Regardless of your product or service, how well you satisfy your industry-specific fulfillment needs will directly impact the level of success your company attains. Fulfillment simply means getting the job done. If you work in retail, fulfillment applies to getting products from manufacturers into your store and then into customers' hands. If you operate a service-based business, fulfillment refers to completing the service you and your client agreed upon. In the end, you strive for customer satisfaction that translates into repeat business and even more customers.

A very small company might successfully carry out its own fulfillment without feeling overloaded and overwhelmed; however, growing and larger companies with significant fulfillment responsibilities will likely turn to packaging fulfillment services, the warehouse fulfillment industry or other industry-specific fulfillment services to get the job done right. Keep the following in mind as you consider your industry-specific fulfillment needs:

1. Break out the costs of accomplishing fulfillment services yourself before you decide to hire fulfillment house services.

2. Look for companies in the fulfillment industry that can promise you Just-In-Time delivery.

3. Feel comfortable with the reputation of industry fulfillment services you outsource.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find software that provides the fulfillment services you need for your small business

If you plan to launch a catalog or direct mail business by yourself, you may decide to initially accomplish all or most of your order fulfillment services in house. Still, you'll need an organized and integrated approach to fulfill orders. Purchasing fulfillment software designed to make your life simpler and more manageable will allow you to devote more time to other important facets of your business.

I recommend: Visit Dydacomp to order the M.O.M. Working Trial Kit for complete mail order management, if you own a web-based or catalog business. You can also go to the National Mail Order Association website and download an evaluation copy of AnyOrder Professional IV software designed specifically for small mail-order businesses.

Employ companies that offer fulfillment services to reach your national client base

Remember that fulfillment by industry can satisfy any need you have, whether it be to complete orders, ship, warehouse or advertise. You may choose to handle one or two components of your company's fulfillment responsibilities where you have experience and knowledge; you can then outsource the remaining components to companies who specialize in the services you need.

I recommend: Check out the statistics IntegraCore offers on the fulfillment services they provide. Think about going with a marketing agency like Incognito Marketing that can get your product recognized throughout the country.

Look for companies that offer global fulfillment services

If you operate on a global scale, then you'll need to work with a company that can offer reliable worldwide fulfillment services.

I recommend: Consider using Webgistix, a company that operates in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia, for your international order fulfillment needs. You might also think about going with a full-service product fulfillment company like CDS Global.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Develop criteria for selecting fulfillment house services to help ensure you'll get what you expect. Include criteria like years in business, a client base with needs similar to yours, and whether your regular point of contact will be a sales representative, a customer service representative, a manager or the CEO.