When you are choosing a company for your fulfillment services needs, one of the most important considerations is the potential company’s processes and procedures.

Before you think “wait, that’s their business,” think again—because it will affect your own business, as well. In fact, the most critical factor contributing to the success or failure of warehousing companies and fulfillment services is the ability to create and maintain purposeful, standardized processes and procedures for each action. These procedures will mean the difference between on-time processing and unhappy customers who want to know where their product is. Without standards governing these procedures and processes, and management who will hold warehouse staff accountable for achieving those standards, your own business’ reputation will suffer significantly. This is why you should make your fulfillment services business YOUR business. In choosing a fulfillment services vendor, one way to narrow down the list is to see if that vendor will provide you with their performance standards and metrics on achieving that performance. Ask about their percentages of on-time and error-free fulfillment vs. problems associated with those standards. Find out how they hold their staff accountable for achieving (or failing to achieve) those standards, and if there are compensatory actions available to you, as the customer, if such standards are not followed.