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Fulfillment center and fulfillment houses are common terms for a large packing and shipping warehouse. The terms have been coined around the mid-1990s, and generally “fulfillment house” is used about an in-store packing operation, while fulfillment center is used for out-of-store packaging operations. In the United States, the term fulfillment center is used in a lot of business circles, but the usage varies greatly from state to state. A fulfillment center offers different services and is geared toward meeting the varying needs of a shipping operation. It is sometimes called a distribution point or a warehouse. Fulfillment centers differ based on their size and their services and facilities.

One of the main services offered at a fulfillment center is long-term storage of inventory. Most businesses that ship merchandise require at least some stock on hand at all times. Inventory control is a major service provided by these centers. They prepare and monitor lists of items to be stocked, prepare shipping documents for every shipment and maintain inventories at all times. This helps business owners minimize costs associated with warehousing by providing them with an instant electronic database of inventory items and their location, as well as timely access to re-supply sources.

Another service at a fulfillment center is order fulfillment. It includes the management of inventory, including warehousing and transportation. Many fulfillment centers are also capable of providing warehousing services. The order fulfillment process begins when an order is received by a client.

Once the order is received, it is stored at the warehouse until it is ready to ship. Most fulfillment centers maintain extensive inventories of products that are regularly stocked and sold to customers. Electronic databases make it easy to determine which products are available and when they will be available for sale. Product shelf displays help sellers display their products in attractive and effective ways on their shelves. A good warehouse will provide excellent customer service, both during business hours and after business hours. Many experienced sellers feel that having a live person greeting customers when they arrive at the warehouse is extremely important.

Some companies use a third-party fulfillment center for after-business and online customer support. This allows customers to have their questions answered remotely, by phone or e-mail. Web-based order entry often allows customers to enter information online, rather than walking into a physical store. Fulfillment centers offer a variety of options for storing inventory and for storing products that are not frequently used. These options include loose leaf paper products, such as greeting cards, and products such as CDs and DVDs.

Fulfillment centers can also provide extra products when an order is made and no products are available at the warehouse. These may be specialty items that are not normally stocked at most stores. In some cases, these extra products are not required until the store begins to sell a specific item. In other cases, the fulfillment center may place extra products onto the shelves of a store to meet a sudden demand for the item. Regardless of the reason for adding an extra product, it provides extra inventory and storage space for your business needs.

An online store may not require the same storage space as a brick-and-mortar storefront. Fulfillment centers can meet the needs of ecommerce businesses by providing on-site pickup and delivery services. They can deliver packages of products directly to the customer, taking pressure off the employee that would have to drive the truck to the store. The customer does not have to leave the site in order to receive the product. Shipping time is significantly reduced and fulfillment company workers are not required to stand in line to make a pickup.

Because most ecommerce businesses require many products to be stored in order to meet all of their orders, many fulfillment centers are found in shopping malls and local areas. These companies can handle heavy inventory, as well as provide a convenient place for customers to pick the items that they wish to buy. With their efficient inventories and on-site pick and drop services, these sellers can enjoy even greater success. The employees of these fulfillment centers do not have the stocking or shipping responsibilities that traditional warehousing employees have, which allows them to focus on more important tasks.