Frequently Asked Questions from UK Fulfilment |
If I sub contract to UK Fulfilment I will lose control of my stock?
You will not. We operate a web based stock and order management system that allows you to login to the system via the web and view every aspect of your stock and orders. This transparency means that you have complete visibility over your stock 24 hours a day.
How will I know when my stock has run out?
Our system has been designed to email you when stock items fall below certain agreed levels. So if you have agreed a 4 week replenishment time, when you only have 4 weeks’ worth of stock left in our storage, you will get an email telling you this. Then you have 4 weeks to get some more into us without going out of stock.
Surely it would be more cost effective for me to run my own operation rather than sub contract?
It all depends how you operate. If you operate from home, then maybe, but then again, have you got the space to accommodate expansion?
Generally people who use our services were operating out of small industrial units. Here are some typical costs on a small business unit (4000 sq ft) (UK –July 2010)
- Rent - £12,000-£15,000 per annum
- Rates - £9,000 - £12,000 per annum
- Gas/Electric - £4,800-£6,000 per annum
- Water - £1,200 per annum
- Insurances - £1,200 per annum
This equates to between £28,200 and £35,400 per annum, and that is before you add the cost of staff, NI, racking, computer systems and fork lift trucks etc.etc.
At UK Fulfilment, all of this is in place and you only pay for the activity and space that you use, so no wasted storage costs for empty space, no staff costs to pay when there are no orders. Can you afford not to sub contract out to UK Fulfilment?
I don’t want my customers knowing that I use a fulfillment house, surely they will know?
At every stage through our process, anything that the customer may see can be personalised with your branding, logos etc. this includes despatch notes to travel in the parcel, emails telling the customer their order is on its way and even the return address on the carrier despatch label. At no stage does UK Fulfilment’s logo appear.
How do you charge?
We break down all of our charges for individual processes within our system. You will see charges for goods inwards, storage, picking, packaging, despatch and distribution in our quotes. We feel that this way of charging shows you how our final price is calculated rather than just quoting you a per item fee.
How often will I be billed?
We send you an invoice every month. E.g. In October 2010 you will receive an invoice for the work carried out in September 2010.
What are your terms?
Our payment terms are strictly 30 days from date of invoice.
Is there a contract?
There is a very simple contract for both parties to sign.
How can I send you my orders?
There are a number of ways that you can do this, from sending us a file of orders, to us linking directly with your website to draw orders automatically. We will discuss these options and which is best for you at the quoting stage.
Can you receive container loads?
Of course! We are happy to receive containers at our site for unloading.
How big is your warehouse?
Our present site is over 40,000 square feet. We have over 2000 picking bins and plenty of room to provide more. We can also accommodate over 400 pallets on site.
What delivery companies do you use?
We have contracts with some of the best, most reliable delivery companies in the UK. We use the services of Royal Mail, Parcelforce, DPD and UK Mail.
Can you do physical stock checks?
We can carry out full inventory stock checks for you on your stock. However, we will make a charge for doing this. This will be a cost per hour charge.
Do you require bar-coding?
No. Our system is designed so that barcodes are not required.
What are your hours of operation?
Our warehouse is open for deliveries from 7.30am until 3.30pm Monday to Friday. Our picking staff work between 8.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.