E-Commerce and Omnichannel Distribution in Logistics
E-commerce: an Intro
Online retail is booming and has gained even more momentum due to the pandemic and it will permanently change purchasing behavior. As such, retailers face the task of adapting their intralogistics to the growing volume of orders in the e-commerce sector while dealing with the need to strengthen their responsiveness in fragile, highly competitive markets at the same time.
This development has also been helped by those people who, before the pandemic, relied exclusively on brick-and-mortar retail and have now learned to appreciate the benefits of online shopping.
Consequently, expectations are high with regard to the constant availability of the products in demand, which customers expect to be delivered at their doorstep or made available for pickup within the shortest possible time.
Which Options do I have to make my warehouse ready for Online Shopping Sales?
Our answer: Precisely customized solutions for material handling from the modular system are needed to meet the high market requirements.
How SSI SCHAEFER can help
Mapping the new purchasing reality at the logistics level is a challenge for both retailers and manufacturers alike. E-commerce and omnichannel concepts place particularly high demands on efficient, fast and error-free order processing. What is needed are scalable, highly flexible systems with a customized degree of automation – turn-key from a single source and upgradeable and expandable at any time.
Equipped with the knowledge of the specific challenges in the respective industry, SSI SCHAEFER analyzes the processes and selects suitable modules together with you from a wide-ranging modular portfolio. Most of the precisely matched components and products including software originate from our own production and development. We at SSI SCHAEFER have already implemented many projects of various sizes. This means we can support our customers as a long-term partner in their efforts to further expand by offering individually tailored, growing system solutions for order fulfillment and returns management.
Flexible, Modular, Scalable and Sustainable Intralogistics Solutions
Across all industries, the new shopping reality is increasing pressure to install high-performance e-commerce and omnichannel logistics that can deal with order fulfillment tasks in a way that delivers a successful shopping experience for customers.
The primary and cross-industry focus is on:
solutions for handling heterogeneous product assortments
100% delivery capability even during spikes such as “Cyber Days” or “Black Friday”
short cycle times as well as high transparency for the customer
efficient handling of smaller delivered quantities as well as single-item orders and the processing of prioritized premium orders
zero-error picking
fast, as well as cost-optimized, returns processing
government regulations, such as weight restrictions for order picking
ergonomic factors, as workforces age and an attractive work environment can also solve the problem of skilled worker shortages.
Costs, Transparency and Search Efforts
Rigid systems that can only be changed at great expense are not a solution in the medium to long term. To avoid restrictions, multichannel providers rely on flexible, modular, scalable and sustainable intralogistics that can be adapted step by step to changing product assortments and increased order volumes. Preferably these are also from a single source so as to rule out interface problems.
However, because the end customer is not willing to accept a higher price for the product ordered online, the systems must also be designed in such a way that:
fewer costs are incurred for processing the e-commerce orders and returns
End-to-end transparency of warehouse inventory is created, so that the customer can rely on the promised delivery date.
Our Solutions: From the Basic Package to a Comprehensive System Solution
Customized Applications for Every Market
There are no off-the-shelf e-commerce solutions, as the requirements differ depending on the industry, the size of the company and the location.
Companies expect their solution provider
to offer a broad, modular portfolio of proven manual and fully automatic performance components from a single source and
to combine these based on in-depth industry expertise to create a total system solution that covers the individual requirements profile precisely and without compromise.
SSI SCHAEFER serves this catalog of requirements by offering turnkey intralogistics systems from a single source to medium and large corporations as well as start-ups, which have already been tried and tested for years, especially in wholesale and retail, food retail, the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry and fashion.
