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8 Tips for Choosing the Best Shipping Automation Solution in Tier 3 Markets!

Team Unicommerce — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:04:54 +0000

Tier 3 markets are emerging as the new focal points for businesses seeking growth. With their untapped potential and promising opportunities, these markets offer an exciting playground for expansion. However, realising success in these regions demands a well-thought-out strategy, and at the core of this strategy lies the transformational power of shipping automation.

So, here we are with the most effective tips for choosing the best shipping automation solution in Tier 3 markets! These tips will be the guiding light for businesses aiming to conquer these markets through the implementation of effective shipping automation

Tips for Choosing the Best Shipping Automation Solutions –

1. Maximum Pin Code Accessibility

Tier 3 markets have their unique charm, but they can look like a puzzle for brands that don’t have an efficient shipping automation solution. Our first tip for choosing the best shipping automation solution for the tier 3 market revolves around it!

One of the factors that you should consider while selecting a shipping automation solution is that it should offer a comprehensive network covering a multitude of pin codes. The wider your reach, the more your brand can enchant those lesser-explored regions. From remote villages to bustling towns, ensure your solution can connect every dot on the map.

2. Seamless Order Fulfilment Process

In Tier 3 markets, the key to triumph lies in a flawless order fulfilment process. This process transcends mere product delivery; it is about curating an unforgettable customer experience.

From the moment an order is placed to the instant a shipping label is generated, the process should flow as effortlessly as it can. Furthermore, you should go for a solution that offers auto-allocation of carriers based on the fastest delivery to a pin code, cheapest carrier options, best delivery providers, etc.

Just as a maestro ensures every note blends harmoniously, your shipping automation should guarantee that each order is orchestrated with precision. A seamless process not only elevates efficiency but also helps in delivering a smooth customer experience, as you can impress customers with on-time or early delivery.

3. Earliest Delivery Option

When considering the best shipping automation solution for Tier 3 markets, it’s crucial to factor in an “Earliest Delivery Option.” Customers are always keen on early delivery and are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers the same.

Today, shipping automation companies provide features like next-day delivery or 2-day delivery choices. With early delivery options, brands can actually offer a flawless and smooth post-purchase experience to customers.

4. AI-driven Tracking & Notifications

Transparency and timely updates about the order are something modern customers expect from all brands, no matter whether they live in Tier 2 or 3. In the realm of e-commerce, where sellers and buyers often stand separated by distances, providing real-time updates becomes the cornerstone of this transparency. Thus, let’s take you through the next on our list of tips for choosing the best shipping automation solution.

In today’s landscape, customers anticipate staying in perfect sync with their purchases, tracking orders with real-time updates spanning from dispatch to delivery. Moreover, timely notifications in harmony with these expectations fashion a symphony of trust. Each notification, seamlessly aligned with the customer’s journey, transforms a routine transaction into a delightful post-purchase customer experience.

5. Automates the Returns/Exchange Process

Returns are an integral part of e-commerce, and in Tier 3 markets, brands should focus more on it. The main spotlight should be on the returns process. Thus, the next tip for choosing the best shipping automation solution is that you should offer a shipping automation solution that streamlines the returns process.

A returns process that is intuitive and easy to follow reassures customers and lays the foundation for future purchases. Today, shipping automation solutions offer various services like a one-click exchange, a branded returns page (where you can upsell and cross-sell products), instant refunds, and more. You should opt for a solution that offers it all. In Tier 3 markets, where every facet of customer interaction holds immense value, a comprehensive returns process introduces a note of reliability.

6. Provides Early COD Remittance Feature

India is a cash-rich economy, and people prefer the COD payment method. Therefore, e-commerce brands have to accept COD payments. Now, brands receive COD payments from shipping solutions quite late, and this leads to restrictions on cash flow and disrupted working capital.

Therefore, e-commerce brands have to accept COD payments. Now, brands receive COD payments from shipping solutions quite late, and this leads to restrictions on cash flow and disrupted working capital.

In short, with our most important tip for choosing the best shipping solution in Tier 3 markets, we would like to highlight the importance of the Early COD Remittance feature. Today, shipping solutions are offering an Early COD remittance feature at nominal charges, and with it, you can receive the amount in 2 days or max 4 days(depending on the plans). The smart tip will be to choose a shipping solution that offers this feature so that the cash keeps flowing and you can easily manage other tasks.

7. Innumerable Integrations

When selecting a shipping automation solution for your business, it’s imperative to choose one that seamlessly integrates with various marketplaces and platforms. An effective shipping solution should act as a bridge between your brand and the multitude of online marketplaces where you showcase your products.

This e-commerce integration streamlines your operations by consolidating orders from different sources into a centralised system, enabling you to manage everything efficiently. Therefore, a shipping automation solution that harmonises with various marketplaces amplifies your reach, enhances operational efficiency, and elevates customer satisfaction in one orchestrated solution.

8. Customer Support

It’s time for the last and another effective tip for choosing the best shipping automation solution in Tier 3 markets. Go for a solution that has responsive and trustworthy customer support. Read reviews, do a little research, and you’ll know which solutions brands are happy with and are getting incredible results.

Final Takeaway

Selecting the right shipping automation is the first thing that brands should do while targeting the Tier 3 markets. With these seven tips, you’re armed to choose the perfect automation solution that will elevate your brand to the dazzling heights it deserves. So, go ahead and set sail on this exhilarating journey, and watch your business transform the e-commerce landscape, one automated shipment at a time!

Sign-up today or Book a Demo with one of our E-commerce Experts to see if Unicommerce is right SaaS Platform for your E-commerce Business.

Why E-commerce Marketplace Integration is Important for Multichannel Sellers

Team Unicommerce — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 11:29:24 +0000

E-commerce businesses thrive on continued revenue growth. Globally in just over a decade e-commerce business has grown in leaps and bounds, and has changed the way how people do shopping. Led mostly by B2C behemoths like eBay and Amazon, the goal of e-commerce businesses worldwide today is to satisfy as many customers as possible alongside continually scaling up their website traffic, thereby increasing their reach. Many of these e-commerce businesses are opting for a multi-channel business model to boost their business, but this has many challenges. Some of the challenges faced by e-commerce sellers in a multi-channel model are lack of consistent branding and messaging across various channels; difficulty with inventory management for each channel and chances of inventory mixup; managing multiple relationships with customers across various channels but it is not only time-consuming but also expensive.

What is E-commerce Marketplace Integration?

This API-based tool serves as a two-way link between multiple online marketplaces and a single selling platform. The e-commerce marketplace integration facilitate multi-channel sales by combining different e-commerce processes, establishing connections with inventory, and transferring data from multiple channels into a single operational platform in real-time.

It allows you to organise your product lists with various online marketplaces, such as Lazada, Noon, Walmart, Amazon, and more. There are many benefits of e-commerce marketplace integration. This tool can allow you to manage your day-to-day activities, such as uploading new product details, downloading pending orders, printing invoices, generating labels, printing dispatch manifests, tracking orders and shipments, checking and updating inventory stock, and more.

What are the Benefits of E-commerce Marketplace Integration?

1. Reduces Manual Selling Process

E-commerce marketplace integration eliminates most manual processes by streamlining the entire workflow, including product upload, figure updates, order management, etc.

2. Faster Data Transfer

Real-time connection of APIs of all seller platforms ensures the data flow is fast and secure. Each data transfer call is validated. It eliminates friction in data flow between marketplaces to online stores and inventory, cutting down errors.

3. No Switch Between Platforms

One of the best benefits of marketplace integration is that it eliminates switching between platforms to manage activities. Instead, you can manage all activities from a single dashboard. E-commerce marketplace integration also allows sellers like you to save time and effort by making the selling process much easier. This way, you can devote time to other critical matters.

4. Cover More Channels

Integration increases product visibility through improved listing performance. It gives sellers like you the freedom to connect your portal to many marketplaces.

5. Beat Competition

Another benefit is that it allows e-commerce sellers to compete more efficiently. You can claim the buy box every time by repricing products as needed. You can also manage discounts and provide consistency across all marketplaces.

6. Boost Inventory Visibility

Using multichannel inventory control software you can centralise data across all channels. The biggest benefit is that you can monitor inventory across all of its stocking points. This gives you the freedom to choose the next cheapest shipping location if a default location is unviable or if the default location is out-of-stock product you can deliver it from the next nearest location..

7. Reach More Audience

Another benefit is that selling on multiple platforms empowers to boost brand recognition. It allows you to grab new audiences by displaying your products across multiple platforms, and establishing a brand presence across multiple channels.

8. Improve Demand Sensing

E-commerce marketplace integration enables one to avoid overstocking. It happens due to poor planning and anticipation of demand fluctuation, thanks to poor forecasting and data collection. A multichannel inventory control software provides you with accurate sales forecasts, enabling you to avoid an oversupply or undersupply situation, thereby eating into the margins of a business.

9. Cut Errors

E-commerce marketplace integration ensures a seamless integration of all processes thereby cutting down any chances of errors that can affect your daily operation.

What are the Features of E-commerce Marketplace Integration?

1. Centralised Dashboard

An intuitive centralised dashboard enables you to analyze your sales campaign performance across various marketplaces. It enables tracking top-selling products in the marketplace, account-wise orders summary, recent orders, lifetime sales, monthly sales records, and more. E-commerce integration enables data flow between marketplaces and inventory via a single dashboard, making it easier for you to take all the necessary actions.

2. Real-Time Updates

Real-time communication between various platforms is one of the essential features of e-commerce marketplace integration. It ensures that all the figures, including inventory, orders, and product details, are updated in real-time. It enables you to eliminates chances of overselling or underselling, allowing you to sell products across multiple platforms by maintaining optimum stock levels.

3. Automated Crons

E-commerce marketplace integration comes with a feature of automated crons that enables eliminating manual errors. Crons are, in reality, commands that nudge the server to execute a predetermined process on time. It saves you the hassle of performing the same functions repeatedly, allowing you to focus on other essential functions. It also allows you to improve the pace of data exchange between various platforms.

4. Manage and Upload Products in Bulk

E-commerce marketplace Integration allows you to upload bulk products from your online store to the marketplace in just one single click. This enables you to manage your product catalogue smoothly without much fuss and dedicate more time towards other important activities.

5. Centralised Order Management

This is one of those features of e-commerce marketplace integration that allows sellers to execute all types of order-related operations like accept, reject, ship, or delete orders from multiple platforms via one centralised location. E-commerce sellers can lose existing or potential customers if they cannot manage online orders on time. A centralised order management system ensures that sellers are not required to log in to multiple platforms to manage their orders.

6. Multiple Seller Account Support

Marketplace integration allows you to easily manage multi-channel accounts through the same marketplace simultaneously, irrespective of geographical boundaries. Using this, you can sell the same inventory using multiple accounts from a single location.

7. Automated Shipment & Tracking

E-commerce marketplace integration facilitates the automatic shipment of inventory. Centralised inventory management software allows you to connect with leading carriers to ensure each order is fulfilled and products are seamlessly delivered to customers on time. You can also track a shipment in real-time using marketplace integration. Once the product is released for delivery, all other details such as billing/shipping address, shipping carrier, tracking code, live location are shared with sellers to monitor from their own web portal.

8. Automated Live Notifications

E-commerce marketplace integration ensures that you get automated live notifications on your web portal. You can get instant updates on any new order received or rejected, low inventory, etc., live on your portal. You can further customise the marketplace for more live notifications.

Conclusion

Marketplace integration in e-commerce is essential for multi-channel e-commerce sellers like you, as it allows you the flexibility to sell across multiple channels through a single platform. It also enables you to consistently target more customers across various geographical regions and get real-time updates in order distribution. Most importantly, it reduces the manual effort of switching between various channels, thereby allowing you to upload products in bulk. It gives you more time at hand to devote to other critical processes.

The Comprehensive Guide to E-commerce Integration

Team Unicommerce — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 17:16:23 +0000

In today’s world of technology, it is difficult to think of a business without being integrated with various applications. Integration not only makes it easier to operate but also helps businesses save on both cost and time.

Imagine this, you have just started an e-commerce business. From keeping track of operations to checking the account hygiene to boosting sales, it is difficult to manage all the functions together. That’s when eCommerce integrations come as a savior.

A brief overview of E-commerce Integration

The e-commerce integration software helps businesses connect with other business systems to simplify their business processes. From accounting to marketplace management to shipping and order fulfillment, there are different types of integrations that you can leverage on.

In simple terms, e-commerce integration help your e-commerce business seamlessly enhance the customer experience. With an efficient integration system, you can boost productivity and scale on higher profits. Additionally, eCommerce integrations help your brand to manage customers across multiple sales channels.

Things to consider while deploying third-party E-commerce Integration

Before you deploy any sort of integration service in your system, it’s important to understand the major aspects that are frequently overlooked.

Quick turnaround time: If integrating third-party software is taking longer than anticipated, it’s of no use for your business as it’s killing one of the most important benefits of employing an integration – save on time.

Minimal technical support: Integrations are deployed to simplify the business process. So you must look for the integration that requires minimal technical assistance/expertise post its implementation.

Gives a plethora of options: One of the features you must consider while deploying an integration is that it should give a wide range of options to scale business including e-commerce ecosystem, marketplaces, ERPS, POS, etc.

Find integrations of flexible nature: The business environment is rapidly changing. Thus, before you employ any sort of integration, check whether it will change according to the evolving needs of your business or not.

Check their target audience: Before implementing a third-party integration, you must analyze their audiences. You must share the same set of audiences as the association can further help in promoting your brand.

Advantages of using third-party E-commerce Integration for your e-commerce business

Connecting your online website with various other sales channels and corporate systems can enhance many components of your eCommerce business. To have a deeper understanding, let’s take a look at some of its advantages:

Manage error-free data: Integrating with different marketplaces and carts helps your eCommerce business maintain accurate data, eliminating the chance of duplicate data entry.

Leverage on new-age business models: Businesses can make the best use of the latest D2C business models as they can sell through various sales channels directly without involving intermediaries.

Enhance customer service: One of the crucial aspects of any sort of business is its customers. Integrations help brands provide real-time updates to the customer regarding their order status, price, availability of stock, etc.

Give an omnichannel experience: To survive in an ocean full of businesses, being omnipresent is the basic requirement you need to fulfill. With integrations aligned, it becomes easier for businesses to operate across offline and online channels seamlessly.

Track inventory across all channels: Manual data always poses a chance of error. With an integrated system, you can keep a record of inventory levels across multiple sales channels all while streamlining inventory synchronization.

Different types of E-commerce Integrations Software –

Inventory Integration: Be it food and consumer goods such as milk, bread, etc., or fashion and personal care products including face cream, perfume, etc. consumers often look for expiry dates in each item they order. To keep the right amount of inventory, inventory integration service streamlines the whole process of e-commerce inventory management and order processing.

Sales & CRM Integration: CRM as the name suggests helps you make a better relationship with your customers. Sales & CRM integrations incline your online business with marketing tools.

Shipping Integration: Shipping integrations improve the overall purchase experience of the customer. By giving regular shipping updates, you can help your customers track their orders. Moreover, it also simplifies warehouse management as you can coordinate shipping across multiple warehouses. Some of the best shipping providers to simplify the shipping process are DTDC, DHL, Shiprocket, Ninja Van, etc.

Accounting integration: To grow your bottom-line efficiently, each business regardless of its size and nature, needs to keep a check on cash inflow and outflow. That’s when accounting integration such as Tally, Busy, etc. comes in handy. Manual maintenance of finances is also an option, but the reports could be prone to errors. Thus, look for an accounting system that supports your business operations.

Cart Integration: Establishing your online presence is the most important aspect of growing your online store. Cart integration lets you build your website from scratch. Brands such as Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, etc. help you expand your product portfolio over an online platform.

Marketplace Integrations: Along with your website, you must have your listings over various marketplaces. Meesho, Lazada, Amazon Flex, Flipkart, Myntra, Amazon, Noon, etc. gives you an e-commerce integration platform to reach out to millions of customers.

ERP Integration: Many times, business organizations have to maintain a range of software solutions for each function and employ resources to update those systems. To keep integrating various functions, ERP integration help you run business smoothly. Unicommerce helps you make the most of your business with ERP integrations including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Navision, etc.

POS Integrations: From scanning and tracing the product to printing the order receipts, POS or Point of Sales integrations including Ginesys, Logic ERP, etc. lets you serve your customers faster than usual. Not to mention, you can also give real-time updates to your customers while giving an omnichannel experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on E-commerce Integrations

1. Why is E-commerce Integration Important?

Integration can completely boost productivity all while reducing time and cost. Additionally, they can help your business target future expansion as it saves manpower costs. Moreover, you can make better decisions and organize the workflow efficiently.

2. What are API integrations?

API or application programming interface is a go-between that ensures the smooth working of the various enterprise systems. API acts as an intermediary between business applications and data.

3. What does business integration mean?

Business integration is rather a process that is strategized to keep in sync between information technology and business cultures.

4. What is an integrated marketplace?

An integrated marketplace is a platform where businesses can showcase their complete product portfolio to a wider set of audiences.

5. What is ERP integration?

ERP integrations build a synchronization between various other applications and data sources. Moreover, an ERP integration builds a unified platform for you to perform different functions.

6. What are three ERP integration methods?

Built on the three IT models, there are three types of ERP integration models; a top-down or ERP-centric approach, a center-out or MOM-centric approach, or a bottom-up or industrial automation-centric approach.

7. How are ERP and e-commerce related?

When ERP is clubbed up with eCommerce, they work in a unified manner to help the organization run its operations smoothly. With the deployment of ERP software, your online website works more efficiently. Additionally, you can align offline and online sales together, giving an omnichannel experience to your customers.

8. How to integrate e-commerce ERP?

To integrate eCommerce ERP efficiently in your system, the best way is to use a multichannel platform. The technology offers a platform that can help you resolve the problems that challenge your operational capabilities.

9. Does salesforce integrate with eCommerce?

Salesforce simplifies your website operations as it helps you track down the behavior and experience of your customers for re-marketing opportunities. Moreover, the salesforce commerce cloud gives both B2C and B2B businesses a world-class platform that is ideal for eCommerce integration.

Conclusion

The e-commerce industry is evolving more than ever. Every business wants to stand out in the competitive market. To be one step ahead of your competitors, make the most of your business by integrating your system, scaling on amplified profits. Furthermore, you can enjoy long-term growth and improved services that will help you expand your business both locally and globally. Coupled with strategic planning, you can additionally cut on the operational cost by automating the routine functions.

Suggested Reading:

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How Robust Marketplace Integration Transforms E-commerce Order Management

Team Unicommerce — Tue, 09 May 2023 07:04:01 +0000

E-commerce order management is the back-end process for managing and fulfilling online orders. It’s responsible for ensuring that when a customer clicks “Buy Now,” everything flows seamlessly from there on. This encompasses a wide range of tasks, from routing orders and generating shipping labels to handling returns and managing refunds.

The significance of effective e-commerce order management cannot be overstated. It directly impacts customer satisfaction, which in turn affects your business’s reputation and bottom line. One key aspect that plays a pivotal role in the efficiency of e-commerce order management is marketplace integration.

The Role of Marketplace Integration in Order Management

Marketplace integration refers to the process of connecting your single selling platform with various online marketplaces, creating a seamless flow of information between your store and external platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and others.

This integration enables a centralized management system, streamlining various aspects of e-commerce order management. It acts as a bridge that brings together your product listings, inventory management, order processing, and customer data, creating a unified and synchronized ecosystem.

Let’s take the case of a small business owner who sells handmade crafts on both their Shopify store and Flipkart. Before, they had to manually update product listings, inventory levels, and order statuses on each platform separately.

However, after getting an Order Management System with integrated marketplaces, when a sale occurs on Flipkart, the inventory levels are automatically updated on both Flipkart and their Shopify store. Additionally, order details are seamlessly synchronized, eliminating the need for manual input and reducing the chances of errors.

Benefits of E-commerce Marketplace Integrations

Here are some advantages of integrating marketplaces with your single selling platform:

1. Streamlined Processes and Reduced Errors

Marketplace integration eliminates manual data entry of orders on multiple channels, reducing the chances of errors and ensuring that information is consistently updated across all platforms. This streamlining of processes leads to a more efficient and error-free order management system.

RSA Global, a Dubai-based digital supply chain and e-commerce logistics solutions provider, recognized the importance of modernizing its logistics operations. To gain access to widely-used e-commerce marketplaces, RSA Global opted for robust order management.

The system seamlessly facilitated RSA’s integration with Amazon, Noon, and Custom Website (WooCommerce). These integrations allowed for real-time data synchronization, simplifying data exchange and reducing the risk of manual errors.

2. Real-Time Inventory Management on All Sales Channels

This integration extends beyond order management, enabling the synchronization of inventory levels across all connected marketplaces and the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) store. By creating a unified inventory source for all platforms, this approach streamlines processes and enhances inventory forecasting capabilities, preventing challenges like overselling or stockouts.

A well-known footwear brand, Neeman’s, required diverse marketplace integrations such as Amazon, Flex, Flipkart, and Shopify, Neeman’s implemented a solution to seamlessly integrate its inventory and manage orders across all required platforms. This has significantly contributed to Neeman’s ability to maintain a steady inventory flow, meeting the demands of its tech-savvy customer base with efficiency.

3. Automated Order Processing

As your business scales, manually processing orders becomes impractical. Marketplace integration establishes seamless connections between the business’s selling platform and various online marketplaces. This integration allows for the automatic transmission of order details, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.

The integrated system automatically updates order statuses, providing customers with timely information about their purchases from confirmation to delivery. Automated order processing expedites fulfillment tasks, ensuring products are picked, packed, and dispatched efficiently. The result is a smoother transaction process and reduced manpower costs.

4. Seamless Returns Management

Efficient returns management in e-commerce is achieved through the seamless integration of marketplace platforms with a robust Order Management System (OMS). This integration centralizes returns processing, allowing businesses to handle both Customer-Initiated Returns (CIRs) and Returns to Origin (RTO) with ease.

The streamlined communication between multiple sales channels ensures real-time data exchange, reducing manual intervention and enhancing visibility into return trends. The automated features of the OMS, such as generating return labels and updating inventory levels, contribute to cost reduction by minimizing manual efforts.

5. Data-Driven Decision-Making

Marketplace integration serves as a powerful tool for businesses, consolidating data from diverse platforms to facilitate informed decision-making. By seamlessly connecting with various online marketplaces, businesses gain access to a wealth of information, including customer behavior, sales trends, and product performance.

Analyzing trends becomes more nuanced as businesses can identify patterns in consumer preferences, popular products, and peak buying periods. The real-time synchronization of data ensures that businesses are working with the most current information, enhancing the accuracy of trend analysis.

Let’s Leverage the Power of Marketplace Integrations!

A well-functioning order management system is crucial for the success of any e-commerce business. Marketplace integration emerges as a key player, seamlessly connecting your single selling platform with external marketplaces for a smoother operation. Any business that is not capitalizing on the power of marketplace integrations may find itself navigating unnecessary challenges.

In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, where every click counts, the imperative is to leverage this integration as a strategic advantage. Therefore, the call to action is clear, let’s leverage the power of marketplace integrations to propel your e-commerce business forward.

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Revolutionizing Businesses: The Impact of ERP Integration with E-commerce

Team Unicommerce — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:41:31 +0000

In the dynamic realm of commerce, the convergence of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems with e-commerce platforms is reshaping the landscape, particularly within the retail sector. This integration is proving to be a game-changer for businesses, unlocking a plethora of benefits that enhance operations, customer experiences, and overall efficiency.

Understanding ERP Integration in E-commerce

ERP integration in e-commerce is a process that involves connecting and synchronizing an ERP system with an e-commerce platform. The goal is to streamline and optimize various business operations by facilitating the seamless exchange of information and data between the centralized hub of the ERP system and the online sales and customer interaction functions of the e-commerce platform.

This fusion involves linking core functionalities such as inventory management, order processing, accounting, human resources, and customer relationship management, creating a unified approach to managing diverse business processes.

1. Enhanced Efficiency and Streamlined Operations: Integrating ERP with e-commerce introduces a consolidated approach to managing business processes. The centralized nature of ERP systems streamlines operations by combining multiple functions, including inventory management, order processing, accounting, and customer relationship management. This integration ensures a seamless flow of data across the entire business, minimizing errors and redundant tasks.

For retailers, this means that product information, inventory levels, and customer data are automatically updated across all channels. This consistency in data results in reduced manual entry, increased accuracy, and improved operational efficiency.

2. Optimized Inventory Management: Effective inventory management is critical for retail and e-commerce success. ERP systems, providing real-time data on inventory levels, become even more powerful when integrated with e-commerce platforms. This e-commerce integrations enables accurate tracking of stock levels across various sales channels, allowing businesses to implement strategies like just-in-time inventory, prevent stockouts, and better forecast demand.

3. Seamless Order Processing and Fulfillment: The integration of ERP and e-commerce streamlines the order processing and fulfillment mechanism. When a customer places an order online, the ERP system instantly updates inventory records and initiates the order fulfillment process. This automation reduces fulfillment times, enhancing the overall customer experience.

4. Improved Customer Experience: Exceptional customer experience is a cornerstone of retail and e-commerce success. Integrating ERP with e-commerce platforms enables businesses to provide a unified and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. Whether a customer makes a purchase in-store, on a website, or via a mobile app, the integrated system ensures a consistent experience by maintaining updated information on orders, shipping, and customer preferences.

5. Data-Driven Insights for Informed Decision-Making: The amalgamation of ERP and e-commerce generates a wealth of data that can be harnessed for actionable insights. The integrated system provides comprehensive analytics and reporting, offering valuable information on customer behavior, sales patterns, and inventory performance. With these insights, businesses can make informed decisions regarding product offerings, pricing strategies, and marketing initiatives, staying competitive and adaptive in the market.

6. Omnichannel Capabilities: In today’s retail landscape, providing an omnichannel experience is imperative. Integrating ERP with e-commerce facilitates businesses in offering a seamless experience across various channels, including in-store, online, mobile, and social media. This synchronization enables features like ‘buy online, pick up in-store’ (BOPIS), unified customer profiles, and consistent pricing and promotions across all channels, ensuring a cohesive and convenient customer experience.

Conclusion:

The integration of ERP with e-commerce, whether in the retail sector or following omnichannel strategies, offers businesses numerous advantages. From improved operational efficiency to enhanced customer experiences, the synchronization of these systems is pivotal in staying competitive and meeting the dynamic demands of the modern market. As technology continues to evolve, this integration will likely remain a cornerstone for businesses looking to thrive in the ever-expanding digital commerce landscape.

Streamlining E-commerce Operations: The Power of Integrating ERP with WMS

Team Unicommerce — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 08:00:54 +0000

Have you ever noticed how quickly businesses are popping up online these days? As the online retail sector continues to expand, the need for seamless e-commerce operations becomes increasingly vital. This demand to synchronize various business processes such as sales, finance, inventory, and customer data has given rise to the widespread adoption of ERP systems. But what exactly is an ERP system, and why is it so crucial for scalable e-commerce businesses? Let’s dive deep into this comprehensive guide to understand the role of ERP in e-commerce.

Understanding the Role of ERP in E-commerce

The strategic alignment of your online sales platform with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is important. This alignment establishes a seamless, two-way information exchange, ensuring that data entered into one system effortlessly synchronizes with the other systems, eliminating the need for redundant data entry.

However, the pursuit of e-commerce excellence doesn’t conclude there. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) play a vital role in this ecosystem. Collaborating seamlessly with ERP systems, they enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of your e-commerce operations, ultimately optimizing your business processes.

Key Differences Between WMS and ERP

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) are both critical systems used in the e-commerce ecosystem, especially in industries that rely on supply chains and inventory management. While they have some overlapping functionalities, they serve different primary purposes.

Here’s a comparison between ERP and WMS:

ERP: An ERP system integrates various business processes across an organization into a unified system. It may encompass a broad range of functions like finance, human resources, procurement, sales, production, and, yes, even some basic inventory management.
WMS: A WMS is designed specifically to manage and optimize warehouse operations. This includes tracking inventory levels, order fulfillment, receiving, picking, and shipping goods. Moreover, a robust WMS is a hub for strong and adaptive integrations. Strong integrations mean a responsive and optimized warehouse ecosystem.

How Integrating ERP with WMS Can Improve Your E-commerce Business Operations

Integrating ERP with WMS can significantly enhance the efficiency, responsiveness, and scalability of e-commerce business operations. Here’s how this e-commerce integration can benefit e-commerce operations:

Streamlined Inventory Management
Consistent Data Across Platforms
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
Efficient Returns Management

1. Streamlined Inventory Management

ERP typically contains sales and procurement data, while WMS tracks the real-time movement of inventory in the warehouse. By seamlessly integrating these two vital components, businesses can achieve near real-time inventory visibility.

Consider the case of WOW Skin Science, a brand with numerous SKUs. To streamline inventory management and fulfill orders promptly, they used a customized API solution of WMS integrated with Odoo, a US-based ERP software.

What WOW Skin Science achieved?

99.99%+ Order Fulfillment Rate
112% Order Growth Rate in 7 Months
Maintained Average O2S Time of 26.8 hours
141% Increase in Catalog Size
Over 8 Lakh Live Inventory Count

This integration allowed Odoo to fetch inventory data daily. When inventory levels dipped below a certain threshold, Odoo automatically generated purchase orders to WOW’s vendors and product manufacturers. This created a positive impact on unit economics by ensuring consistent product availability, minimizing stockouts and overstock issues for the brand, and enabling prompt order fulfillment.

2. Consistent Data Across Platforms

With a robust ERP solution, any update in one system is mirrored in the other. For instance, if a batch of products is found defective and labeled as bad inventory in the WMS, the ERP will instantly adjust financial projections based on this data. A real-world example is the House of Rare, which employs the Ginesys ERP system that pushes the inventory details (store-wise SKU detail) from the brand’s 51 stores into its WMS.

What House of Rare achieved?

178K+ dispatches per month
710K+ live inventory count
34% drop in order returns
51+ stores and marketplaces managed
Maintained Average O2S Time of 27.4 hours
12 hrs average dispatch time

The inventory management system then compiles the details of the entire inventory and passes it to the brand’s own website (Shopify) along with multiple marketplaces, providing 360-degree visibility of inventory to the brand and customers across all stores. If a product is unavailable in one store, the system identifies its availability in another, enabling the product to be ordered and delivered to the customer from an alternative location. This ensures that potential sales are never missed due to stockouts at individual locations.

3. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

The crux of a satisfactory e-commerce experience lies in how promptly orders are processed and delivered. With an ERP integration in place, the data exchange doesn’t just stay confined between the manufacturer and the warehouse. It becomes a seamless flow across the whole supply chain ecosystem, from suppliers to end customers.

This ensures that when a customer places an order, it’s quickly received by the warehouse, minimizing any delay. As a result, processes such as picking, packing, and shipping commence almost immediately. Quicker dispatch means quicker deliveries, making customers happy. Leading brands, such as Mamaearth, recognized these advantages. They rely on the robust capabilities of SAP ERP to elevate their order management.

What Mamaearth achieved?

Automated order operations resulted in a 99.99%+ fulfillment rate
Real-time inventory management ensured 3M+ order dispatches/month
Optimized operations management led to 144% order growth in a short span of 8 months
Multichannel order management enabled to handle 10,110,393 live inventory count
Having a live catalog count of 2080, experiencing an increase of 176% growth
The average order-to-ship time decreased to 17 hours
Marketplaces increased from 1 to 8

4. Efficient Returns Management

Returns are an inevitable part of the e-commerce business. However, how efficiently a business manages these returns can significantly impact customer satisfaction. Leveraging the power of an integrated ERP-WMS setup can revolutionize the way businesses handle product returns.

Upon a customer initiating a return, the WMS swiftly alerts the warehouse, prepping them for the incoming product and providing precise directives on whether to restock, repair, or dispose of the item.

Parallelly, the ERP handles the financial intricacies, calculating and initiating the necessary refunds or credits. This seamless operation improves operational efficiency by maintaining transparent communication with customers about return statuses.

Commonly Used ERP Solutions for E-commerce Businesses

There are a lot of ERP solutions available for e-commerce businesses. Here are some commonly used options:

SAP
Oracle NetSuite
LogicERP
ERPNext
Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Ginesys
Odoo
Wondersoft

See how Unicommerce’s E-commerce ERP Integration Platform helps e-commerce businesses manage their operations –

Final Takeaway!

Understanding the core of ERP and its role in your e-commerce business is not just a matter of staying competitive; it’s about future-proofing your business in an ever-changing digital world. However, it’s essential that your tech stack is not only integrated with ERP but should also complement and support each system’s unique functionalities. With the right ERP strategy and implementation, e-commerce businesses can position themselves for sustained success and growth in the dynamic e-commerce ecosystem.

E-commerce Apparel Industry in India: Trends, Challenges, Opportunities & Solutions

Team Unicommerce — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 12:00:50 +0000

India is the second largest producer of textiles and garments in the world. India’s fashion and apparel industry is a significant contributor to the country’s economy, accounting for 2.3% of the GDP. The industry is projected to experience strong growth in the coming years, with a projected CAGR of 10%, and is expected to reach US$ 190 billion by 2025-26.

E-commerce Apparel Industry in India

According to the Indian E-commerce Trends Report of Unicommerce, the online fashion and accessories industry in India witnessed an order volume growth of 20.9%, becoming the segment with the highest order volumes in FY22 as compared to the previous financial year.

The apparel industry is known for its ability to adapt to change, with new trends and styles emerging regularly. Change has always been the wardrobe essential of this industry, happening almost every quarter of each year. This constant need for adaptation also brings its own set of challenges for the industry.

Keeping up with the fast-paced nature of the industry can be difficult for brands and retailers, as they need to stay ahead of the latest trends and styles while also managing costs and maintaining profitability. With a rotational shift happening in the industry, Unicommerce decided to go ahead and curate e-commerce fashion trends, challenges, opportunities, and solutions that can help you manage and schedule your business action plan in 2023!

Let’s look at the growing trends, challenges, opportunities & solutions in the apparel industry.

Apparel Industry Trends

The apparel industry is constantly evolving, with new trends emerging each season. Here are a few of the key trends to watch in the industry in the coming year:

Trend #1: Fashioning the Future With Sustainability

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of the clothing they purchase. As a result, sustainable fashion, also known as eco-fashion or ethical fashion, is becoming an increasingly important trend in the industry.

Brands are increasingly using organic cotton, bamboo, and linen, which are grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Recycled materials, such as recycled polyester and nylon, are also becoming more popular as they help to reduce waste and pollution.

Another key aspect of sustainable fashion is the use of sustainable production methods. This includes reducing water and energy consumption, using low-impact dyes, and implementing fair labor practices. As consumers become more conscious about their purchasing power and environmental impact, it is expected that sustainable fashion production will become increasingly important.

Trend #2: Revolutionizing Fashion With Athleisure

Athleisure, a trend that combines athletic and leisure wear, has been revolutionizing the fashion industry in recent years. This trend has been driven by the increasing popularity of comfortable, functional clothing worn both in and out of the gym.

As per Statista:The sports and athleisure retail market in India was valued at 158 billion Indian rupees in financial year 2021, and estimated to grow to 402 billion rupees by financial year 2025. Footwear made up the largest chunk of the market during the measured time period, amounting to about 90 billion rupees in 2021, and projected to grow by 21 percent by 2025.

Brands are now offering a wider range of options, from performance-focused gear to more casual and street-style pieces. This has led to the creation of new styles, such as the fusion of athletic wear with formal wear, and has opened up new possibilities for fashion designers.

Another aspect of athleisure is the use of technology, such as moisture-wicking fabric and UV protection, to enhance the functionality of athletic wear. Apparel businesses are investing in research and development to create new fabrics and technologies that can improve the performance of athletic wear.

Overall, athleisure has been a game-changer in the fashion industry, with its versatility and functionality driving the demand for athletic wear. As the trend continues to evolve, it’s likely that we’ll see more innovations in the design, materials, and technology of athletic wear, making it even more appealing to consumers.

Trend #3: Market Growth Headed by Women and Kids Wear

The shift in lifestyle and priorities of modern women is leading to a greater focus on self-awareness and appearance, driving growth in the women’s apparel market. As they are becoming more conscious of their fashion choices, the demand for trendy and fashionable clothing is increasing.

The market for kids’ wear is driven by factors such as the increasing number of working mothers and the growing trend of parents investing in high-quality clothing for their children. According to a recent report by Wazir Advisors, India’s kids’ wear market is expected to reach INR 1,23,000 Crores by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 13%.

In terms of product segments, the market for women’s wear is segmented into ethnic wear, western wear, and lingerie. Western wear is expected to be the most lucrative segment in the women’s wear market, driven by the increasing demand for casual and formal wear. With the growth of e-commerce, the market is expected to continue growing, providing opportunities for fashion retailers and manufacturers.

Trend #4: Style and Functionality are Key to Modern Consumers’ Wardrobe

When it comes to fashion, modern consumers are looking for clothing that not only looks good but also serves a purpose. The combination of style and functionality is becoming increasingly important in today’s wardrobe. Consumers are looking for comfortable, durable, and versatile clothing that can be worn for different occasions and meet different needs.

Functionality is especially important for activewear and athleisure, as consumers seek clothing that can keep up with their busy lifestyles and support their physical activities. Fashion, on the other hand, fashion is essential in creating a unique and personal style. Consumers are looking for clothing that reflects their personal tastes and preferences and makes them stand out.

Brands are responding to this by offering a wide range of options, from classic and timeless styles to trendy and fashion-forward pieces. As lifestyles and fashion preferences evolve, brands and retailers that understand and respond to these needs will be well-positioned to succeed in the market.

Trend #5: The Growing Era of Digital First Brands

The apparel industry is currently experiencing a shift towards digital-first brands. These brands prioritize online sales and digital marketing over traditional brick-and-mortar retail and are utilizing technology to create a seamless and personalized shopping experience for consumers.

One of the biggest advantages of digital-first brands is their ability to reach a global audience through e-commerce. These brands can sell directly to consumers, bypassing traditional retail channels and cutting down on costs. This allows them to offer a wide range of products at competitive prices.

With the advancement in technology and more people turning to the internet for fashion inspiration and shopping, digital-first brands will have a significant opportunity to thrive in the industry.

Opportunities in the Apparel Industry

The Indian textile and apparel market has significant growth potential, with the industry projected to reach $190 billion by 2025-26. To reach this target and establish a sustainable textile industry, Indian businesses must take advantage of government support schemes, meet global buyer sustainability demands, and prioritize supply chain traceability.

Government policies and regulations have directed their focus on this industry. Mr. Piyush Goyal, the Minister of Textiles, announced that the Indian government plans to create 75 textile hubs across the country. Not to mention the government has also reduced the custom duty rates on caprolactam, nylon chips, and nylon fiber and yarn to 5%. These regulations have created plenty of opportunities for the Textile and Apparel Industry in the e-commerce sector.

With lined-up opportunities, there come several challenges for simplified apparel e-commerce.

Current & Future Challenges and Problems in the Apparel Industry

The new trends, changing consumer habits, and market shifts have shed light on the new challenges the e-commerce apparel industry is facing in 2023.

Difficulty in managing customized order allocation and inventory sync
Unable to align warehouse operations manually
The impact of COVID-19 and the need to adapt to the changing retail landscape and consumer behavior
Inability to manage deliveries, leading to a higher % of Customer Initiated Returns (CIR)
Hard to align multiple sales channels and offline stores alongside
Back-breaking for e-commerce platforms to manage multiple vendors
Untimely and inefficient delivery of products
No stock rotation leading to outdated stock
The increased cost of Reverse Logistics
The need to navigate the complex and ever-changing regulations and compliance requirements
Poor management of returns and cancellations
Difficulty in predicting and managing demand, inventory, and logistics

Evolving Practices as a Solution to Challenges in the Apparel Industry

Starting up your own fashion e-commerce business has never been easier, especially post the pandemic. Right from managing the inventory and warehouse operations to timely updating the digital attire of an e-commerce store, the aspects are many. But with the advancement of technology, it has become important to adopt some upcoming practices, aligning the sales with your operations.

Following are some of the upcoming e-commerce practices that act as a solution to the challenges you are witnessing during these tough times.

Delivering Omnichannel Experiences

It has become imperative to provide customers with a seamless experience at all touchpoints. Integrating and aligning offline and online channels together helps both businesses and customers develop better relationships. Omnichannel retail offers unhindered shopping experiences to customers and helps keep the inventory and stock levels uniform. With its advanced Omnichannel solution, Unicommerce has enabled effortless business operations & tremendous growth for Iconic Fashion India.

Serving Directly With the D2C Business Model

D2C is quite a recent approach wherein brands deal with customers directly, eliminating intermediaries. While many new brands are adopting this strategy, some established brands are switching from traditional business models to D2C models. According to Unicommerce’s e-commerce Q3 2022 trends report, the e-commerce industry witnessed robust order volume growth of 48.3% through the brand websites, while marketplaces recorded a 21.5% order volume growth.

But the question is, what makes it so different that almost all the new brands are swearing by this approach? Well, the biggest advantage for a D2C brand is that they can shorten the time to sell the products, giving their customers a better price while earning a higher margin. Direct to Consumer (D2C) e-commerce allows the original brand voice to come in front, giving brands better engagement with their customers. Moreover, the new-age solutions of Unicommerce are made specifically for D2C brands like Enamor, Chumbak, etc., to scale on higher revenues.

Why Unicommerce?

Unicommerce – Solutions to problems in the Textile and Garment industry

Unicommerce, the #1 cloud-based e-commerce solution, is focused on changing the face of Indian Fashion retail. It is on a mission to automate the largely scattered apparel industry to make it technology-driven. Its Order and Warehouse Management solutions help to automate clients’ supply chain operations for both online and offline businesses (B2B and B2C). Moreover, Unicommerce comes with 200+ integrations; Cart, Marketplaces, Logistics, ERP, and POS systems to manage the needs of Wholesalers, Distributors, Retail Chains, Individual Store owners, and e-commerce sellers to increase revenue and save operations costs.

Unicommerce’s robust supply chain technology solutions have resulted in exponential business growth, & improved unit economics for over 20,000+ global marketplaces & brands across India, the Middle East, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia. Some of the notable clientele of Unicommerce in the fashion and apparel industry include TCNS Clothing Co. LTD. (W, Aurelia, Elleven), Oryvo, Brand Studio, Bestseller (Vero Moda, Jack & Jones, Only), Being Human, GAP, GANT, Crocs, etc.

Below is a quick brief about Unicommerce’s offerings; click the links to know more in detail.

Advanced Warehouse Management – Unicommerce helps track inventory counts and manage dispatched and allocated orders, making the flow of operations simpler and more efficient. Moreover, you get a real-time update on the entire warehouse operations across multiple locations.
Omnichannel Solution – Unicommerce offers an Omnichannel Solution so that you can route online orders to the nearest offline store.
ERP/ POS management – All the current ERP/POS systems (Tally, Base, Oracle, Navision, SAP, etc.) get effortlessly integrated into our omnichannel software product
Bundle Management – Unicommerce has a Bundle Management feature that lets you create combo packs while updating combo product SKUs in real-time across multiple sales channels.
Logistics Integration – Unicommerce helps brands reduce cancellations and returns as it automates the whole process, ensuring the right product gets shipped to the customers
Unified Vendor Panels – With the Vendor Management solution, e-commerce fashion retailers can seamlessly manage suppliers via centralized login.
Centralized Inventory Management – To enable more significant cost savings, the efficient Inventory Management system restricts bad stock while minimizing the risk of overselling.
Accurate Report Analysis – Unicommerce lets you analyze and scrutinize your daily operations with its Dashboard segment. You can track the number of orders fulfilled, Sales achieved, Returns progressed, etc.
E-commerce Returns Management – Managing RTO and CIR are not difficult anymore. Unicommerce offers a comprehensive returns management solution through a centralized panel to manage returns across all sales channels, amplifying your overall sales profits.
Marketplace Integration – Having come pre-integrated with 40+ marketplaces, Unicommerce lets you sell efficiently across multiple sales channels such as Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, etc.
Simplified Fulfillment – Unicommerce simplifies the process of fulfillment with its fastest and error-free order fulfillment feature.

To coincide, e-commerce brands in the fashion and apparel industry are rising. The Apparel industry is entering a phase where the opportunities are endless, provided the sector is getting constant assistance and support from the government. New and updated practices are required to address the rising challenges. However, online fashion brands must reorganize their business model to cater to evolving demands of the competitive business environment.

Explore our platforms:

Related read –

Uncover Leading Brands Success with Unicommerce! –

The post E-commerce Apparel Industry in India: Trends, Challenges, Opportunities & Solutions appeared first on unicommerce.com.

Order, Inventory, and Logistics Management in the UAE – Challenges & Solutions

Team Unicommerce — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 00:00:09 +0000

The e-commerce industry is booming in the United Arab Emirates. While the growing young tech-savvy cohorts of the UAE could be one of the reasons for this transformation, the overall market design has evolved to incorporate the existence of digitalization. Right from the growing consumption of e-commerce marketplaces to merchants from across borders coming to claim their digital property, the whole market scenario in the UAE seems to be taking a shift with e-commerce coming into play.

From establishing multiple touchpoints across channels to retaining loyal customers to evolving marketing strategies, you have a lot of opportunities lying at your fingertips.

Are you a budding entrepreneur thinking about starting an e-commerce business in the UAE? Or maybe you have an established brick and mortar, but you are finding issues synchronizing your orders and inventory. Or maybe you do have a great online presence, but your operational costs are hampering your ability to grow your bottom line. Well, the answer is to integrate your order, inventory, and logistics in such a way that you not only speed up the inventory turnaround but also synchronize your efforts.

But before that let’s first focus on the current market opportunities and understand the untapped potential for e-commerce businesses in the market!

1. Growing Opportunities for E-commerce Players in the UAE

In the current scenario, the GCC region includes the largest e-commerce penetration rates globally. Not only consumers highly dependent on the upcoming technology systems, but businesses are also leveraging them to build their retail capabilities.

Coming over to the marketplace platforms in the region. Now, that’s something you, as a seller, can’t afford to miss. Amazon.ae has become the biggest player in the UAE market, followed by Namshi.com and Noon.com. While Amazon has been the greatest e-commerce platform in the area, there are still others that you can definitely leverage, especially if you are a startup and are looking for niche consumers.

As we talk about e-commerce, it would be wrong to leave the logistics as achieving operational excellence is the goal of each e-commerce business. While enhancing the logistics and supply chain management capabilities could be the main focus of the businesses in the region, the new and improved technological methods, such as GPS-driven solutions, RFID tracking, and 3D printing, could be leveraged to support growth and scale business. Moreover, the emergence of shipping providers has empowered SMEs.

Now, the question is how can you actually make the most of these lying opportunities?

Well, it’s understandable that working in sync and optimizing operations has to be the top priority, but what are the actual challenges that work as a roadblock in your e-commerce journey, especially when you are operating in the UAE? Have you ever thought about that? Let’s understand!

Growing Opportunities for E-commerce Players in the UAE

2. Challenges associated with Order, Inventory and Logistics in the UAE –

We have seen that e-commerce is growing at an explosive pace in the United Arab Emirates, and people are shifting to online channels, but there are still some challenges that e-commerce businesses face even today. But, first of all, you need to understand that inventory, order, and logistics are correlated to each other. Even if you have mastered any one of these, you won’t be able to amplify business profits because the process will remain incomplete.

Imagine that you have adopted an automated e-commerce inventory management system to get more control & visibility over your inventory. But you are still not able to fulfill orders on time. What could be the reasons?

Maybe your outbound workflow is not strong enough. Or maybe you are not able to assign your orders to shipping providers efficiently. Manual errors could be one of the common problems that companies witness without proper implementation of inventory, order, and logistics systems.

Some of the challenges that you are bound to encounter without a proper inventory, order, and logistics system are:

1. Inventory Management Challenges in the UAE

Businesses in the UAE are experiencing e-commerce inventory management challenges such as keeping the real-time inventory count and maintaining fast stock replenishment. One of the main reasons for the inventory challenges is the obsolete and poor infrastructure of warehouses that are not competent to house the inventory in a systematic way. Moreover, the value chains are complicated in nature and also hinder the growth of e-commerce businesses. Some of the main inventory management problems that people in the UAE face are:

Unable to keep up with the real-time inventory count
Hard to maintain the fast stock replenishment
Difficulty in locating the inventory in the warehouse due to limited visibility
Problems in consolidation & sorting of inventory due to obsolete warehouse infrastructure
Witnessing the situations of stockouts amid peak season
Difficulty in managing the marketplace orders due to poor sync between inventory and online orders

2. Multichannel Order Management Challenges in the UAE

One of the biggest problems in the UAE region is that bulk orders are difficult to route and fulfill. For example; you deal in the online business of fragrances and home aromas. Amid Eid al-Fitr, you come across bulk orders of Oudh. But due to the poor logistics capabilities, you are not able to fulfill them. In the order management process, this kind of problem is generally faced by businesses. Moreover, handling order returns is yet another issue that e-commerce brands face. Right from assigning the delivery partner for the returns, to hastening the overall process, there are a lot of aspects in reverse logistics that businesses need to gain control of. Some of the main order management challenges that people in the UAE face are:

Hard to pick & pack optimization of SKUs at the order level
Difficulty in fulfilling orders faster amid the seasonal demands
Controlling the quality of the products to avoid delivery of damaged products
Challenges in aligning the returns management process

3. Logistics Management Challenges in the UAE

The countries in the UAE have the biggest disadvantage of postal codes over any other country. Many countries in the region don’t have postal codes or mail courier systems, which in turn creates a cluster in the minds of the businesses as to what orders need to be delivered in which region. For example, in Dubai, there are no street addresses for retailers to deliver the products, which makes it difficult for them to fulfill the demands of their customers on time. Moreover, e-tailers face difficulties in picking up products from SMEs as they are not much aware of e-commerce and are aligned to rather sell products to physical retail stores. Some of the main logistics management challenges that people in the UAE face are:

Difficulty in tracking the order from the fulfillment center to the final destination
Delay in delivering products due to the lack of postal codes
Hard to assign deliveries to various shipping providers on the basis of the nature of the order
Inability to integrate various fulfillment centers & warehouses due to lack of full-stack supply chain solution

3. How Can You Overcome the Challenges in the UAE? Curated E-commerce Management Solutions to Overcome These Problems

In the digital age of technology, it has become increasingly important for you to opt for a technology that can manage and handle your operations with utmost ease. Right from maintaining the track of the inventory to automating the order updates to integrating with the leading logistics players, you can perform an array of tasks.

Overcome the Challenges in the UAE

Let’s hop on and understand the processes and steps to solve the operational challenges in order, inventory and logistics management.

1. Inventory Management Solutions in the UAE

Be it centralizing inventory to analyze the inventory levels and stockouts, or updating the inventory from offline, online, and warehouse in real-time, a centralized Inventory Management System – like Unicommerce – will empower you to understand the depth of multichannel and omnichannel retail. Moreover, with inventory management software you will be able to:

Assess and update on virtual, and actual stock across multiple sales channels in real-time
Integrate offline and online inventory seamlessly that eventually gives omnichannel experience to customers
Monitor stock movements in order to build a steady stock pipeline and disbursement across all the sales platforms
Synchronize stock automatically in order to ensure accurate stock visibility that eventually improves sales and controls order cancellations
Rotate stock to address multichannel challenges, such as loss of freshness in the stock, old stock, damage, holding the cost of dead or unmoving stock

2. Order Management Solutions in the UAE

An intelligently deployed multichannel sales tactic doubles up the sales volume with the addition of an order management system. The order fulfillment software enables quick order processing even during the situations – products of mixed prices, and varied nature of orders (fragile/inflammable/expensive).

If you are planning to employ a multichannel order management system, you should opt for a solution like Unicommerce, which ensures a 100% fulfillment rate!

The following are the features that a scalable order management system enables:

Handle bulk orders; right from the order creation in various internal systems and marketplaces to invoice and label printing and shipping arrangement
Handle unified orders across all the sales channels to process orders faster while saving your time and resources so that you can focus on your business expansion
Ensure brand loyalty and grow repeat customers base across multiple touchpoints
Reduce time in the processing of orders, thereby hastening the reverse logistics process

Apart from that, you should also utilize services such as multi-fulfillment centers (MFC) that are designed and curated to cater to the needs of your customers!

3. Logistics Management Solutions in the UAE

Being one of the crucial tasks in the process of operations management, logistics not only helps you fulfill orders faster, but you can also enhance the customers’ experience with improved delivery services. To manage logistics in the UAE, you need the following listed logistics management solutions:

Outsource experienced logistics professionals to ensure fast and efficient delivery of orders
Employ local delivery agents who are familiar with the city’s nooks & crannies so that they can deliver seamlessly in the absence of postal codes

Leverage marketplace platforms such as noon.com, which has invented a geotagging system that captures the location of the customer automatically

Join hands with full-stack eCommerce enablement platforms like Unicommerce as they provide logistics integrations with world-class last-mile delivery platforms in the UAE.

While the e-commerce industry in the UAE is on the brink of a massive shift due to changing consumer preferences, it’s imperative for you as a seller to understand the upcoming challenges & their solutions. Why? Because your operations are the fundamental of your business, and if you brace yourself against all the challenges then you will surely be able to accelerate your business growth, and who ain’t looking for that?

Unicommerce Recognized as Notable Vendor in Gartner’s 2022 Asia/Pacific Context: ‘Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems’ 3rd consecutive year!

Team Unicommerce — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 09:04:48 +0000

We’re extremely honored to make a hat-trick in being recognized as a Notable Vendor in Gartner’s 2022 Asia/Pacific Context: ‘Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems.

Though we came into existence in the year 2012 but, our exclusive Warehouse Management System (WMS) took a flight in 2017, reporting exponential growth and marking the number to 427+ WMS customers on-boarded as of date along with 7000+ warehouses being managed.

Unicommerce believes in making warehouse management a seamless process and developing a system that understands the dynamics of every e-commerce business. Highlighting ourselves above the rest in the competition, we ensure ultimate traceability based on the item, SKU, etc. depending on the client’s requirement.

WMS Features that led to our successful journey

The Unicommerce WMS is best-suited to Level 1 and Level 2 environments but supports some Level 3 environments with industry-specific e-commerce needs such as expiry management, IMEI tracking, eyewear assembly, and comprehensive quality check and returns management processes. It is relatively modular, providing the ability to be used purely for inbound or outbound activities in conjunction with other systems, basing the entire approach on the client’s needs & requirements.

We facilitate-

Quick Inventory Dispatch
Minimized Manpower Cost
Significant Boost in Sales
Enhanced Customer Experience

Unicommerce’s WMS Highlights

We make the brands sell their products seamlessly by leveraging the Warehouse Management System curated to succeed in the current edge-to-edge competition.

Automation at every touchpoint
Location-allocation at multiple warehouse sites
Seamless routing and tracking of shipments
Technology empowered reporting
Robust Quality Check
Facilitating 160+ stable integrations
Time-bound performance analysis through an all-equipped dashboard

About Unicommerce

Unicommerce, founded in 2012 and based in Gurugram, India, is an approximately $11 million revenue provider of e-commerce-focused cloud/SaaS-based WMS and distributed order management (DOM) solutions (also offered as an integrated solution). All of Unicommerce’s customers are e-commerce-focused and are spread across 13 industries with its largest presence in apparel/fashion, retail, and personal care/beauty and wellness. Its customers are segmented into three key areas: SMBs, and traditional brands venturing into online and e-commerce retailers.

Aside from its headquarters in India, Unicommerce has additional office locations in Philippines, Singapore, Jakarta (Indonesia), Saudi Arabia, Dubai (UAE), and two other locations in India. Unicommerce is currently integrated with over 150 marketplaces, mobile and e-commerce ecosystem players, ERP, logistics providers, and point-of-sale systems.

The post Unicommerce Recognized as Notable Vendor in Gartner’s 2022 Asia/Pacific Context: ‘Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems’ 3rd consecutive year! appeared first on unicommerce.com.

Selling Models of Amazon & Noon: How to Handle Selling?

Team Unicommerce — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 14:40:05 +0000

Being an eCommerce seller, brand or business in the Middle East can be truly rewarding as the online shopping trends in the region are on a rapid rise with a vertical graph of growth for all eCommerce players.

Seeing the immense opportunity in the eCommerce industry of the GCC region with Saudi Arabia and UAE already becoming the centre of maximum online shoppers followed by Qatar, Kuwait, Oman etc., large marketplaces, both local and international ones are working on providing seamless and easy to use business models to sellers and retailers in order to boost sales, increase profitability and enhance customer relations.

Two of the most renowned and highly valued marketplaces with the best seller models in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are:

Noon
Amazon

While both are the biggest rivals fighting it out big to dominate the Middle Eastern eCommerce market, selling on either or both of these platforms can really bring in tons of revenue for your online business and help you reach a massive customer base regionally and internationally.

This article has been designed to enlighten sellers, retailers and brands like yours to understand each of the seller models of these two platforms and curate the best strategies and plans to not only sell on them but also to be fully ready to tackle any issues or challenges along the way.

Noon Selling Models

Starting off with homegrown and one of the first most popular marketplaces across UAE and Saudi Arabia, Noon offers two selling models for eCommerce businesses to choose from or use both at the same time for higher sales. The only condition Noon implements when you go with both the selling models is that of keeping separate inventory for each one of them.

1. Fulfilled By noon (FBN)

Fulfilled by noon or FBN allows sellers to deliver their products to the Noon storage facilities and take care of the next processes all from there.

The entire process followed by FBN to enable faster, efficient and hassle-free service to your customers includes:

Once FBN facility receives all the products, a thorough quality check is performed
Items that pass the quality check are then allocated locations in the noon fulfilment centre as per product type, size, expiry, etc.
The FBN team takes care of the entire picking, packing and dispatch process once a purchase has been made.
To help you with every single update on your orders, there is a dedicated noon support team that manages, tracks and updates all your inventory and orders and ensures that your sales run smoothly.
Post dispatch, the FBN team handles all the customer queries and disputes regarding your product.
For returns and cancellations, FBN keeps the products under its wing till you raise a return request from their facility
Payments for each successful delivery is processed into your seller account on a weekly basis.

While noon takes care of the complete cycle of your online sales, all you have to do is maintain pricing of your products and promote them as much as possible.

How does noon Express help me?

FBN also renders special delivery benefits such as same-day delivery anywhere in Dubai for orders placed in the morning and for other regions in the UAE, it ensures that orders reach the customers within the next 24 hours of purchase. For orders placed in KSA, FBN allows easy dispatch and free delivery for orders above AED 100.

These quick delivery options are a major governing factor for customer happiness and can help you acquire loyal and repeat shoppers.

Using the noon Express or FBN facility you can experience higher sales, focus more on developing your core business, and deploy cost-effective steps for better stability of your eCommerce business.

2. Cross-dock Back 2 Back (B2B)

Cross-dock Back 2 Back or B2B is the second selling model provided by noon that helps sellers do things as per their own convenience.

With the Seller Back to Back selling model, you do not have to send your products anywhere and keep them in your own storage facility until an order is placed and you receive an email notification to confirm the same.

Once you receive an update, the support team of noon follows a series of steps to ensure correct and timely deliveries of your orders to the customers.

The major steps followed in the Crossdock selling model by noon include:

Post requesting for stocks, the logistics team of noon, noon express collects your orders from your facility then brings it back to their own customer fulfilment centre
In the noon fulfilment centre, all the products undergo Quality Checks and those that qualify the checks are then prepared for dispatch
Once the order is dispatched from the noon facility, a confirmation on the same is communicated to you.
If an order is cancelled post it has reached the noon facility, the staff tries to reallocate the item to another customer order in line but if there is none, then the product is converted to FBN within the next 24-48 hour or returned back to you.

Even with the B2B selling model, you save big on most of the processes and only have to take care of the storage of your products while having full control of the pricing, quality and promotions of your items and be assured of the noon serviceability to provide your customers with the best shopping experience.

While you can choose either or both of the noon selling models, understanding the major difference between the two FBN and B2B selling models is important.

Here is a tabular depiction of the most distinctive differences that the two selling models have.

No matter which of the two models you choose, noon allows you complete control over your products and works as an extended business model to help you make the right decisions and take your business to the next level.

Amazon Selling Models

The journey of a global marketplace, extremely popular and highly beneficial for sellers looking to start their eCommerce journey, Amazon began its operations in the Middle East by acquiring Souq.com in 2017 which was the biggest eCommerce platform in the region during that time. Post acquiring the platform for a whopping $580 million, Souq.com UAE became Amazon.ae in 2019 and Amazon.sa for Saudi Arabia in 2020.

Souq.com now serves as the subsidiary of Amazon in the GCC region and allows thousands of sellers, retailers and brands to move their offline business online to sell on the biggest marketplace and experience a customer poll beyond any.

Amazon allows sellers to choose their own fulfilment options, FBA or Fulfilled by Amazon, or unlike noon, it provides logistics assistance to businesses known as Amazon Easy Ship as well as Amazon Seller Flex that wish to ship their own products.

1. Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA)

The most preferred and trusted choice of sellers, new as well as existing is the FBA or Fulfilled by Amazon selling model which is also popular amongst the shoppers as they receive assurance of good quality by Amazon for the products they purchase.

With Amazon FBA your products need little to no assistance from you and are taken care of completely by the marketplace as soon as you have sent them to the Amazon warehouse. The complete structure of the FBA selling model consists of:

Keeping your products in the Amazon fulfilment centres across all regions with a huge storage capacity to eliminate the chances of your products going out of stock.
Amazon allows the flexibility to pay on the go, as in paying for only the storage space that your products acquire in the facility with no extra costs on shipping.
Picking, packing and shipping of all your products from these Amazon fulfilment facilities
Amazon takes care of all customer services right from resolving queries to giving tracking updates, handling disputes, etc.
As FBA is present in almost all regions, your customer pool expands internationally and helps you achieve greater sales
With Fulfillment by Amazon, customers trust your products more and you save a lot on marketing expenses, manual involvement, shipping charges and more.
Amazon also handles all your return orders and ensures that you experience minimum losses.

Apart from these very cost-effective features by Amazon, your products also get to be featured in exercises like Lightning deals, getting free shipping etc., that attract more shoppers to your products.

Amazon also gives out a very special ‘Buy Box’ feature for sellers or brands that reach a certain level of popularity and repeated order rates.

Check out the success story of YZ Buyer, Dubai’s leading supplier of premier quality fashion & lifestyle products that achieved 2X Growth in Sales by selling seamlessly on 5+ marketplaces including Amazon.ae FBA with Unicommerce: How YZ Buyer Demonstrated 2X Growth With Unicommerce

2. Amazon Easy Ship

For businesses that can or want to take care of their inventory all by themselves, Amazon offers another selling model in which all it does is provide assistance for shipping products whenever your products are purchased from the platform.

Amazon Easy Ship enables sellers to store and pack their products in their own warehouses or storage facilities and then sends in an associate from Amazon’s identified courier partners to the seller’s location to take up the packed orders and deliver it to the customer while charging a small delivery fee.

Sellers who want their customers to have a faster and more accurate delivery experience as well as to have accurate shipment tracking information, choose the Amazon Easy Ship model that offers a number of advantages including:

Option to schedule orders for pick up at your one convenience all through the day
Undivided attention to core business without the distraction of handling customers
Live tracking for orders and real-time updates on its location
Allowing easier and faster modes of serviceability to enhance customer satisfaction
Availability of Cash on Delivery or COD options.

Although the AES selling model offers more control to the sellers, it has some restrictions too. One of them is the unavailability of the feature throughout the GCC region and the second is the fact that certain product types such as heavy or bulky items cannot be delivered through the Amazon Easy Ship program.

3. Amazon Seller Flex

Especially beneficial for local sellers and logistics service providers, the Amazon seller flex model allows the best last-mile delivery services around UAE as the Flex Seller Model allows independent logistics partners to pick up bundles of items from local Amazon warehouses and then deliver them to a specific address provided to them by Amazon.

The sellers have complete control over storage, packaging, time of dispatch etc., and can ship more orders with multiple Flex drivers to specific locations at a time. This model also helps these local logistics companies to make maximum wage delivering Amazon packages in their chosen and well-known locations.

4. Amazon Global Selling

With Amazon Global Selling, sellers can reach customers beyond borders as it allows them to sell internationally from anywhere. Over 200 countries fall under the International Selling of Amazon Global Selling model including the USA, Canada, Mexico & Brazil, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, UK, UAE, Turkey, Japan, Singapore & Australia.

Amazon Global Selling makes export of products from one region or country to another seamless and offers sellers a wide range of customers across the globe.

Apart from these selling models of Amazon that are being used around the GCC region, there is one more model rendered by the platform across the world to further help sellers choose the right option suitable for their eCommerce business and then proceed to expand sales and provide greater customer experience. The other selling model of Amazon is:

5. Amazon Self Ship FBM (Fulfilled By Merchant)

Quite popular in regions like India, the Amazon Self Ship model allows sellers to fulfil orders themselves without the involvement of any third-party entity.

Using this model, sellers get to produce as well as store all their inventory at a single place in their own facility, pack and ship items on their own which guarantees more cost savings and faster deliveries.

Although Amazon Self Ship model is yet to hit the GCC eCommerce market, if you plan on choosing any of the other selling models currently provided by Amazon, i.e., Amazon FBA, Amazon Easy Ship, Amazon Flex or Amazon Global Selling, you can always be clear on the fact that the level of trust customers from all around the world have on Amazon, you can fully expect a rapid release in your demands, order volumes and fulfilments to find yourself climbing the ladders of success with your business.

Start selling on Amazon & Noon today with the right solutions to support you!

Different selling models, tons of options to choose from within each model, various advantages and disadvantages, and of course the possibility to onboard on any of these platforms, let alone both can all be a little intimidating if you do it all by yourself.

But with a highly knowledgeable and robust technology solutions platform that provides:

Seamless integrations to 100+ biggest eCommerce players including Amazon & noon
Automates all inventory, order and warehouse operations from a single panel
Enhances productivity and overall profitability
Provides real-time updates to you on all business operations

and a lot more so that you can sit back and gather all your focus into expanding your business and providing the best in class customer service.

Unicommerce is leading supply chain technology solutions platform that excels in empowering your business to integrate on both of these platforms if not one along with 200+ other leading e-commerce service providers including logistics providers, ERP & POS systems, etc., to make the entire e-commerce journey for your business truly simplified.

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With Unicommerce, over 20,000 businesses have accomplished the true potential of their business and have unlocked the best possible strategies to experience:

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Don’t wait up, allow your business to explore new opportunities and increase your profitability with the customized and tremendously impactful solutions of Unicommerce.

Explore our platforms:

Read how Businesses are growing with Unicommerce –
1. How Dubai-based Vidiwell achieved 230% sales order growth in 7 months in the Middle East
2. 99.99%+ Fulfillment Rate for the Kuwait-based Platform Toyfull
2. Oryvo Achieved Maximized Efficiency and Minimized Workload

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