One of the most technically complex parts of onboarding with a fashion logistics provider is connecting your brand’s e-commerce platform to your third-party logistics (3PL) provider’s systems. Speed and simplicity are critical to minimising downtime and maintaining excellent customer service. This integration ensures that when a customer places an order on your online platform, the correct items can be picked, packed and shipped without delay or error. Smooth and seamless integration with your provider’s systems allows you to keep orders flowing – and level up your customer journey – without disrupting day-to-day operations.
To ensure seamless integration, start by making sure that your 3PL partner’s technology is compatible with your e-commerce platform. Some logistics providers offer pre-built, plug-and-play integrations for popular platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce, to speed up the set-up process. Most of these integrations are accomplished using an application programming interface (API), which allows data (including catalogue content, pricing information and customer details) to be synchronised in real time between your e-commerce platform and the 3PL’s warehouse management system (WMS). Finally, it’s a good idea to test the new integrated set-up thoroughly before going live. This will allow you to identify and resolve any issues, helping to ensure that you can hit the ground running.
A successful integration process is key to unlocking a range of operational efficiency and customer experience benefits, such as automated inventory updates. This ensures full visibility of stock levels, reducing the risk of stock-outs. Meanwhile, real-time tracking of outbound shipments and returns can provide added transparency for customers, ensuring they always know the status of their orders – and helping to reduce the number of calls to your customer service employees. And with a centralised dashboard that brings all the information together in one place, you’ll have a clear operational overview – simplifying day-to-day operations and providing a solid foundation for a superior customer journey.
