From the perspective of customers, online shopping is a purely digital affair. They do all of their research via social media, read reviews on product websites and make the purchase through an eCommerce platform. However, on the retail side, that notion couldn’t be further from the truth.

Even if retailers operate solely on the eCommerce level, a warehouse management system still plays a tremendous part the shopping experience. Although customers may finalize transactions online, that’s only the first step of the process as far as merchants are concerned. Products need to be moved from warehouses and distribution centers into the hands of your consumers.

The logistics aspect of online shopping plays a critical role in the success of broader eCommerce operations.

If you can’t pick, pack and process orders in a timely fashion, you’re jeopardizing the overall customer experience. It doesn’t matter how easy your website is to use or how low your prices are, customers want their purchases, and they want them as quickly as possible. Here are a few tips for improving your warehouse functions:

1. Think about your products AND your warehouse
When you are building or renting a warehouse, you may often first think of the space. However, it’s critical you remember the product with which you will be filling that space, as it can play an important part in streamlining order fulfillment and delivery. Proper product positioning in warehouses can make it easier for employees to store and retrieve items, while poor design can slow that process by making it difficult to access popular goods.

2. Keep flow in mind
The flow of warehouse activity, from foot traffic to moving vehicles to product movements, should also be a top consideration. Everything from the design of aisle to the placement of high-demand products needs to be planned out in advance. This allows employees to find products they need to ship and prevents bottlenecks that derail operations, Multichannel Merchant explains.

In addition to better warehouse design and management, eCommerce software such as SalesWarp can help tie all of a retailer’s operations together, from inventory optimization to fulfillment and shipping. By utilizing better design and the right solutions, retailers can improve the entire shopping process, from order to delivery.

See how SalesWarp helps retailers with warehouse management and order fulfillment to help improve and expedite purchase delivery.