Target Marketing

You will be automatically redirected to targetmarketingmag in 20 seconds.
Skip this advertisement.

Advertisement
Advertisement
 
 

An Outsourcing Checklist

Criteria to consider when selecting a fulfillment and customer service center

October 2006 By Larry Moulton And Shari Altman
Whether you go through a formal RFP process or not, careful consideration of your requirements and the prospective fulfillment center’s capabilities to meet those requirements is necessary to making a decision that works for you and your customers in the long run. To end up with a fulfillment partner with which you are truly satisfied, please don’t short shrift this decision—spend the time necessary to make the right choice. If you don’t have the time or expertise internally to evaluate your options, consider hiring a consultant or other outsource selection professional to do this for you. The time to discover a fulfillment center cannot handle your business or is mismatched to what you do is before you sign a contract with the vendor—not after.

The following is a checklist to help you determine your needs during this evaluation process:

I. Document Business Requirements
Identify all your requirements. Include those that must be performed, as well as those that would make your life easier but may not be mandatory:
Types of distribution
• Single order
• Distribution to QVC, HSN or retail
• Continuity
• Catalog

Volume expectations for each program—customer orders, calls, e-mails, returns, inventory volume, etc. Is the size of the fulfillment center you are considering matched to the volume of your business? Does it serve other clients with similar size to your current business, and is it scalable for when your firm reaches the next level of growth? These are important considerations:
• Start-up/launch
• Rollout
• Wind down

Service needs
• Warehousing and inventory management
- Pre-pack versus regular stock
- Document any special needs such as lot tracking, climate control, etc.
- Consider proximity to ports if importing merchandise is a significant part of your plans
• Fulfillment and data management
- Order processing requirement
- Order fulfillment and shipping requirements; this includes existing or planned replenishment, continuity or club programs as well as electronic data interchange requirements for retail distribution
• Customer service and contact management requirements
- Phone and e-mail response needs
- Include a non-English language or other specialized skill needs
• Integration of offline functions with e-commerce site and online functions
• Integration with your internal IT department and other service vendors (media, call center, etc.)

Tax and Legal Requirements
• State sales tax implications, if any
• Impact on state income tax fulfillment location, if any
• Capabilities to comply with 30-day rule requirements
• Capabilities to comply with privacy requirements (telemarketing, e-mail and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act regulations, as applicable)
 

Companies Mentioned:

SPONSORED CONTENT

MORE ON PRINT PRODUCTION & FULFILLMENT >>

FROM THE BOOKSTORE

Available as a PDF<BR><BR>Your everything-you-need-to-know guide to personalized URLs, including: <B>Best Practices </B>on why they work, campaign strategy, multichannel creative, analytics, and <B>10 Case Studies.<BR></B><BR>A New Best Practices and Case Studies report from DirectMarketingIQ.<BR> <BR>Do you want a higher response rate? Do you want to make a bigger profit? Do you want to engage your customers and continue the conversation? Then ... you need to know about PURLs and how they can achieve all the above and more! <BR><BR>With <EM>PURLs for Profit </EM>you'll have your personal roadmap that will show you how to successfully implement and profit from PURLs. This definitive special report takes you step-by-step on how to integrate PURLs into your marketing mix — email, direct mail, landing pages and social media — for an enhanced user experience so that prospects can make more informed purchasing decisions faster. <BR><BR>Here are just a few of the important takeaways you'll learn:<BR> <UL> <LI>Why PURLs work <LI>How PURLs connect the dots between direct mail, email, social media and the web <LI>What you should test and why <LI>What campaigns benefit most from PURLs <LI>How to create a relevant campaign <LI>Privacy and PURLs <LI>What steps should you take <LI>How to measure your ROI <LI>Maintain the magic by maximizing the message, the creative and the list! <LI>The importance of tracking and continuing the conversation <LI>Where social media fits into the mix </LI></UL> <P>In addition, you'll see actual case studies where PURLs have made a big difference in a variety of marketing efforts. <BR><BR>Here's a list of the types of companies and organizations that are featured in this informative special report: </P> <UL> <LI>Financial Services <LI>Higher Education <LI>Publishing <LI>Nonprofit <LI>Retail <LI>Technology <LI>Seminar/Conference <LI>Quick-Service Restaurant</LI></UL> <P>Download your copy of <EM>PURLs for Profit</EM> today!</P> PURLs for Profit

Available as a PDF

Your everything-you-need-to-know guide to personalized URLs, including: Best Practices on why they work, campaign strategy, multichannel creative, analytics, and 10 Case Studies.

A New Best Practices and Case Studies report from DirectMarketingIQ.

Do you want a higher response rate? Do you want to make a bigger profit? Do you





...

ORDER NOW

Available as a PDF<BR><BR>A guide to the need-to-know details of list research, data cards, list tests, list rentals, enhancements and online-sourced data.<BR><BR>Simply put, the best offer in the world, wrapped in fabulous creative — BUT sent to the wrong person could put you out of business. The old 40/40/20 rule of what makes for a successful marketing campaign still applies: 40% lists, 40% offer and 20% creative. <BR><BR>That's right: 40% of the deal is lists! List research isn't easy, but finding the right list that responds to your offer and creative is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. <BR><BR>That's why we've created this information-packed, affordable <EM>Secrets of List Research</EM><STRONG> </STRONG>how-to guide that will help you hone your list research skills for both your offline and online campaigns. And, believe me, these are skills that are crucial for building your business that will pay off again and again. <BR><BR>Thanks to the expert advice by legendary industry leaders, you'll learn about:<BR> <UL> <LI>When to work with a list broker and when not to <LI>How to read a data card <LI>The ins and outs of testing lists <LI>What to ask before you test <LI>Testing email lists vs. postal lists. What's the difference? <LI>What are the key variables that can impact response? <LI>How to use list enhancements effectively <LI>Hotline names — the hotter the better! </LI></UL> <P>What's more, you'll have at your fingertips the "<B>List Research Worksheet" —</B> the 14 steps that will help you in making smart list decisions.</P> Secrets of List Research (2nd Edition)

Available as a PDF

A guide to the need-to-know details of list research, data cards, list tests, list rentals, enhancements and online-sourced data.

Simply put, the best offer in the world, wrapped in fabulous creative — BUT sent to the wrong person could put you out of business. The old 40/40/20 rule of



...

ORDER NOW

 

COMMENTS

Click here to leave a comment...
Comment *
Most Recent Comments: