IMHX is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

Informa
Informa

Meet SnapFulfil

Exhibiting at IMHX 2022

Stand 5F70

Ahead of IMHX 2022, Tony Dobson - CEO of SnapFulfil, chatted to us about all things IMHX, new product launches, sustainability and key market trends to watch out for.

To learn more about SnapFulfil, visit them at IMHX 2022 or head over to the SnapFulfil website.

There is huge growth in the direct to consumer (DTC) e-commerce sector and we see this trend continuing.  

At SnapFulfil we are working ever closer with customers to help them achieve their DTC ambitions cost effectively, but with a continued focus on customer retention and accuracy, so that those new to it don’t make mistakes while rushing to compete with e-commerce. 

Having the capability to integrate with legacy systems and offer the flexibility required to meet the changing demands of new world business is also essential and that is where advanced cloud-based WMS applications, such as SnapFulfil, are coming into their own.

With the shift to DTC also means that data gathering and insight is ever more important when it comes to understanding not only goods in and out and staffing patterns, but consumer habits too.

This need for real time data will continue to drive demand for intuitive WMS, with built-in flexibility, that has the capability to store and interpret data in one place.  The power of data delivered by SnapFulfil, for example, helps businesses make ‘snap’ decisions that enable them to keep up with demand while scaling for growth.

So, while the business landscape is ever changing, it’s those firms who make smart data driven technology investments – without a large capital outlay investment up front or costly infrastructure changes – who can quickly reap the benefits. 

SnapFulfil has taken its pioneering remote implementation (RI) initiative to the next level with an advanced version that enables customers to onboard the solution themselves.

A tailored ‘Self Implementation’ programme provides step-by-step and hands-on guidance in project management and execution, to provide clients old and new with greater control, more independence and internal system expertise. 

The new documentation factors in key steps, decisions and milestones to be completed throughout the project and covers everything from data gathering, configuring the technical infrastructure, user preparation and verification to data migration, stock take and validation, plus go live support.

Today’s businesses need to be nimble and quick to respond to changing market demands.  Over the past two years, in particular, we have seen many more customers adopt a D2C model that requires agile and easily configurable WMS solutions.  

We’re all about speed-to-value partnerships and being able to scale with our customers and be extremely flexible to meet all of the demands of their business. This self sustainable implementation option (with our support as required) can facilitate quicker and slicker multi site onboarding, once we’ve instructed them in the first one or two - for a seamless self-rollout across their DC estate. 

Cloud-based SnapFulfil can be remotely augmented anywhere in the world in just a matter of weeks, for immediate results and ROI, plus obvious cost, resource and carbon footprint savings – for both us and our clients. 

During the pandemic especially, this has cut down drastically on air and car miles, plus hotel nights and the number of personnel involved. Ongoing account management work that’s traditionally done onsite can also be actioned remotely.

Being a digitally-driven business generally contributes towards a more sustainable model of working, because using a WMS with hand held RF devices eliminates paper-based processes and all the associated spreadsheets and labels, while also creating an automatic audit trail.

What’s more, a technologically advanced WMS means customers can utilise up to 30% less space to store the same number of products, as well as optimisation of all materials handling. These both reduce energy consumption and therefore carbon emissions. 

Pallet loading is optimised too, which cuts down on the amount of plastic wrapping needed, while the real-time WMS data generated can also be regularly analysed to improve process efficiencies and further identify cost cutting opportunities.

We’re visualising a fulfilment future where demand for an agile and flexible ‘user experience’ will be as important as a company’s products and services. Businesses are now adjusting their game plans on a regular basis, whether introducing DTC or new lines to meet evolving purchasing habits. Cutting edge digital technology is central to tackling these sudden challenges, satisfying demand, staying competitive, plus managing labour efficiency and productivity. Having a WMS that provides easily accessible and real time information data to employees – on-site or at home – is paramount to improving efficiencies warehouse wide. 

A best-of-breed WMS like SnapFulfil will allow them to track progress and reconfigure changes to achieve the best results and most efficient fulfilment operations. However, there is no point in being quicker and having speed of delivery if you are sending the wrong product to the wrong person. It’s about delivering accuracy too and robust and flexible WMS tends to do well in a recession because people want to save money, and there will be lots like that in the market. Business makes profit by keeping the cost low and e-commerce is all about being more efficient and, most importantly, accurate.

So, with warehousing cost control set to be a continuing key trend in a systematically tough economy, I’m confident we’re well-placed to help logistics operations achieve their goals.