B2B Order Fulfilment

The dangers of getting B2B Order Fulfilment wrong are huge for any brand – not just short term cash flow, product visibility and stocking issues, but longer term and repeated poor supply chain performance can result in low supplier ratings and delistings with major retail partners, affecting lucrative sales channels.

Staci helps brands avoid this risk thanks to experience delivering to major high street and marketplace retailers, standard operating procedures that ensure consistent accuracy, and our understanding of the vital role this plays in your overall business performance

• B2B is typically much lower in frequency of orders, but much higher on SKUs and items per order. For eCommerce, it’s typically 1-2 items per order, for B2B it can be 2,000 – across a large number of SKUs and brands
• Much broader delivery options required – Where B2C orders are typically smaller and parcel based, B2B orders can be hugely varied – from individual parcels for independent outlets, to full pallets for individual stores, or to full trailer loads for regional distribution hubs and fulfilment centres
• Manual intervention requirements – within reason, there are more opportunities to automate elements of the B2C order fulfilment process, whereas B2B orders typically require much greater manual intervention – from the preparation of multi items and SKUs, to significant QC requirements, product and paperwork presentation, and overall support for sales and operations teams across brands and destination retailers
• Strict retailer guidelines – each retailer has their own set of guidelines that all deliveries must adhere to, or you run the risk of a lower supplier score, potential cash flow and stocking impact, and even real risk of delisting. This can be incredible difficult to manage for an inexperienced or in house team attempting to maintain compliance through changing orders, updates to guidelines, and managing systems.
• Booking in procedures – not only does each retailer have a specific set of guidelines, but also their booking in procedures are different too. From individual booking in portals, to traffic team hotlines, to automated email options, it’s crucial you know exactly how to book in your delivery, and what windows you need to adhere to
• Shelf life management – Furthermore, each retailer (for perishable products) will have an agreement with you regarding remaining shelf life on products when received at their destinations. Get this wrong and you could be in breach of agreement, and could end up stock unfit for sale