By Claire Muir of Amethyst Group

Outsourcing logistics, warehousing and e-fulfilment can be a great way to gain significant benefits for online retailers, but the decision  to outsource and the selection process must be approached thoroughly in order to ensure the perceived benefits are achieved.

A good outsource company will guide you through the process and be able to give advice in areas and methods that perhaps you had not considered.

The outsource company should bring flexibility and expertise to your business, just make sure they adapt to your needs rather than you adapting to theirs.

In order to get a good fit from an outsource company their size and financial credibility must be considered. Is the warehousing, logistics and e-fulfilment provider big enough with capacity and financial resource to demonstrate the agility required to respond to changing requirements? Or are they so big that you would not be a significant customer and therefore receive less than satisfactory customer service?

Experience is a good demonstration of capabilities; find out which customers they already deal with as this should also be a good indication of their cultural fit.

To discuss your logistics, warehousing, distribution and e-fulfilment solutions contact me, Claire Muir, on 01580 895 857 or visit the Amethyst Group website for more information