eCommerce Supply Chain Issues 2021
A lot of things happened in the last 2 years under the influence of the global pandemic. The virus caused disruption across industries and reasons that no brand has ever expected or prepared for. The e-commerce industry is lucky enough to witness tremendous growth thanks to people staying home. Yet they still have to adapt to rapid changes within the supply chain. There are challenges but opportunities are also on the way. This article will discuss 4 issues concerning the e-commerce market that every company should be aware of. 1. Material scarcity Insufficient input has been a great concern since the beginning of the pandemic as people crave more household supplies than ever before. Almost two years after the global lockdown, companies, and suppliers are still struggling to meet this demand. This is particularly due to the limited availability of human resources and materials. Some businesses have switched to multi-sourcing in an attempt to fulfill customer needs. However, delay in manufacturing and delivery has made it more difficult to collect a sufficient stock level. Not to mention that the model leads to added costs to the product, as you are transforming away from the single bulk order. Meanwhile, it tightens the competition within and between regions to achieve the best deals possible. Another problem is that constant disruption is inevitable as the pandemic has yet to be under control. Although vaccine campaigns are quickly implemented, it is not enough to bring everything back to normal in such a short time. For example, European countries are facing another lockdown this month after a period of opening due to the effect of the Delta variant. 2. Increasing freight prices The need for container shipping has surged considerably throughout the pandemic. The boom in eCommerce sales possessed greater demands for raw materials and manufactured consumer goods, which are often carried in shipping containers. Since this demand outnumbered what is expected, it left insufficient shipping capability, especially in empty containers. A large number of goods penetrated to the ports also caused serious congestion. The main cause of this is the labor shortage. As of today, the virus has infected more than 192 million people worldwide, among whom 4.3 million could not survive. The virulence is undeniable. Furthermore, social distancing regulations have limited the number of people present in a specific location. Hence, there was never enough labor to promptly load or unload the ship. Because of this congestion, companies are unable to get the products out on time – which means a failure to adhere to its delivery commitment. 3. Changing customer tastes Changes in lifestyle have led to changes in buying behaviour. Firstly, there has been a shift towards online shopping. As people couldn’t go out because of the lockdown and social distancing, the only option is to place an online order. Experts expected that this trend would continue post-pandemic since people come to realize its convenience. At the same time, they have learned to lower their expectations regarding the delivery dates and raise requirements for a positive online experience. Secondly, people tend to approach more valued-based purchasing. This trend can be clearly seen in the fashion industry wherein criticism towards fast-fashion brands has accelerated recently. Consumers want to maximize value for every bit of their spending. This is a great opportunity for sustainable goods and services. A surprising change is named an increased love for the locals. Problems regarding the international supply chain include low delivery, unexpected cancellations, materials shortage, and many more. Therefore, the only way to get a fair delivery duration with a reasonable price is to depend on local businesses. This might pave the way for localization in the retail industry after the pandemic. 4. Digital transformation Digital transformation has been a trend before the pandemic and the global lockdown has rocketed its development. There are several technologies that have the potential to enhance agility across the supply chain including drones and robots, electric vehicles, automation, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and big data. For example, AI and big data offer analytics and insights into customer behaviour that can facilitate a positive user experience. Because of this ability to predict people’s behaviour, it is widely used to make recommendations tailored to each individual. Though promising, the challenge lies in integrating these technologies into the current supply chain. It takes time and organizational reconstruction to put technology into action. However, it is undoubtedly that this is a must-have move if companies want to stay ahead of the competition. Looking forward to the future The pandemic has reinforced the need for greater supply chain optimization and faster decision-making. That’s why it’s increasingly important for companies to implement automation technology and artificial intelligence in their daily operations. If you’re operating on BigCommerce and Shopify, Atom8 automation could be a good start for your digital transformation. It is an automation platform that allows converting repetitive tasks into workflows that execute based on predetermined rules. The app can be connected with other extensions such as BackOrder, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Sendgrid, and ShipStation. Once released from the tedious work, you have more time to invest in impactful business activities so that they leverage your performance.
How To Change Order Status in BigCommerce
An e-commerce order management process starts when a customer places an order and ends with the package arriving at their destination. It is very important to keep track of the order along the way to avoid loss and damage. You can do this by looking at the order status in the BigCommerce control panel. Order status is an indication of different stages within the delivery process. It enables retailers to communicate with customers promptly about any change, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and turnover. Normally the order status changes based on the store user or customer’s behaviour. However, there are circumstances when it needs editing manually. BigCommerce order status You can quickly adjust order status by looking at the BigCommerce store setting. Go to Order > View and you’ll find the status in between the customer name and total order value. BigCommerce provides users with a list of statuses. By default, all paid new orders will have a label of “Awaiting fulfillment” for physical products or “Completed” in the case of intangible products. But it might vary depending on the payment gateway and methods preferred by the customer. Here is the list of BigCommerce order status: Pending: when a customer has proceeded to check-out but did not complete a purchase. This is also applicable for pre-ordered and backordered items. Awaiting payment:: a customer has completed the checkout process but the payment is yet to be confirmed. This is also applicable for authorize-only transactions that are not yet captured. Awaiting fulfillment: a customer has completed the checkout process. The payment is confirmed. Awaiting shipment: the order has been packed and is awaiting collection from the delivery provider Partially shipped: only a part of the package has been shipped. Others will follow in the future. Completed: the order has been picked up and confirmed by the customer. Or the customer has successfully downloaded the file. Shipped: the order is on the way to be delivered but the receipt is yet to be confirmed by the customers. Canceled: the seller has canceled the orders. Declined: the seller has marked the order as declined. Refunded: the seller has refunded the whole order. Disputed: the customer has initiated some payment activities that are regarded as fraud by the seller. Manually verification required: The order is withheld because some aspects require manual confirmation. Partially refunded: the seller has partially refunded the order. Changing order status in BigCommerce setting Some order status turns on by certain control panel action whereas others require manual editing. It is very easy to change order status manually in BigCommerce. You just need to go to Order > View and select the suitable option from the drop-down menu. However, it becomes frustrating if you have to repeat the process every day with thousands of items. Therefore, many store owners are looking out for an automated solution to perform the task. Changing order status with Atom8 Atom8 is an automation platform that converts repetitive tasks into workflows that execute based on predetermined rules. Once integrated into a BigCommerce store, Atom8 will trigger changes in the order status under certain circumstances. Say a customer wants to pick up a product in your store instead of waiting for the delivery. Create a workflow to set the order status as Awaiting pick up. However, to prevent fraud, ask the customer to pay and capture the payment. The fund is reserved and cannot be used anywhere else, ensuring that the item is not made for anyone. The workflow should look like the following: TRIGGER: When an order places CONDITION: If the shipping method is equal to pickup in-store AND If the payment method is equal to Authorize.net. Note that this requires meeting both conditions to proceed. ACTION: Capture payment and Change the order status to Awaiting pickup. Then you can set up another workflow identifying when to complete the order. Or you can change it manually once the customer comes to pick up the package. Final note Now you know how to automatically adjust the order status in BigCommerce with Atom8. The app has helped hundreds of retailers get away from tedious daily tasks, not only labeling orders but also tagging customers, triggering email marketing campaigns, publishing price lists, etc. Check it out today to see how it could leverage your store!
