OnFulfillment Blog | Print Fulfillment (2)

“Fulfillment” is a funny word. When you hear it, you might picture something soothing that relates to personal fulfillment – anything that brings you closer to complete happiness. (Can we get an “Om…..”?)

But “order fulfillment” is a whole other story. In commerce, it describes a company, department or service that processes orders for products and delivers them.

If you’re the one placing an order, and the company providing this service gets it right, you get what you ordered when you expect it, and it’s in pristine shape.

Some might say that’s also a kind of “complete happiness.” For sure, if you don’t get what you’ve ordered, or get it too late, or it’s damaged, it’s often a complete nightmare. 

On the surface, shipping and fulfillment may seem like a pretty straightforward process. You package your product, stick a label on it and then send it off to your customers or employees. In reality, this critical component of the supply chain can become incredibly challenging and costly. Fortunately, there is a solution and it’s much easier and more affordable than you may think.

In-person holiday parties have been cancelled this year. And so you may be wondering, “How can I create connection with my team, make everyone feel appreciated, and create some fun without a ‘real’ holiday party?”

As we head into the "new normal," it may be the right time for marketing teams to review the cost of shipping.  [Ok, yes we said it, we said the 'new normal'.  And, yes, we know it's a huge cliché.  But it's hard to find another way to describe our current marketing environment.]

We all know that for the foreseeable future, physical events are canceled. But smart marketers are not slowing down because pipeline won't build itself. They are pivoting to virtual events, digital engagement, and the only physical marketing left in their arsenal–direct delivery to customers, prospects, and employees.

If your marketing plan includes delivering promotional products to

• engage virtual event attendees
• drive prospect meetings
• make webinars more interactive and fun
• thank loyal customers
• reward or engage hard-working employees
• celebrate company milestones

And if those customers, prospects, or employees are located not only in multiple cities across North America but around the world, than it may be time to review your FedEx or UPS bill and find ways to cut your shipping costs. 

If your company sells products and services to consumers through an external sales channel, your marketing team may be working twice as hard as it needs to. And doing so inefficiently.

Here’s where a two-portal solution can help your bottom line while streamlining the marketing and fulfillment functions.