Order Fulfillment for Consumer Electronics and Accessories
IronLinx’s eCommerce order fulfillment operation is well-acquainted with the unique shipping and handling requirements of the consumer electronics and accessorial space. From the complexity of handling lithium batteries to serial number scanning, high SKU-count management, and returns and exchange management, IronLinx has both the knowledge and the resources necessary to streamline the fulfillment process for a wide array of consumer electronics and accessorial products.
IronLinx provides deep shipping discounts for both domestic and international shipments.
IronLinx excels at custom pack-out processes and encourages the utilization of branded packaging materials.
Our SaaS-based WMS is robust, fully customizable and accessible from any internet-connected device.
IronLinx offers secure storage cages for high value products.
Order Fulfillment for Consumer Electronics and Accessories
At more than five hundred billion dollars and counting, the global market for consumer electronics and accessorial items is enormous and growing at a rate of more than 7% per annum. From a fulfillment perspective, consumer electronics and accessorial items present a number of unique challenges: high-value items and large SKU-counts; special shipping and handling requirements; custom pack-outs complete with branded packaging materials, marketing inserts, return labels, and invoices; routing guide compliance; and returns and exchange management.
Storing and Managing High-Value Items and Large SKU-Counts
Consumer electronics and accessorial items are frequently high-value and SKU-counts (especially for accessories) tend to be substantial. Both realities make the order fulfillment process more complex than that which is typical for other dry goods. Phones, computers, televisions, and other high-ticket items, for instance, generally require storage in secured cages (strict access control, full CCTV coverage, etc.) while cell phone cases, battery chargers, and headphones, to name just a few accessories, often come in a wide array of sizes, colors, styles, etc. which must be carefully managed to avoid picking errors (See: Understanding Order Fulfillment – The Downside of High SKU Counts for more depth).
Special Shipping and Handling Requirements
Consumer electronics and accessorial items present a number of unique challenges when it comes to shipping and handling requirements. Many electronic items, for instance, include lithium batteries—a power source which is subject to carrier restrictions given that improper handling can lead to heat, sparks, and/or fire in transit. Further, many electronic devices have unique serial codes which must be recorded in order to keep track of unit sales for activation, recall, warranty notice, and intellectual property protection purposes. Additionally, as consumer electronic products are oftentimes both expensive and fragile, specialized packaging materials like protective inserts, foam corners, and durable shipping cartons are generally a must
Custom Pack-Outs – Branded Packaging Materials and Marketing Inserts
As high-ticket items, consumer electronic products often demand custom pack-outs complete with branded packaging materials, custom marketing inserts, return labels, invoices, etc. Through a sister company, IronLinx is able to design, source, and procure a wide-array of sustainable packaging and marketing materials on behalf of our clients which yield outstanding branding and unboxing experiences while also promoting and maintaining resource sustainability.
Wholesale Routing Guide Compliance
One of the more complex aspects of order fulfillment involves routing guide compliance for large retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, Sears, and Costco. Routing guides serve as a means by which large retailers are able to manage what would otherwise be a nearly impossible task: handling inbound shipments from thousands of disparate suppliers on a daily basis. Seemingly minuscule deviations from the dictates of a routing guide – such as the use of prohibited void fill materials (packing peanuts, for instance, are generally unwelcome) or the use of incorrectly formatted barcodes (Code 128 as opposed to UPC) – can and do lead to not only prohibitively expensive chargebacks, but outright rejections of shipments. IronLinx has been servicing large retailers – including those listed above – for many years and is well-versed in the handling of their unique requirements.
Returns Management
Returns and exchange management is a critical component of the order fulfillment process for consumer electronics and accessorial items. As is generally the case across the e-commerce retail space, inadequate handling of returns and/or exchanges is a frequently-cited driver of customer service problems, poor reviews, and lost opportunities for repeat business and/or referrals. For more than a decade and a half, IronLinx has worked closely with its clients to custom-tailor returns and exchange management processes to precisely meet their unique needs.
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