Blockchain is a distributed ledger shared among many people in a network without an intermediary. The entries in the ledger cannot be modified. One Example of the use of such technology is crypto currency such as Bitcoin. When it comes to Supply Chain and logistics, Blockchains are becoming synonymous with transparency and visibility. The new technology will revolutionize how companies expand while maintaining compliance

Supply chain involves material flow, information flow and capital flow. Supply chain is about managing the flow of goods, services, storage and movement of raw materials, product manufacturing and shipping of Goods.

One of the benefits of using blockchain in supply chain Management is it’s allowing the data to be more inter-operable so that the information and data can be shared with manufacturers suppliers and “shipping companies” easily.

Transparency in Blockchain helps reduce delays and avoid goods from being stuck in the supply chain.

Using Blockchain offers more stalability through which a database can be accessed from multiple locations worldwide. This in essence ensures that all the participants in the supply chain from manufacturers to freight Forwarders are always connected and there are no limits on the number of entries.

Benefits of using block chain in the supply chain Industry:

• Advanced inventory management
• Enhanced transparency
• Minimizing Courier Costs.
• The Ability to identify issues faster
• Keep vendors and customers honest
• Faster tracking of shipments
• Establish provenance

Logistics and Blockchain in a nutshell

The new Technology will empower Freight Forwarding companies with an incorruptible resource. As the companies expand, companies will grow more connected and contract adherence will be the norm.

“Contract Logistics Companies” stand to benefit the most from the new technology by having more transparency to the supply chain network and from the speed of recording transactions.

Digital Shipping

Blockchains will become the standard for technology use in shipping. It will give all the parties involved in a shipment the ability to access and record information such s the shipment booking, bill of lading, customs clearance and even delivery to final customer. All happening in real time. Since events cannot be edited after entry, this will ensure accuracy and timelessness.

Maintaining a supply chain with all its elements is a tedious task for small businesses, the interconnectivity of the different elements becomes more inefficient when a business grows. Block chain is a game changer when it comes to SCM

Resources:

Supply Chain Management Companies

International Logistics Companies

3PL Companies

A fulfillment center is a company that handles the receiving, storage and shipping of your product to the end user. The end user could be a retail customer of a business entity . A fulfillment Center the ideal solution for small and medium-sized eCommerce businesses that want to scale, add more products, increase sales and at the same time, keep costs low.

Who needs a Fulfillment Center ?

companies who meet below criteria need to solicit the services of an order fulfillment company

Companies with limited space . If the company lacks the budget to lease or warehouse, a fulfillment company is the way to go.

Does shipping and packaging make you struggle? ? Do you often find yourself dropping the ball on sending the orders out leading to unhappy customers?

Organizations that are limited in resources and need to free up time in order to focus in their core competencies need a 3PL company that can handle the order fulfillment.

Need to reduce costs. What happens when you decide to add more products to your range? You need to hire additional hands to help you with packaging, inventory management or shipping. a third party logistics company might be the answer.

How to choose a Fulfillment center?

• Location
• Review and Testimonials
• Years in Business
• Service rates and don’t look for the cheapest. You get what you pay for.

Here are some questions you can ask as you are interviewing prospective fulfillment centers:

• can you provide references from current or past clients that I can call?
• how soon do you ship an order after it comes in?
• what type of packaging is included?
• do you have a minimum monthly fee?
• can you handle large orders?
• do you partner with any shipping carriers to get discounts on shipping?
• what are your monthly storage fees and other fees?
• how do you handle the receiving process?
• Can you handle returns?
• how are the packages branded when they go out?
• can you handle international shipping?

Keep in mind that a fulfillment center is different that a warehouse.

A fulfillment center is the physical location from which a third-party logistics (3PL) provider (also known as a fulfillment provider) fulfills customer orders for ecommerce retailers. A fulfillment center exists to get online orders to customers in a timely fashion and relieve ecommerce companies of managing this crucial-yet-challenging process.

When we talk about a warehousing solution, we’re referring to a company that stores products for an extended period of time. A warehouse is a large storage center or industrial space designed to house inventory in bulk. You will see equipment like forklifts and containers, with shelves stacked high and stocked with large quantities of products.

What is Order Fulfillment ?

Order fulfillment is the steps involved in receiving, processing and delivering orders to the final consumer.
A fulfillment service is a third-party company that provides these order fulfillment steps on behalf of another party.

These general definitions can apply to many types of orders, from large business-to-business orders, to the individual consumer.

International 3PL has been the choice of many companies for their order fulfillment services.

Order fulfillment is one of the services International 3PL is proud of.
To help better understand exactly what  order fulfillment is, here are some of the steps:

Receiving

Count each item to ensure the actual number of items matches the number of items ordered from the supplier(s)

• Inspect the inventory to see if any items have been damaged
• Add SKUs to warehouse management software in order to keep track of the location, counts and number of sales of each of your items
• Apply SKU or bar code labels if they do not already have them

Inventory Storage

Once inventory has been received, counted, inspected, labeled, and added to your warehouse management software, it is time for it to be shelved.

Proper inventory storage is one of the most important aspects of maximizing the speed and accuracy of your order fulfillment operations.

Order Processing

So now your inventory has been inspected, sorted and placed on shelves in the warehouse. Next comes order processing.

The first step in processing an order is receiving that order.
Once the order has been received by your warehouse, the individual items that make up that order are then picked off the shelves by warehouse staff. Transported to an order packing station. The packing station will go through a series of quality control checks, determine the best packaging materials, scan items, add packing slips and any inserts, seal the box, and then move it to the shipping station.

Shipping

After an order has been picked and packed, it is moved to a shipping station to prep it for delivery to the end customer.
The Shipping station will then prepare the order for shipment using the most economical way and according to requirements by the shipper.

Returns Processing

We handle all RMA requests and accept returns by customers should the need arise, we inspect the goods make sure they are in good order and place back on the shelf. damaged goods are handled according to shipper guidelines.