The Role of Modern Technology in Pick, Pack, and Ship Within Los Angeles

The term pick, pack, and ship is not a strange one among e-commerce brands. It’s a system that is integral to e-commerce fulfillment which leads to delivering items to the desired locations of customers. You’ll agree that there is no e-commerce business that do not pick, pack, and ship goods. However, the distinction is how well these e-commerce brands execute these processes.

Pick, pack, and ship dates from the traditional era up to these modern times. The difference is that today, e-commerce brands now apply technology to pick, pack, and ship processes. This is the new wave and the game-changer. Let’s see how it has revolutionized pick, pack, and ship within Los Angeles. 

What is Pick, Pack, and Ship? A Quick Insight

Pick, pack, and ship are often called together but are different processes. They are e-commerce fulfillment processes that follow after a customer has placed an order. Pick, pack, and ship sees to it that items are prepared and delivered to customers efficiently. Let’s have a quick look at each process separately.

Pick

When a customer place an order online, the e-commerce brand receives a notification on its order management system. Then preparations commence for order fulfillment by first picking the ordered item from its storage location. The traditional and most common practice is having a picker who picks these items.

Pack

This involves placing the picked items into their appropriates packages. Boxes, poly bags, bubble envelopes, etc are some useful packaging materials. When items are packaged, they are labeled for easy identification and tracking. At this point, the item is ready for pickup. 

Ship

The carrier picks up the packaged and labeled items and delivers them to the agreed or desired location. It is at this point that the last-mile delivery in logistics is complete. 

What Technology can be used for Pick, Pack, and Ship in Los Angeles?

Technology is applied to pick, pack, and ship in the areas of automation, tracking, routing, and general data management. This means that several technologies can be applied to meet different needs concerning the picking, packing, and shipping of goods. 

Belts/Conveyors/Rails

These are mechanical and automated tools that help to pick items. It takes away the place of manual picking as these tools can be controlled to do the picking. The extra advantage is that these tools will take records of picked items which helps with data analysis and records management. 

Printers

Printers are crucial at the packing stage. They are used to print labels that must be placed on each packaged item. 

Radio-frequency Identification (RFID)/ Barcodes

These are high-end technological solutions that allow for data sharing between the package and the business’s database. With RFID and barcodes, items are easily identified, and real-time tracking of items while in transit becomes possible.

Modern Industrial Scales

The weight of package materials must be determined before shipping or delivery. The weight is crucial for data capture and negotiation of transportation fees with the carrier. Modern industrial scale aids the packing processes as weight is measured easily.

Sealing Tools

Every package is tightly sealed to ensure safety and security. Tools such as staple guns, tape shooters, etc create tight seals. 

Transport Management Systems

This is software used to plan and coordinate the movement of items via transportation mediums such as vehicles, trains, etc. With transport management systems, vehicles, and items can be tracked, hence improving the visibility of the fulfillment process. This is an indispensable tool for modern delivery companies that do pick, pack, and ship. 

The Effect of Technology on Pick, Pack, and Ship in Los Angeles

The implementation of modern technology on pick, pack, and ship continues to yield significant positives. The e-commerce industry is undoubtedly grateful for these inventions. Here is a rundown of the positives.

Improved Efficiency

Order fulfillment in time past has faced some challenges such as picking errors, weak packaging, disjointed transportation measures by carriers, etc. These issues have been resolved with the use of technology. Automation is employed for picking which reduces human error, the transport management software now aids carriers to make efficient planning and routing, and more. All these put together makes the process more efficient, hence beneficial to both e-commerce businesses and customers. 

Faster Delivery

The use of technological resources in pick, pack, and ship eliminates delays and boosts fulfillment speed. This is a significant feat, especially in modern times where same-day delivery is now a norm. 

Improved Visibility

With technology, there is seamless data capture and sharing all through the pick, pack, and ship process. Sensors, barcodes, order management software, etc, all play a part in improving the visibility through these processes. Every key player including customers is up to speed on the location and state of items during fulfillment.

Final Thoughts

If you are yet to integrate technology into your pick, pack, and ship processes, then you are landing a huge blow on your business. Testimonies are so many from e-commerce brands in Los Angeles as the benefits of technology are indisputable. Embrace this new wave for better results and make your customers happy.