Micro-fulfillment : The force behind rapid delivery

Micro-fulfillment : The force behind rapid delivery

Modern day retail is powered with the click of a button or rather click of finger. From book & fashion to bread & butter, consumers are now migrating to online shopping. While the large spread of SKUs & perishable nature of goods remain a key challenge. The million dollar question is still to ensure timely delivery of grocery orders placed online at the lowest price on time every time. 

E-grocery has been struggling with timely delivery & last mile challenges as cities are getting congested due to traffic & the warehouses are situated outside the city. A novel idea which can disrupt the entire business model of e-grocery is micro-fulfillment center. 

A micro fulfillment center is a highly automated mini distribution center that can be set up in a small area of around two thousand to fifty  thousand  to fifty thousand square feet & deliver five thousand orders per day, handling upto ten thousand SKUs resulting in optimum space utilization & huge cost savings to online retailers. These MFCs are located closer to the customers at strategic locations inside the cities & enable deliveries in less than two hours at a fractional cost as compared to out of city warehouses by eliminating the complex web of last mile deliveries. 

Micro fulfillment centers make this possible. These centers leverage advanced goods to person automation technologies such as mobile robots & shuttles for extremely fast & accurate  order picking thereby achieving on time in full deliveries. 

The modular nature of the automation technologies enables MFCs to have high storage density by utilizing cubic volume of space & ensures systems go live within four months. Compact size of these MFCs allow them to be set up in any part of the city. They can be either standalone facilities or can be clubbed with any existing retail store where customers can pick their orders at any time of the day.

Warehouse software such as a warehouse execution system connects the network of these micro-fulfillment centers to one another to enable real-time order management. The AI powered software ensures smooth flow of operations right from inwarding slotting, inventory management to order fulfillment & order sequencing as per delivery schedules. 

All the customers of any mega city can deliver groceries with lighting speed with only 5-10 mfcs spread across the city, delivering them faster than a pizza.

In e-commerce, micro-warehousing refers to the concept of operating small-scale warehousing operations in easily accessible areas closer to the end consumers.

With pandemic-caused delays and frequent e-commerce disruption by retail giants like Amazon, online businesses employ a variety of strategies to smooth out supply chain hiccups. One of the most difficult areas for e-commerce merchants is warehouse management and fulfillment to the end consumer, which has a direct impact on customer retention and brand reputation. Micro fulfillment centers come to the rescue in these difficult situations.

The value of a product or a brand increases multiple folds if the delivery expectations are met. Micro warehousing firms provide exactly that. Customers value same-day and next-day deliveries. Also, because the distance between the product and the consumer is shorter, the product arrives in its optimum condition without having to travel through many transits. A well-organized fulfillment structure also allows for the customization of deliveries in accordance with customer preferences.

The location of a micro-warehousing facility is key to its success, as it influences how quickly orders can be fulfilled. Edgistify's 200+ dark stores not only allow you to sell products, but they also make delivery stress-free and rapid. We can speed your product delivery thanks to our micro-warehousing network. Edgistify is right on its path to be a game changer in the micro-warehousing business in India.

To know more about our services, visit: www.edgistify.com