How the Right Fulfillment Approach Keeps Businesses in Business
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The franchise operator was frantic. When he opened the store this morning, the point-of-sale (POS) system was dead. He tried every trick he knew, but the technology wouldn’t cooperate. Customers who stopped by while rushing to work were anything but patient and more than a few snapped at him as he tried to serve their needs while calling the franchisor’s help desk.
That’s when he learned it would take several days for the system’s three components to arrive separately, and that he’d have to configure and install them. His stomach churned as he calculated the sales he’d lose in the meantime.
That’s how it might have played out. Fortunately, his franchisor had the foresight to establish a relationship with our fulfillment team. We manage an inventory of the three components, all configured for immediate installation and kitted together with instructions in a single package. With overnight shipping, the store’s franchisee will receive his new system first thing tomorrow morning — and he’ll be able to install it himself in minutes.
It’s an approach to distribution that simplifies the configuration and delivery of technology for use anywhere around the world. Whether a company needs to deploy POS systems, tablets, or another kind of technology to stores, office locations, or customers, outsourcing the process allows specialists to handle the entire process. Pick it, pack it, ship it, repair it, stage it, configure it or wipe it — whatever services a company needs to get critical technology into users’ hands, one team makes it happen. That team can store and manage inventory, image and configure devices, assemble complete kits, and ship them quickly. If that technology requires professional installation, they can draw upon our Field Services Team to make that happen.
The franchise business described above is a real client and the POS system they use initially created some challenges for our team. For one thing, franchise stores use the POS system differently. For another, the three components in the system are sold separately, with no guarantees all three will be available at the same time. By storing a sufficient inventory of all three components, we’ve been able to ensure franchisees desperate for a new system will get everything they need at one time through the fastest delivery channel.
Consider another geographically broad client that issues identical tablets to all of its employees in the field. The company wants to be certain all tablets are equipped with the same software, configured identically. Once again, our team provides support by imaging the tablets and shipping them immediately. If they need additional customization, our fulfillment team can handle that, too. Plus, we provide proof of delivery, so the company knows exactly when a particular employee received their tablet.
We also ensure our inventory of products is sufficient to meet their expected demand, with triggers to order more products if inventory levels drop below agreed-upon thresholds.
Our approach to handling business processes such as this is based upon the recognition that companies can’t do business without the right technology and delays in receiving that technology translate to lost sales and opportunities. At the same time, few companies have enough internal staff and other resources to respond as quickly as our dedicated team. Their involvement means clients can deliver significantly more responsive service (and the satisfaction that generates) without needing to staff up or maintain large internal inventories.
No two companies have the same needs or face identical situations and our business model is built around that reality. We begin client relationships by listening carefully and developing a thorough understanding of the needs of and challenges facing both our clients and the stakeholders they need to satisfy. If a client has experienced issues such as recipients not understanding how to install or connect their new technology, we can develop clear instructions and offer phone support. The overriding goal is to strengthen our clients’ reputations for service, responsiveness, and quality.
The frantic franchise operator received his replacement POS system as promised the following morning. He had no problem installing it and it worked just fine for the day’s first customer. What could have been days of frustration and lost profit instead reinforced his decision to become a franchisee. In the end, everyone — the company, the franchise operator, and his customers — was happy.
Jeff Medley is the CEO and founder of Netfor.