The success of your eCommerce business largely depends on your order fulfillment service. Partnering with a reliable third-party logistics (3PL) provider such as Shipnetwork takes order fulfillment off your hands and ensures you get it right.
A 3PL fulfillment company stores your products and processes your shipments anytime a customer places an order. Therefore, it goes without saying that such a company must have adequate security measures in place to protect your products in their eCommerce fulfillment warehouses and throughout the entire process. But what are these security measures? What security boxes must a 3PL fulfillment company tick to guarantee the safety of your goods?
Below are security measures a 3PL company should have before outsourcing fulfillment services with them.
Exterior Security Measures
From the exterior perspective, ensure your 3PL fulfillment warehouse has the following security measures and tools.
1. Warehouse Security Cameras
Security cameras are important since they act as deterrents to criminals and collect strong evidence to file a claim against them later. Modern surveillance systems can take high-quality footage and upload it to an offsite server. Therefore, it becomes easier to identify the criminals and preserve the evidence if they interfere with the on-site recording stations or the cameras.
2. Alarm Systems
Check whether the eCommerce fulfillment company has an alarm system, as any professional 3PL should. The alarm system deters theft attempts, as well as summons security forces in time to ensure they catch the criminals before they leave.
3. Warehouse Lighting
Another part you will need to check with your 3PL fulfillment partners is whether their warehouse or fulfillment center is well lit. Thieves love the camouflage that the dark provides them, and criminal activities thrive in poorly lit areas.
4. Entryway Security Doors
Thieves can quickly access a warehouse interior if the locks and doors are weak. Therefore, you should not overlook any weak points with your fulfillment partner. Ensure you scrutinize the doors to their facilities to establish whether they are tough.
Robust entry points delay wrongdoers, forcing them to give up or increasing the chances of security or police officers arriving at the scene before the thieves can break in.
5. Window Security
If the fulfillment warehouse has windows, they should be reinforced and high up to prevent break-ins and easy access. Ground-level windows are never a good idea for storage spaces or warehouses. However, if your 3PL fulfillment partner does have windows, they should have window locking mechanisms, reinforced glass or steel bars to hinder entry attempts.
Having the above items guarantees safety and security for your products, particularly from external theft in your fulfillment partner's warehouse.
Interior Security Measures
Product Security
Beyond preventing theft, a reliable fulfillment partner should have the means to keep your inventory in perfect condition. Confirm whether their warehouse has a climate control system to prevent excess moisture, cold, or heat from damaging your products.
Shipnetworks' fulfillment warehouses have temperature control sensors to ensure the right conditions for your products. In addition, we have fire suppression sprinkler systems to address a fire incidence if it arises.
Minimize Internal Threats
Despite the efforts by a 3PL company to prevent intruders from outside, it should also curb internal threats. They should have access control systems whereby only authorized staff with keys can enter into high-security areas of the warehouse. This helps to prevent internal theft.
You can check whether the company conducts background checks for all its employees during hiring. At Shipnetwork, we run a thorough screening process when hiring new staff members. We also restrict access and ensure only the team working in the facility has the authority to get into the fulfillment warehouse.
Secure Processes
After putting in place the above security measures, an eCommerce fulfillment company must have strategies to protect business processes.
Inventory Control
Evaluate how the company tracks warehouse inventory and know their frequency of checking for missing products. Inventory shrinkage is quick to identify if the eCommerce fulfillment company has inventory control and tracking solutions in place.
At Shipnetwork, we deploy quality control in receiving, packing, and shipping processes to ensure accurate order fulfillment. After picking, packing, and kitting goods, we carry out thorough screenings, precise counts, and confirm that products correspond with their description.
Also, we have protected the data and information flow to ensure secure transmission and storage of sensitive details.
Work With a Secure Fulfillment Partner
At RSL, we use a multi-dimensional approach to ensure the safety and security of all products and processes. Learn how Shipnetwork can protect your inventory and shipping by outsourcing the fulfillment process, while saving you money and delivering fast and accurate fulfillment. We offer comprehensive order fulfillment services, lower shipping costs with Xparcel, subscription box fulfillment, return management, and more. Contact us today to request a quote!
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The success of your eCommerce business largely depends on your order fulfillment service. Partnering with a reliable third-party logistics (3PL) provider such as Shipnetwork takes order fulfillment off your hands and ensures you get it right.
A 3PL fulfillment company stores your products and processes your shipments anytime a customer places an order. Therefore, it goes without saying that such a company must have adequate security measures in place to protect your products in their eCommerce fulfillment warehouses and throughout the entire process. But what are these security measures? What security boxes must a 3PL fulfillment company tick to guarantee the safety of your goods?
Below are security measures a 3PL company should have before outsourcing fulfillment services with them.
Exterior Security Measures
From the exterior perspective, ensure your 3PL fulfillment warehouse has the following security measures and tools.
1. Warehouse Security Cameras
Security cameras are important since they act as deterrents to criminals and collect strong evidence to file a claim against them later. Modern surveillance systems can take high-quality footage and upload it to an offsite server. Therefore, it becomes easier to identify the criminals and preserve the evidence if they interfere with the on-site recording stations or the cameras.
2. Alarm Systems
Check whether the eCommerce fulfillment company has an alarm system, as any professional 3PL should. The alarm system deters theft attempts, as well as summons security forces in time to ensure they catch the criminals before they leave.
3. Warehouse Lighting
Another part you will need to check with your 3PL fulfillment partners is whether their warehouse or fulfillment center is well lit. Thieves love the camouflage that the dark provides them, and criminal activities thrive in poorly lit areas.
4. Entryway Security Doors
Thieves can quickly access a warehouse interior if the locks and doors are weak. Therefore, you should not overlook any weak points with your fulfillment partner. Ensure you scrutinize the doors to their facilities to establish whether they are tough.
Robust entry points delay wrongdoers, forcing them to give up or increasing the chances of security or police officers arriving at the scene before the thieves can break in.
5. Window Security
If the fulfillment warehouse has windows, they should be reinforced and high up to prevent break-ins and easy access. Ground-level windows are never a good idea for storage spaces or warehouses. However, if your 3PL fulfillment partner does have windows, they should have window locking mechanisms, reinforced glass or steel bars to hinder entry attempts.
Having the above items guarantees safety and security for your products, particularly from external theft in your fulfillment partner's warehouse.
Interior Security Measures
Product Security
Beyond preventing theft, a reliable fulfillment partner should have the means to keep your inventory in perfect condition. Confirm whether their warehouse has a climate control system to prevent excess moisture, cold, or heat from damaging your products.
Shipnetworks' fulfillment warehouses have temperature control sensors to ensure the right conditions for your products. In addition, we have fire suppression sprinkler systems to address a fire incidence if it arises.
Minimize Internal Threats
Despite the efforts by a 3PL company to prevent intruders from outside, it should also curb internal threats. They should have access control systems whereby only authorized staff with keys can enter into high-security areas of the warehouse. This helps to prevent internal theft.
You can check whether the company conducts background checks for all its employees during hiring. At Shipnetwork, we run a thorough screening process when hiring new staff members. We also restrict access and ensure only the team working in the facility has the authority to get into the fulfillment warehouse.
Secure Processes
After putting in place the above security measures, an eCommerce fulfillment company must have strategies to protect business processes.
Inventory Control
Evaluate how the company tracks warehouse inventory and know their frequency of checking for missing products. Inventory shrinkage is quick to identify if the eCommerce fulfillment company has inventory control and tracking solutions in place.
At Shipnetwork, we deploy quality control in receiving, packing, and shipping processes to ensure accurate order fulfillment. After picking, packing, and kitting goods, we carry out thorough screenings, precise counts, and confirm that products correspond with their description.
Also, we have protected the data and information flow to ensure secure transmission and storage of sensitive details.
Work With a Secure Fulfillment Partner
At RSL, we use a multi-dimensional approach to ensure the safety and security of all products and processes. Learn how Shipnetwork can protect your inventory and shipping by outsourcing the fulfillment process, while saving you money and delivering fast and accurate fulfillment. We offer comprehensive order fulfillment services, lower shipping costs with Xparcel, subscription box fulfillment, return management, and more. Contact us today to request a quote!