Inventory Control Archives – unicommerce.com

What is a Warehouse Management System (WMS)? [Process + Features + Benefits]

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 10:18:12 +0000

Table of Contents

In the fast-paced world of business, entrepreneurs need to be on top of their game to stay competitive. One key aspect that cannot be overlooked is efficient warehousing. After all, the success of your supply chain hinges on it. But fear not because the solution is simple – a cutting-edge warehouse management system.

From the sourcing of raw materials to the final delivery of the product, the supply chain is a continuous flow of goods and services. The storage of these items is critical to the process and plays a pivotal role in logistics. This is where a robust ERP warehouse management system (WMS) comes in, eliminating bottlenecks such as volatile supplies and delays.

However, before delving deeper into the intricacies of WMS, let’s establish a foundational understanding of the fundamental aspects of warehousing.

What is Warehouse Management?

Warehouse management refers to the efficient and systematic control of various operations within a warehouse. It starts from stocking your inventory to deciding how your operations will flow in the space. Not only does it determine, it oversees and optimizes the processes related to inventory management, storage, picking, packing, and shipping goods. The primary goal of warehouse management is to ensure that the right products are in the right place at the right time, minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency throughout the supply chain.

Benefits of Warehouse Management

Implementing a Warehouse Management System (WMS) offers numerous benefits that significantly enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and overall performance of warehouse operations. Some of the key benefits include:

Enhanced inventory accuracy with real-time tracking and insights across multiple warehouses.
Increased stock efficiency and productivity through improved visibility and control.
Maximized warehouse space with smart storage strategies.
Accurate order fulfillment and prompt deliveries enhance the customer experience.
Improved TAT (Turnaround Time) rate and minimized returns through precise inventory and order management.
Lowered operational expenses related to labor, inventory, and fulfillment.

Principles of Warehouse Management

Effective warehouse management involves several principles to ensure smooth operations and optimized efficiency. Here are three key principles:

1. Organization and Layout Optimization

Efficiently organizing the warehouse layout is crucial. Design the floor plan to minimize travel time for picking, packing, and storing goods.
Implement logical categorization and labeling systems for inventory items to facilitate easy identification and retrieval.
Utilize space wisely by employing shelving, racking, or automated storage systems to maximize storage capacity.
For example, storing your best-selling product near the packing station can save time and speed up order fulfillment. A wise WMS will help you automatically design this with the data and reports.

2. Inventory Management and Control

Maintain accurate inventory records through the use of a robust inventory management software.
Automated processes using handheld devices ensure accurate inventory checks, regardless of how detailed your SKUs may be.
Conducting regular cycle counts and reconcile inventory to prevent discrepancies and avoid stockouts or overstock situations.
Implement inventory forecasting techniques to anticipate demand and adjust stock levels accordingly.

3. Optimize Operational Processes

Streamline warehouse workflows by establishing efficient receiving, storing, picking, and shipping procedures.
Innovative solutions in the market streamline processes with features like auto-GRN, saving time and enabling smarter inventory management.
Implement lean management techniques to reduce waste, minimize errors, and improve overall operational efficiency.
Use technology such as barcode scanners, RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification), or WMS (Warehouse Management Systems) to automate and optimize processes.

Choose the Best Warehouse Management System Platform

Managing your warehouses, processing orders, and transferring stock are now simpler than ever.

LEARN MORE

What is a Warehouse Management System (WMS)?

A Warehouse Management System, or simply e-commerce WMS, is a software application that helps manage and optimize the operations of a warehouse by providing real-time visibility into inventory levels. From the moment a shipment enters the warehouse to the moment it leaves, the WMS tracks every step and keeps everything running smoothly.

But the WMS is more than just a tracking system. It’s a mastermind of efficiency that maximizes labor and space utilization while coordinating and optimizing resource usage and material flows. In short, it’s the secret weapon that allows companies to operate warehouses like a well-oiled machine. With a fully integrated cloud-based WMS, you can easily achieve 100% inventory data accuracy, allowing you to process orders and replenish goods more efficiently.

AI and Warehouse Management

AI is driving technological advancements in the e-commerce industry, with the warehouse serving as the backbone of operations. It plays a crucial role in ana lyzing processes, from data management to quality control and daily efficiency checks.

While automation is a key solution, the question remains: who oversees the automated processes to ensure they are functioning correctly and delivering accurate predictions? This is. where AI comes in. It helps forecast inventory needs and control processes like picking, packing, and sorting.

IoT in Warehouse Management

Think of how your smartwatch connects you to everything you need through your phone. This concept is similar to how the Internet of Things (IoT) operates in a warehouse.

IoT enables quick and accurate data collection, allowing you to strategize your business without manual processing. For example, when storing sensitive products like FMCG or cosmetics, IoT helps monitor and maintain the required temperature for your inventory. With RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), tracking becomes as easy as a single click. You can keep your units, storage, racks, and pallets updated with real-time movement information, ensuring the security of your inventory and the efficiency of your operations.

Inventory Management vs Warehouse Management – Key Differences

Inventory management and warehouse management are interconnected but distinct aspects of e-commerce operations. Let’s understand the difference.

Inventory management involves overseeing the quantity, location, and movement of goods throughout the supply chain to meet customer demand efficiently, minimizing costs, and optimizing stock levels. Whereas, Warehouse management, on the other hand, focuses on the physical storage, organization, and handling of inventory within a warehouse facility, ensuring streamlined operations, efficient picking, packing, and shipping processes, and the utilization of space and resources to facilitate smooth logistics operations.
While inventory management deals with the broader supply chain Warehouse management concentrates explicitly on the activities within the warehouse premises to ensure effective handling and movement of inventory.

Both are integral parts of logistics and supply chain management, working together to ensure timely and accurate delivery of products to customers.

Types of Warehouse Management Systems

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) come in various types, each catering to specific needs and operational requirements within the warehouse. Here are some common types of Warehouse Management Systems:

Standalone WMS: A standalone WMS operates independently and is not integrated with other systems like ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). It focuses solely on warehouse operations, offering inventory tracking, order picking, packing, and shipping functionalities. From finances to monitoring, it doesn’t communicate with the other systems and functions solely.

ERP-Integrated WMS: Many WMS are integrated within broader ERP systems. These systems combine WMS functionalities with other business processes like accounting, human resources, and customer relationship management. This integration ensures seamless data flow between different departments within an organization. For example, if you’re using an ERP-integrated WMS, the WMS can handle tasks like generating invoices, while the ERP manages critical operations such as taxation. Together, they work holistically, ensuring smooth data flow and maintaining the health of your operational data.

Cloud-Based WMS: Cloud-based WMS solutions are hosted on remote servers and accessed through the Internet. They offer scalability, flexibility, and accessibility from any location with an internet connection. Cloud-based systems often come with subscription models, reducing the need for upfront infrastructure investments.

Workflow of a Warehouse Management System (WMS) – How WMS Works?

Process of Warehouse Management System are:

Step #1: Receiving
Step #2: Putaway
Step #3: Storage
Step #4: Picking and Packing
Step #5: Shipping and Quality Control
Step #6: Reporting

It’s important to understand the workflow of a warehouse management system (WMS) in order to optimize operations and improve efficiency. The typical workflow of a WMS includes the following core functionalities:

Step #1: Receiving

Receiving Workflow in Warehouse Management System –

Pre-receiving
Receiving & Unloading Stocks
Inspection of received inventory
Putaway

The first step in a warehouse management system is “Receiving.” This step ensures that the right product has been received in the right quantity, quality, and location and at the right time. What if I tell you that all of this can be automated, leaving no possibility of human errors? This is how it works: A powerful warehouse management system allows businesses to input key purchase order details such as delivery and expiry dates and vendor information. Once everything has been received and verified, a Goods Received Note (GRN) is created to confirm that all the goods have been received.

Step #2:Putaway

Putaway Workflow in Warehouse Management System –

Operator to scan barcode
Transfer goods to location
Scan and puts away in location
Putaway confirmed

After the receiving process is complete, the goods need to be moved from the receiving area to their designated storage locations. This process is called putaway, and it is critical to ensure that products are handled correctly during this process to avoid costly damages. There’s a chance of inventory leakage at this stage, but there’s no need to worry—the WMS will accurately track even the smallest details to prevent this.

Fortunately, a well-designed warehouse management system (WMS) can help businesses avoid these issues by facilitating the creation of efficient putaway processes that optimize operational productivity.

Step #3: Storage

Storage is a vital aspect of any business that ensures the proper placement of goods in the warehouse. And the key is to use the space wisely. Hence, the goal of a warehouse management system is to maximize storage efficiency while minimizing errors and damage to goods, wondering how this can be achieved. That’s where Shelf Management comes into play!

It involves the strategic arrangement of goods on shelves to optimize space utilization, minimize errors, and prevent damage to products. By properly executing this process, businesses can maximize their available storage area and increase productivity.

Step #4: Picking and Packing

Picking & Packing Workflow in Warehouse Management System –

Receive
Process
Pick
Pack
Inventory
Ship

Picking and packing are integral components of order fulfillment, and optimizing these processes can significantly reduce costs. When order details are received, they can be passed on to warehouse staff through a picklist generated using WMS. This list provides essential details to the picker, including order information, item details, shelf locations, barcode scanning, and batch/lot numbers.

Suggested reading – What is order picking in a warehouse?

The products are selected from the warehouse using handheld devices that scan each item’s barcode. Once the items have been picked, they are packed in a way that minimizes the risk of damage during transportation. Shipping labels are generated, and an invoice is created to accompany the order.

Step #5: Shipping and Quality Control

Shipping and Quality Control in Warehouse Management System –

Receiving
Shelving Putaway
Picking Kitting
Packing
Shipping

The shipping and quality control (QC) process marks the end of the journey for goods. This step is particularly important, as it has a direct impact on the customer experience. Incorrectly shipping products to the wrong customers can result in negative feedback.

To avoid such scenarios, it is important to have robust QC measures in place, such as order verification, packing inspection, barcode scanning, weighing checks, etc. With automated WMS software, this process also gets automated, simplifying the order routing process.

What are the Benefits of Deploying a Centralized Warehouse Management System?

Let us walk you through the benefits of WMS so that you can understand its significance in streamlining your e-commerce operations! Top Benefits of Deploying a Centralized Warehouse Management System –

Better Inventory Control with Quick Dispatch Time
Reduced Manpower Costs and Errors
Improved Auditing and Security and TAT Rate
Improved Picker Efficiency
Simplified Billing and Taxation Management
Enhanced Customer Experience
Centralized Visibility for Multiple Warehouses
Window to cater to the Business Scalability with Time

1. Better Inventory Control with Quick Dispatch Time

Inventory management is critical to the success of any business, particularly in the retail industry. For this, you need an efficient WMS that can consolidate and sort inventory quickly. This allows for bulk order processing and reduces order preparation time, resulting in quick dispatch of orders.

Implementing a WMS also provides access to detailed information on the location and status of each Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), including which batch it belongs to and its location within the warehouse. Barcoding is a commonly used identification method whereby each item is assigned a unique code that can be scanned or tracked as it moves through the warehouse.

With this information readily available, businesses can make informed decisions about inventory levels and restocking, which can help prevent stockouts and overstocking.

Read: E-commerce Warehouse Management System Case Study – 35% Increase in Order Flow for the Largest E-commerce Footwear Brand in India

2. Reduced Manpower Costs and Errors

A powerful warehouse management system (WMS) can significantly reduce manpower costs and minimize errors in your warehouse operations. This is achieved through the automation of various functions, including inventory tracking, sorting, picking, and order processing.

With a WMS in place, your warehouse can also benefit from systematic inventory placement and quality checks, which can further reduce the risk of manual errors while enhancing overall efficiency. One of the key advantages of using a WMS is that it allows you to optimize both inward and outward warehouse operations.

This ensures that only high-quality, accurate products are delivered to end customers, preventing the delivery of defective products and ultimately reducing customer complaints.

3. Improved Auditing and Security

Auditing and security are crucial components of any warehouse management system. The sheer amount of inventory and transactions taking place on a daily basis can make it difficult to keep track of everything, let alone prevent theft or loss of goods. That’s why most warehouse management systems enable multiple employees to use the software while also linking specific users to specific transactions.

This creates a level of transparency and accountability that is essential for maintaining a secure and efficient warehouse. With each transaction tied to a specific employee, pinpointing any issues that may arise becomes much more accessible. You can easily track where the exact problem is and directly work on its solution.

Tracking everything becomes easier, which improves the turnaround time for your orders. Smooth operations streamline the process, making order fulfillment more efficient.

4. Improved Picker Efficiency

While automation is a great help, it only kicks in once the picker has selected the product. So, what can you do to boost picker efficiency?

First off, think about your warehouse layout. By placing your most frequently picked items closer to packing stations, you can significantly reduce travel time, making order processing faster and easier. Using sorted picklists is another smart move—pickers can follow the most efficient route, reducing the time spent searching for products.

Equipping the pickers with handheld devices is another trick to go! This allows them to accurately identify and confirm products before they pick them, which helps avoid mistakes. Hence, there are no delays due to wrong picking and fewer chances of returns. By bringing all these strategies together, you can enhance your pickers’ efficiency and ensure that your order fulfillment is as smooth as possible.

5. Simplified Billing and Taxation Management

Got everything sorted but still juggling with the lengthy documentation and manual dependency? A warehouse management system (WMS) is more than just a tool for inventory management. With a reliable WMS in place, you can streamline your billing process, which is a critical aspect of any business. Failure to manage your bills correctly can result in significant losses.

Fortunately, most WMS solutions come with pre-integrated third-party apps that can improve your ability to manage bills from a single screen and with the utmost accuracy. In addition to simplifying the billing process, an advanced WMS can help you comply with government taxation standards by streamlining the invoice tax calculation process.

6. Enhanced Customer Experience

Customers are the lifeblood of any business, and a centralized warehouse management system can help you focus on improving your customer’s buying journey and enhance their overall experience.

Businesses can quickly and accurately process customer orders and track the progress of each order from start to finish. This allows for timely and accurate communication with customers regarding order status, shipment tracking, and delivery times, which can greatly enhance the customer experience.

7. Increased Scalability and Flexibility

As your business grows, so will your warehouse management needs. With a centralized WMS in place, you can easily scale your operations to accommodate changes in demand, seasonality, or expansion into new markets.

A WMS can also provide flexibility in managing different types of products and order fulfillment models, such as dropshipping or third-party logistics, allowing businesses to adapt to changing customer demands and preferences.

What are the Features of a Warehouse Management System (WMS)?

A well-organized and structured warehouse with reliable and efficient performance is a huge asset for retail business. Here are the essential WMS features that can help you attain operational capabilities:

Batch Management
Cycle Count
Shelf Management
Bundle Management
Barcode Scanning
Returns Management

1. Batch Management

Batch management is an important feature of a warehouse management system that helps to manage and track inventory based on batches or groups. Batches represent distinct collections of products that share common characteristics such as manufacturing dates, expiration dates, or production lots. This feature is particularly useful in industries where products have a limited shelf life, such as the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.

By grouping inventory into batches, businesses can minimize the amount of waste produced from expired or spoiled inventory. Additionally, batch management allows for the implementation of expiry management methods like FIFO (first in, first out) and FEFO (first expiry, first out). These methods enable stock rotation based on manufacturing and expiry dates, which helps to prevent the buildup of old inventory and avoid any potential damage from prolonged storage.

2. Cycle Count

Do you remember the days of the dreaded annual inventory count that would take forever? Well, thanks to the cycle count feature in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), those days are long gone!

With regular inventory counts on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, businesses can now maintain accurate records, avoid stockouts, and optimize their warehouse operations. And the best part? Businesses can now have real-time updates on their day-to-day operations, making their supply chain management more efficient than ever before.

3. Shelf Management

Shelf management is an essential component of effective warehouse operations. It refers to the process of organizing and arranging products on shelves in a way that maximizes space and ensures efficient picking and restocking. Proper shelf management can significantly improve the overall productivity of a warehouse.

One way to achieve optimal shelf management is by using a robust Warehouse Management System (WMS). A WMS can assist in identifying the most suitable storage location for each product based on its attributes, such as size, weight, and demand frequency. This helps to ensure that products are arranged in a logical order, minimizing the time taken to locate them during picking and reducing errors.

4. Bundle Management

Product bundling is a popular sales strategy in which multiple SKUs are packaged together and sold as a combo pack to customers. While bundling offers benefits such as increased sales and customer satisfaction, it can be challenging to manage the various processes involved, from monitoring product availability to managing inventory for multiple sales channels.

The Bundle Management feature of a WMS can help to streamline these processes by allowing businesses to define bundle products as a group of individual SKUs, with each SKU being tracked individually. This enables businesses to monitor the availability of each SKU, ensuring that bundles are only created when all the SKUs are in stock.

5. Barcode Scanning

Barcodes are machine-readable representations of numeric and alphanumeric characters, typically consisting of bars and spaces. Barcodes offer several benefits in warehouse management, including improved accuracy, efficiency, and productivity.

The advanced barcoding feature provided by the WMS allows for the capture of accurate and intricate details of inventory at the item, SKU, and batch levels. This ensures that each item is uniquely identifiable and traceable, making it easier for businesses to track inventory movements, identify stock levels, and ensure timely replenishment.

6. Returns Management

With the rise of online shopping, customers have come to expect an easy and hassle-free returns process, which puts pressure on retailers to provide a seamless experience. To meet this demand, businesses require a robust Warehouse Management System (WMS) that can efficiently handle returns by simplifying the entire process, from authorizing returns to processing refunds or replacements.

Furthermore, the WMS returns feature allows businesses to manage e-commerce returns from various channels to multiple warehouses using a single system. For instance, if an order was processed from warehouse A, the return can be directed to warehouse B, which may be closer to the customer. This functionality simplifies the returns process, and minimizes potential errors and delays associated with handling returns across multiple platforms.

Simplify your Warehouse Management with Unicommerce WMS

Easily manage multiple warehouses, transfer stock, and generate reports for better insights. It’s quick, user-friendly, and affordable.

REQUEST PRICING

Factors to Consider When Selecting the Right Warehouse Management System for Your Business

Now that you know why a WMS is important, here are the key factors to consider when selecting the right WMS for your business:–

Centralization of Multi Warehouse Inventory Management
Real-Time and Customizable Reporting
Third-party Integrations
Virtual Multiple Warehouse Inventory Management

1. Centralization of Multi Warehouse Inventory Management

As customer demands continue to grow, businesses are exploring new ways to manage their operations in multiple warehouses simultaneously while maintaining a centralized view. Therefore, first and foremost, the WMS of your choice should centralize key tasks, such as automated stock level management, location allocation across multiple warehouse sites, real-time e-commerce inventory management, automated purchase management, shipment routing and tracking, and order management from multiple points of sale.

2. Real-Time and Customizable Reporting

Next, you need real-time information access about what’s going on in your warehouse to manage stock inventory effectively. You require a bird’s eye view of which stock units are in demand and which haven’t moved at all, geographic market-specific demand variations, and seasonal trends.

You should also be able to generate customizable reports to analyze inventory status and strategize warehouse utilization. An online multi-warehouse management system can enable you to achieve this, as the information remains remotely accessible and available in real-time.

3. Third-party Integrations

By integrating the WMS with other third-party applications, businesses can streamline various processes such as logistics, marketplace management, accounting, sales and CRM, and more.

A smart WMS should provide sophisticated tech stack solutions that seamlessly integrate with other software systems used in your business. Not only can this save time and resources, but it can also provide a more complete picture of your business operations.

4. Virtual Multiple Warehouse Inventory Management

Unutilized or under-utilized warehouse space increases your inventory carrying cost and burdens your value chain, even when you have a network of multiple warehouses to match market demand. To address this issue, you need a multi-warehouse management system that gives you a complete virtual view of warehouse space.

A virtual multiple warehouse management system allows you to manage your inventory across multiple warehouses as if they were one. You can view all your warehouses’ inventory levels in real-time and manage them from a centralized location.

Future-Proof your Business with Advance Warehouse Management System (WMS)!

An effective warehouse management system (WMS) enables you to perform plenty of tasks with utmost efficiency and accuracy. It also helps you ensure that your business is equipped to handle the challenges of tomorrow.

From optimizing inventory management to enhancing order fulfillment, a WMS can help you achieve operational excellence and drive growth. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and deploy a robust WMS technology in your system today and reap the benefits of automation.

See how to improve Inventory Visibility & accuracy with E-commerce focused Warehouse Management System –

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Warehouse Management System (WMS)

Q1. How long does it take to implement a Warehouse Management System?

Ans: The time it takes to implement a Warehouse Management System can vary depending on the size and complexity of the warehouse, as well as the specific needs of the business. However, implementation can typically take six to eight months.

Q2. Can a Warehouse Management System be customized to meet specific business needs?

Ans: Yes, many Warehouse Management Systems can be customized to meet the specific needs of a business. This can include adding new features, modifying existing workflows, or integrating with other software.

Q3. What types of businesses can benefit from using a Warehouse Management System?

Ans: Any business that has a warehouse or distribution center can benefit from using a Warehouse Management System. This includes businesses in industries such as retail, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and logistics.

Q4. What is the function of WMS?

Ans. The Warehouse Management System has a critical function as it facilitates the operations in your warehouse. From the space management of the stocks to inventory management, the process of fulfilling orders is simplified.

Q5. What are the different types of WMS?

Ans. The different types of warehouses are standalone WMS, ERP-integrated, and Cloud-based warehouse management systems. All of them vary based on the needs of the brand and their business requirements.

Q6. What is the first step in Warehouse Management?

Ans. The first step in the warehouse management is the process of receiving goods. It involves checking the quality and quantity of the inventory and ensuring the accuracy. Once done, the inventory is sorted for storage, and GRN is created.

Q7. What is the basic Warehouse procedure?

Ans. The primary warehouse procedure includes receiving, putaway, storage, picking and packing, shipping and quality control, and reporting.

Explore our platforms:

]]>

The Major Challenges and Opportunities of the Cosmetic Industry in UAE

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:50:14 +0000

Table of Content

Introduction
Key Challenges of the Cosmetic Industry in UAE

Need for Streamlined Order and Inventory
Extreme Weather Conditions
Shelf-Life Challenge
Frequent Returns
Need of Omnichannel

Overcome the Challenges of the Cosmetic Industry in UAE

Batching and Order Management
Warehouse and Logistics
Stock Rotation and Inventory Control
Returns Management
Omnichannel Model of Selling

Glam up Your E-commerce Selling

Marhaban! The cosmetic industry in the UAE caters to a diverse audience with its vibrant range of products. Even though the products sound colorful, like sweet pink blush or a pleasant oud fragrance, the management of these products is a different story. Let’s explore why.

The cosmetic industry is one of the fastest-growing industries, driven by international and local brands. People in the region like to spend on premium products, and this high consumer spending creates significant demand in the market. The ever-evolving consumer preferences, such as the inclination towards organic cosmetics, introduce new industry challenges that must be addressed.

There are creams suitable for particular skin types, products for specific skin tones, and innumerable shades of pink and red for make-up products. Then, there is the aisle for different fragrances in these products. Considering these endless choices, the number of SKUs creates a significant challenge, burdening operational leakages.

You don’t need to worry about it; what we cannot do is what tech can do! Let’s explore these challenges in more detail and discover their solutions!

5 Key Challenges of the Cosmetic Industry in UAE

Whether offline or online, the cosmetic industry is vulnerable to many concerns. Hence, let’s dive into the challenges specific to the UAE cosmetic e-commerce industry.

Logistics and Unavoidable Circumstances
The Puzzle of Shelf-Life
The Loop of Returns
Omnichannel Calling
Crack the Operational Code

#1 Logistics and Unavoidable Circumstances

We are all aware of the weather conditions in the UAE. When cosmetic products are exposed to heat, their chemical bonds might break off, causing them to be wasted or unsellable, sometimes when transported from one place to another.

The heat of the transport increases the chances of the product getting damaged. This directly affects the number of returns and creates a bad customer experience.

#2 The Puzzle of Shelf-Life

In the cosmetic industry, especially in the UAE, the shift is growing towards organic products. Although the preference is increasing, a constraint comes with them: the limited shelf life. The organic approach supports the non-use of preservatives.

The heat conditions make the products prone to damage. Hence, expiry management becomes a task! The product must reach the market at the right time to be consumable.

#3 The Loop of Returns

Returns are not an unusual thing when it comes to cosmetics. Sometimes, people don’t like the shade of the color, or it doesn’t go with their skin tone. Sometimes, they simply don’t like the product. But the returns are frequent and unavoidable.

However, the process can be streamlined. The easier the return process becomes for the customer, the more they prefer to exchange the product rather than return it. Hence, a smooth process that saves time and money is crucial to the landscape.

#4 Omnichannel Calling

Tourism influences a large chunk of buying behavior in the middle. When people shop from tourism, they shop offline. However, brands with a good presence in the sector also have an online presence. Hence, connecting the stores with marketplaces and websites is a new, emerging requirement.

For example, someone bought an attar from a store on their trip to Dubai. Now, they want to purchase again and order online from a marketplace. With the omnichannel model, order data and inventory visibility can all become real-time.

#5 Crack the Operational Code

The order management system is a primary need in the e-commerce scenario now. The cosmetic industry is one of the most dynamic, so you need a solution that caters to your geographical needs and business requirements. The number of SKUs is always confusing and keeps increasing. For example, different SKUs are used for eyeliner shades and mascara in the eye category. For the lipsticks, the same type of shades are available in three categories: matte, creme, and liquid.

Hence, you need a complete order management system that compactly suits your audience of cosmetic enthusiasts and overcomes territorial challenges. It has to be open-ended so that you can customize the way you manage your orders.

Overcome the Challenges of the Cosmetic Industry in UAE

#1 Batching and Order Management

In the cosmetic industry, order management must be highly customizable. For example, if your brand offers seasonal schemes like BOGO (buy one, get one) promotion, your system’s limitations might result in separate orders for each item, confusing customers. The system should be capable of managing all the multiple SKUs synced with your orders and inventory across all platforms.

It should have a window to sort and manage multiple SKUs with techniques like batching. To address these issues, seek a system that adapts to your brand’s dynamic needs, ensuring seamless order and inventory management.

#2 Warehouse and Logistics

The longer the product is exposed to transportation, the more it will likely be affected, whether by the breakage of chemical bonds caused by heat or the fragility of luxury premium products. Hence, you can manage the logistics with the right solutions so your product travels the least.

This can be done by adapting the system that functions on the proximity list. The order will automatically be processed from the nearest storage possible, and you can set the priority list for your logistics partners.

#3 Stock Rotation and Inventory Control

Central visibility is important to address issues like limited shelf life or controlling the expiry of organic products. Once everything is visible on one platform, you can set tolerances to manage the shelf life or expiry of the products.

With the smart solution for your inventory, you can have everything under control! Applying techniques like FIFO (first in, first out), FEFO (first expiry, first out), or LIFO (last in, first out) becomes simpler.

#4 Returns Management

Returns are unavoidable in this industry, but the field requires seamless management. Additionally, if handheld devices check the accuracy of the products delivered, no wonder the returns can be reduced as well.

Automating processes from quality checks to precise tracking and payment flow ensures smoother management of returned products. You don’t need to rely on manual functioning anymore. It would integrate top-tier logistics and robust tracking systems to enhance efficiency.

#5 Omnichannel Model of Selling

Finally, a good omnichannel management system can manage offline buying and the need for an online presence to cater to tourism sales. Imagine your stores, all the selling channels, and website can be managed from one platform.

This will allow you to integrate sales and your inventory. The reports and data will help you expand more, whether the product was sold from a store in Abu Dhabi or someone ordered it from your neighboring country.

Glam Up Your E-commerce Selling!

The dynamics of the cosmetic industry require innovative solutions to cater to its demands. Customer satisfaction is the central driving force of this niche. Hence, everything has to be streamlined and perfect!

Order and inventory management, ensuring optimal warehouse and logistics practices, and adopting an omnichannel model are key to overcoming these hurdles. Just like its products, the industry is filled with vibrant opportunities. So, are you ready to make your mark? Dive in and glam up!

]]>

Amazon Global Selling Program: Your Key to Sell on the International Marketplaces

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 11:23:38 +0000

If you plan to sell only remotely, then you are missing out on great opportunities, especially when the world is only a click away from connecting. Many e-commerce retailers do not prefer to expand their business beyond the boundaries, simply because they consider it to be a great hassle. The reason does not hold ground anymore.

With Amazon Global Selling Program, a program by Amazon that allows the sellers to list and sell their products on Amazon’s global marketplaces. You can smoothly go on a spree to sell internationally. Amazon has put a lot of effort into helping the eCommerce sellers sell internationally.

Still unclear? Let’s go on an in-depth understanding of how it works and how you should be ready before entering the international business.

Why Sell Internationally?

Even though e-commerce vendors consider international selling to be intimidating, here are the reasons to change your mind:

Huge Customer Base

With Amazon Global Selling (AGS) program, you can tap and sell into different countries and engage millions of customers. Your unique products have a chance to gain popularity and sell at an exponential rate when you broaden your horizon.

Pick, Pack & Ship (Amazon FBA)

International shipping or customer service is no longer an issue! Fulfillment Services by Amazon (FBA) are at your rescue! The process of this is simple. Your products/items are stored in the fulfillment centers with Amazon doing all the picking, packing, and shipping, along with providing customer services. Currently, FBA offers three international fulfillment programs for you to select from in order to create your product listings.

Opportunities to Sell on Different Marketplaces

Currently, Amazon operates in 13 global online marketplaces. It enables the sellers to expand their business globally, irrespective of their business being physically established somewhere else.

How to sell internationally with Amazon Global Selling?

Register on the Desired Online Marketplace

Once you have made up your mind to expand your business internationally, the first step is to create your Amazon seller account for the respective country you want to sell in. For you to register and sell on Amazon Global, you have to pay a monthly fee for each active account.

List Your Products

After completing the registration, list all your products and items you want to sell. Select offers by defining rules, or choose specific SKUs.

Customers Purchases

When customers see your products and make a purchase, you automatically get notified where to ship your products.

Deliver Orders

You can either deliver products to the customers and confirm the shipments on your own or choose Amazon Fulfillment Services to fulfill the orders.

Amazon Fees and Deductions

Amazon will deduct its usual fee from the customer’s account and transfer the funds to your listed bank account. Now that you have a clear choice, here are some tips and guidance on how to enter the Amazon Global Selling Program.

Five Essential Things To Do Before Entering Amazon Global Selling

Optimize Inventory in Real-time

When you are selling internationally, you shouldn’t leave any scope for errors because one mistake could bear huge losses. You should ensure the timely and accurate stocking of goods. The best option is to automate your inventory management system. This will update, replenish, and provide you an exact stock position.

You should no longer bank on excel spreadsheets and run inventory software manually if you are aiming to expand your footprints in different geographies. To grow unhesitatingly, you should have sustainable and reliable inventory support to gear up your business operations. Constant monitoring of stock movements and analyzing the data helps to build a steady stock pipeline and disbursement across all the sales platforms.

Reassemble Warehouse Operations

Warehouse operations are the backbone of any eCommerce business. Centralize crucial tasks such as maintaining healthy stock levels automatically and location-allocation in multiple warehouse sites for you to save time in traversing to the shipping sites. Given that omnichannel solutions are taking commercial activities by storm, keep yourself updated by tracking warehouse activities. Track every item moved in or out of the warehouse, thus reducing the difference between actual inventory and virtual inventory. Along with this, build the capability to process orders in bulk and reduce operational costs.

Ensure the Best Logistic Services

If you are not employing the fulfillment services by Amazon (FBA), then you need to make sure that you choose a logistics provider available at hand. You need to have a system that provides you the best logistic service and shipment partner because international shipping requires its own sweet time. You need to be prepared well in advance to make timely delivery.

Leverage Technology for Shipment Status

Whether you choose FBA or fulfill orders on your own, you need to keep track of the orders. It doesn’t get over with just tracking the status of customer’s orders. You also have to track the shipment of your stock from manufacturers so that you can optimize your warehouse well in advance.

Hasslefree Order Returns Management

International selling can grow intimidating if you are unable to manage order returns. The volume of returns from multi-channels poses a tough challenge to manage the returns impeccably. Courier returns or returns to the point of origin, and customer-initiated returns need to be differentiated with a proper procedure. The best way to manage order returns is to automate the order returns management process. When you have a centralized panel to manage returns across all sales channels, it improves your overall profit as well as the customer’s experience.

Unicommerce is your one-stop solution for all your supply chain operations and to help you get ready for the international market. Along with that, you can also tap into additional marketplaces as we have 200+ integrations with leading marketplaces and logistics providers. Align your business now with Unicommerce and spread your horizon in the international market place.

Read Unicommerce’s Success Story with Top Brand –

The post Amazon Global Selling Program: Your Key to Sell on the International Marketplaces appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>