JTL fulfillment Network

Warehouse & Logistics Outsourcing

JTL already announced its JTL Fulfillment Network at the last JTL Connect. For a short time the closed beta phase has been running and soon the public beta phase will start. So it’s time to take a look at what fulfillment is and what benefits it can offer, especially for small online. Where there is a lot of light, there is also shadow, as is well known. And we also want to address the not-so-positive aspects of fulfillment here.

What is fulfillment, anyway?

This refers to the outsourcing of all mail order processes after the customer has purchased the goods. This may then include the following:

• Order acceptance
• Warehousing
• Picking
• Packing
• Franking
• Shipping hand
• Invoicing
• Reminder

In addition, the following services can still be offered by the fulfillment provider:

• Returns management
• Spare parts supply
• Repair
• Disposal of returned goods
• Customer service

What does the JTL Fulfillment Network offer?

Broadly speaking, the JTL Fulfillment Network is about outsourcing warehouse processes to a fulfillment service provider. The network provides a uniform interface between the fulfillment provider and the online retailer based on the in-house merchandise management system. JTL provides its own portal with API (Application Programmer Interface) for this purpose, through which online merchants and fulfillment service providers without JTL-Wawi can also connect to this service. All relevant information is then exchanged between the parties involved. JTL-Software GmbH thus wants to provide its customers and participants in the fulfillment network with a 100% automated delivery process.

On the JTL Fulfillment Network landing page, the following points can be found regarding the core functions for online retailers and fulfillment service providers:

Online retailer

Seamless integration into Wawi
All processes and tasks can be controlled directly from JTL-Wawi. The service provider’s fulfillment warehouse is automatically created as a new warehouse at the online retailer.

Store goods at the service provider
As soon as the fulfillment service provider’s warehouse is specified as the destination warehouse for supplier orders or stock transfers, all relevant item data is transmitted to the fulfillment service provider. Inventory levels and the status of deliveries can be viewed and tracked at any time via Wawi.

Have orders fulfilled
For the delivery of customer orders, the online retailer only has to select the fulfillment warehouse, which of course can also be fully automated via workflow. All necessary documents are now sent to the fulfillment service provider as attachments. Invoice printing and delivery note printing take place there during the delivery process.

Fulfillment portal and API
Both parties do not necessarily have to use JTL’s merchandise management for the JTL fulfillment network. Third-party systems can also be connected via the implemented interface.

Fulfillment service provider

In addition to seamless integration with Wawi and the fulfillment portal with API, the following two core functions are given on the fulfillment service provider side.

Goods receipt
Supplier orders and stock transfers from the online retailer end up with the fulfillment service provider in the supplier orders and can be stored from there as usual. Here, when using JTL-Wawi and JTL-WMS, all processes of the systems are supported

Fulfill customer orders
The online retailer’s orders, which are to be processed via the fulfillment service provider, are transferred to the Wawi with the necessary documents and delivered from there. Tracking data is played back to the online retailer in the process.

And what are the benefits of the JTL Fulfillment Network now?

Again, JTL has already commented on this in detail on its website. On the merchant’s side, JTL sees the following points as advantages for the online merchant:

• Wide range of fulfillment service providers throughout Europe
• Seamless integration with JTL products
• All inventories are available in near real time
• The stock movements can be tracked transparently for the online retailer
• Delivery is 100% automatable
• No external integration effort is required for this solution
• The online retailer benefits from the favorable shipping costs of the fulfillment service provider
• The distributor can supply markets abroad efficiently and promptly.

The fulfillment service provider enjoys the following advantages:

• New customers are added with one click
• A near real-time interface for data exchange with the online retailer
• A wide reach through the network of JTL
• No work for the creation of articles due to automated data exchange
• Integration with JTL products
• Transparent stock movements
• Additional processes as required for MHD or batch articles.
• A strong bond between online retailers and the fulfillment service provider
• Support with billing to the online retailer
• No effort for the integration of the solution

Conclusion

In addition to the Amazon Fulfillment Network and Salesupply e-commerce logistics fulfillment, JTL now also offers its own European fulfillment network to its customers. In any case, it remains exciting to see how this project of the software forge for the e-commerce industry will develop and whether it can establish itself on the market.

Spencer Chapman

Ist unser Experte für die Kundenkommunikation und Tutorials. Besonders mit den Produkten von JTL kennt er sich bestens aus. Spencer versteht es zudem, komplexe Sachverhalte einfach verständlich zu erklären, sodass viele Schritt-für-Schritt Anleitungen aus unserem Magazin von ihm stammen.