6 Value-Adds That Help to Grow Your Brand
As eCommerce brands grow, so do their resources. Many of the brand leaders that we now work with started out with nothing more than a great idea for a product. As their brand started to grow, they selected one of the smaller fulfilment companies to help with their immediate needs. Then – a couple of years later – they felt ready to scale and began looking for a 3PL partner.
Which is where a company like Prolog gets involved in the conversation. We have years of fulfilment experience, and an established infrastructure as a result. More than that, though, we’re interested in partnering brands that are experiencing high growth, which means offering far more than just the basics.
What are the Kitting Basics?
If you’re an eCommerce brand, kitting is most likely in your bloodstream. Quite early on in your growth cycle you’ve probably needed support in this area and there are plenty of fulfilment companies that can provide it.
Kitting basics include warehousing, where your product is received and stored; pick and pack where your orders are fulfilled, and shipping where your orders are delivered. 3PL order fulfilment centres will also offer end-to-end visibility of your order.
Why Look for Value-Adds?
Value-add in fulfilment isn’t just about adding ‘nice to have’ services; they’re about planning for growth. And a 3PL partner works alongside you to make this happen. The value-added services offered by 3PLs are all about increasing both the value your customers experience with your brand, and the growth that will occur as a result.
What Kind of Value-Adds do Growing Brands Need?
3PLs are a competitive market, which is great for brands because they get loads of choice. Many of our clients have told us that the amount of choice of offer can also be overwhelming. They explain that the biggest difficulty is finding a 3PL that is the right size for their needs. One that offers the value-adds they require to grow, without being so big that they don’t get the support they need.
Having worked with a number of brands that are moving from a fulfilment centre that offers the basics, to a 3PL that will partner them as they grow, we have identified 6 value-adds that are key to a successful, long-term partnership.
1. Kitting and Assembly
We have a proactive, experienced team ready to work with brands to fulfil their kitting requirements. We offer high-volume conveyor assembly, automated picking towers, or bespoke hand-finished kitting. Your brand is our priority so we will find the operational process that is right for you.
2. Packaging & Design
Packaging and design have a vital role to play in shipping costs, the safety of your product in transit, and your customers’ unboxing experience. Prolog creates intelligent design for brands ensuring that products ship cost-effectively, arrive safely, and delight customers.
3. Returns Management
Frictionless returns are important to your brand. They can often make the difference between losing customers and increasing customer loyalty. We provide returns management, ensuring a simple return or refund in 24 hours, and detailed reports for analysis and data-driven improvements.
4. Dedicated Support
If you have a problem that you need your 3PL partner to deal with fast, you certainly don’t want to find yourself in a queue waiting for an operator. Prolog clients received dedicated support from agents who want to help, will ‘own’ the problem and can efficiently resolve it.
5. Mail Fulfilment, Printing and Personalisation
Prolog offers clients a ‘one-stop-shop’ for order, POS, personalisation, and mail fulfilment. We have an extensive, specialised mailings capacity, which offers fully automated mailing services and expert hand finishing for more specialist tasks.
6. Expertise & Support
We invite brands to utilise the range of expertise we have in-house – design & packaging, supply chain, eCommerce – to strategise for growth. It’s a measure of our success in forging great partnerships with our clients that, on average, they stay with us for around a decade.
Looking for a Kitting and Subscription 3PL?
If you would like to discuss kitting and subscription services, we’re here to help. Prolog is centrally located, with extensive warehousing and a trained, motivated workforce. We don’t just offer the basics; we provide a personalised service which is tailored to your brand. We’re designed to deliver great service to you and your customers.
