One Size Does Not Fit All In Multi Channel Distribution

An ever changing landscape continues to drive companies to evaluate their order fulfillment systems.

The drive to reduce costs and improve profits causes many companies to look for ways to keep multiple operations in one building.

This allows them to save on labor, energy, inventory and capital investments.

Whether it is a retailer also serving an e-commerce market, a pharmaceutical company servicing pharmacists, hospitals and nursing homes or a grocery company shipping to large suburban stores, as well as, small urban ones more and more companies are looking at handling multiple channels of distribution under one roof.

Companies tackling the challenges associated with servicing their customers through several outlets will find that there is not a magic bullet approach to distribution.

It is important to consider many factors when developing a plan to address the needs across channels; fitting a square peg into a round hole or finding just the right foot to place Cinderella’s glass slipper on can prove to be difficult, time consuming and most importantly costly in the long run.

Following are some important areas to consider in developing a multi channel distribution program, as well as, some fulfillment ideas to evaluate.

Any solution depends on the specific needs of the business and the market being served.