【eCommerce Logistics】5 Warm Reminders for Warehousing, Packaging, and Shipping

With a wide variety of eCommerce products, we will share five warm reminders for eCommerce logistics , warehouse management , pick and pack , and international shipping based on our order fulfillment experience. These considerations will surely help eCommerce businesses streamline their entire digital fulfillment operations. According to the survey from the large data platform Statista, the top 5 most popular categories of online purchases in Hong Kong are:

1. Everyday essentials, clothing, and footwear (82.9%)
2. Food and beverages (43.4%)
3. Take-out food (37.9%)
4. eTickets (11.6%)
5. Fashion accessories (10.6%)

A detailed inspection of products before warehousing is a crucial step. This includes checking the quality, quantity, and ensuring consistency with relevant data and system records. Early detection of any abnormalities before warehousing reduces the risk of products not meeting delivery standards.

a）Product Quality: Pay special attention to minor defects in eCommerce products. For example, small cracks on glass bottles of skincare products, slight marks on handbags, or damaged product packaging can affect the appearance and quality of the products, leading to customer dissatisfaction

e+Solutions (ePlus) carefully inspects the quality of each product based on the customer’s standard. If any additional issues are found, photos are taken and sent to the customer for confirmation, ensuring that the warehoused products meet high-quality standards.

b）Product Quantity and Related Data: The accuracy of product quantity and other related data such as product SKU numbers and barcodes is also crucial. Various situations can occur when goods are received in the warehouse, such as discrepancies between the expected and actual quantities, mismatched product numbers, or missing product barcodes.

Through ePlus logistics system’s automatic detection, any abnormalities can be recorded and identified instantly before pick and pack , enabling e-commerce businesses to promptly assess the situation and make necessary adjustments.

Whether you’re using your own warehouse or a third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse like ePlus, it’s important for e-commerce businesses to create a Standard Operations Procedure (SOP) to ensure that products and orders are handled according to set standards.

SOPs are applicable to various e-commerce logistics operations such as product receiving, shelving, pick and pack , and local & international shipping . They help improve warehouse efficiency, accuracy, and provide a consistent customer service experience.

In general, an e-commerce logistics order SOP includes the following four points:

a）Cut-off Time: Determine the deadline for order receiving to ensure timely processing and delivery arrangements

For example, at ePlus warehouse, the cut-off time for receiving orders is 11:00 am from Monday to Friday, and 10:00 am on Saturdays. We are closed on Sundays and public holidays (**For HKTVmall merchants, the cutoff time is 1:00 pm daily). Orders received before the cut-off time will be processed on the same day. Orders received after the cut-off time will be processed on the next working day

b）Inbound procedures: Develop specific guidelines for product receiving based on their characteristics and categories, including the checklist for goods inspection

c） Pick and Pack Requirements: Provide appropriate packaging materials, packaging methods, and labeling requirements to ensure the safety and integrity of products during transportation

d）Last Mile Arrangement: Conduct specific instructions for local & international shipping , such as selecting the preferred courier service provider and providing special instructions for filling out the waybill

By implementing an SOP tailored to your e-commerce logistics operations, you can standardize and streamline your order fulfillment processes, leading to improved efficiency and a better customer experience.

Certain types of eCommerce products such as sealed food and beverages, beauty and skincare products, and health supplements may require specific storage conditions. It’s important to pay attention to the temperature, humidity, and cleanliness of the warehouse to ensure optimal storage environments for the products.

Here are some reference storage specifications (temperature and humidity) for certain products:

• Sealed Food: Constant temperature and humidity (Temperature: 22°C – 24°C, Humidity: 40% – 65%)
• 
 Japanese Sake: Ideal storage temperature: 0°C – 4°C, Humidity: 50% – 70%. If stored in unsuitable temperature conditions, there’s a chance that lactic acid bacteria will continue to grow inside the bottle, making the sake cloudy and giving it an acidic taste.
• 
 Cosmetics and Skincare: Constant temperature and humidity (Temperature: 22°C – 24°C, Humidity: 40% – 65%). Store them in a cool indoor area, avoiding high temperatures (above 25°C) leading to issues like water-oil separation or dryness.

ePlus eCommerce warehouse has obtained professional ISO9000 certification, equipped with 24-hour air conditioning to maintain constant temperature and humidity, and ensuring cleanliness. It is suitable for storing and handling a wide range of eCommerce products, ensuring product quality and safety during storage.

We also have special temperature zones: 1) 12°C – 22°C temperature zone for storing commercial wines and etc., and 2) 0°C – 4°C temperature zone for storing Japanese sake and etc.

Certain products such as food and beverages, health supplements, beauty and skincare, and cleaning supplies usually have an expiry or best-before date. When handling these products, it’s advisable to adopt the First-Expire-First-Out (FEFO) inventory management and shipping principle.

FEFO prioritizes shipping products based on their expiration dates, to ensure that the earliest expiring products are selected for shipment. As a result, eCommerce merchants can minimize the risk of sending expired products to end customers.

Another commonly used inventory management and shipping standard is First-In-First-Out (FIFO). FIFO means products entering warehouse first will be being shipped first. FIFO principle applies to many eCommerce products, even those without specific expiry or shelf life, such as fashion clothing, general merchandise, and household items.

To implement FEFO/FIFO principles, you can utilize a SKU barcode scanner to record product information and expiration dates into the system, enabling real-time tracking and management. This allows for easy product identification and selection during the process of pick and pack .

Once you’ve finished packaging your order, there’s just one more process to your customer’s doorstep! After attaching the local or international shipping label (Waybill), it’s important to double-check that all the information on the label is complete and accurate.

The local & international shipping label contains vital information for the accuracy and traceability of the final leg of the delivery, known as the last mile delivery.

a）Typically, a local shipping label includes the following information:

1. Sender Information: This includes the sender’s name, address, and contact phone number.
2. Recipient Information: This includes the recipient’s name, address, and contact phone number.
3. Date and Time: The date and time when the shipping label is generated.
4. Courier Company Information: This includes the company name, contact details, and the courier tracking number.

b）For international shipments or customs declarations, the shipping label may also include the following information:

5. Product Information: Details such as the product name, quantity, value, weight, and category.
6. Mode of Transportation: The designated mode of transportation, such as express delivery or international air freight.
7. Payment Method: Instructions regarding the payment method, such as cash on delivery or online payment.

In addition to the shipping label, you can also attach labels to the packaging box indicating important handling instructions, such as “Handle with Care” or “Fragile.” These labels help the courier to understand important handling instructions, ensuring that the products remain undamaged during transportation.

Warehousing, packaging, and shipping are crucial aspects of e-commerce logistics. In addition to equipping our ePlus eCommerce warehouse with automated AMR intelligent logistics robots, our team also pays attention to detail and human touch.

By conducting careful inspections, using flexible logistics systems, and providing customized order packaging, we strive to meet the logistics needs of e-commerce businesses and ensure smooth logistics operations, excellent product quality, and a satisfying online shopping experience for customers.

Selling online has never been easier. Don’t worry, our goal is to make eCommerce logistics easier and accessible for our merchants by optimizing the order fulfilment process, so that they can focus on things that are more important – adding value to their products and growing their business.