smartphone, I’ll probably base my decision on a very few criteria: Who are my friends and family using? Are they happy with their service? What kind of phone can I select? Will it do all the cool stuff I see on TV? Somewhere in there I’ll also look at cost, but I’ll assume most services cost about the same as long as I can tailor my plan to how I expect to use it. I’ll be given a contract to sign that I probably won’t read. I’ll be vaguely aware there is a network of cell towers and high-tech hardware that make my service possible, and lots of smart people working behind the scenes at the phone company who understand how all these things work. But as a customer, I shouldn’t have to worry about all that. I just need uninterrupted service without the irritation of delayed or dropped calls, and I’ll expect to be able to add features and get updates quickly and easily simply ...
DMI Fulfillment's website (http://www.dmifulfillment.com/) is integrating with Shopify to make your electronic order fulfillment a simple, fuss-free process. Simply grant access to your system and we will automatically query to pull orders that are ready for shipment based on a status of “open” and “unshipped.” We’ll then push an order confirmation back into your system and change the order’s status in your system to “Fulfilled.” When the order ships from our distribution center we’ll push back the shipment confirmation number and the appropriate status to trigger Shopify’s end-user confirmation email. DMI Fulfillment strives for easy, full-circle integration. We use a robust .Net webservice and have all our IT programming and IT operations staff in house, located in St Louis, Missouri. You can depend on us. For more information, click here to tell us a little about your business and we’ll get the ball rolling.
So, you’ve got this e-tail business that’s starting to really pick up. Congrats! One Problem. Filling orders is taking up more of your time than running the business itself. You’re so busy packing and shipping boxes that you don’t have time to develop new products, make new connections, or spend time with your family. So what do you do? Who do you choose to help you streamline the success of your booming e-tail endeavor? You begin to explore the option of different third-party fulfillment solutions. There’s the big guys, lurking under the surface of the river, waiting to swallow you and your company whole. There are also smaller agencies, but without the resources and connections of a larger company, it will take a lot more capital to get started, and there will be more day-to-day costs to contend with. What your company needs is a bit of the Goldilocks Principle. When one potential option is too big, and another is too small, you’re left without a solution and still holding the bag. Fortunately, there is a third party fulfillment company that’s “just right” for you. Thanks to an infrastructure built on the shoulders of a successful sister-company, operations built on lean principles, and ...
