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Picture a packer at Peak Season. A box is in front of them, a product in each hand, and somewhere on a cluttered desk there's a mouse they need to find to confirm the order. They look down. They hunt. They click. Then they do it again. Thousands of times a day.
That moment of friction is small. But it is never just one moment. Multiply it across your entire pack line, across an entire shift, and you are looking at a measurable and largely invisible drag on your total throughput.
Tap-to-Pack is a purpose-built hardware controller designed by ShipHero to eliminate digital friction at the packing station. It connects via USB-C, requires no drivers or additional software, and syncs automatically with the ShipHero WMS packing app. This new system is now available at the ShipHero Store.
Instead of navigating a screen with a keyboard and mouse, packers execute every high-frequency command â such as selecting box sizes, printing labels, finalizing orders, flagging exceptions â with a single physical tap on one of eight programmable buttons.
Key specifications:
Most warehouses are running 2026 operations on 1990s peripheral standards. The keyboard and mouse were designed for spreadsheets and emails, not high-volume fulfillment. When used at a packing station, they create three compounding problems:
The problem is not your people. It is the tools you are asking them to use.
Tap-to-Pack introduces a "Rodent-Free" packing standard: a workflow where the packer's hands stay on the product, their eyes stay on the work, and the software fades into the background.
The device guides the packer through two feedback systems:
ShipHero customers running Tap-to-Pack are already seeing a 90% reduction in on-screen interactions and a significant increase in the number of orders packed per hour, without adding headcount or changing their warehouse layout.
One of the hardest challenges in fulfillment is absorbing volume quickly, especially during Peak Season, when temporary staff need to reach target productivity fast.
Because Tap-to-Pack's interface is physical and intuitive, there is almost nothing to teach. Pick up the product, follow the light, tap the button. New packers can reach target productivity in minutes rather than hours.
The system is also modular:
Whether you are a growing DTC brand or a high-volume 3PL, Tap-to-Pack is designed so your hardware never becomes a ceiling on what your team can do.
Tap-to-Pack is a programmable, industrial-grade hardware controller that connects to the ShipHero WMS and allows warehouse packers to execute packing station commands, such as printing labels, selecting boxes, and completing orders. All with a single physical button press, eliminating the need for a keyboard and mouse.
The device connects via USB-C and syncs automatically with the ShipHero WMS packing app. It is a true plug-and-play solution: no drivers, no background software, and no manual configuration required.
Yes. Buttons are configurable for a range of packing actions, including Print Label, Complete Order, Select Box Size, and the Hospital function, which flags a problematic order and keeps the line moving without stopping to resolve it on screen.
The system is fully modular. Connect up to two additional 8-button hubs to the Main Hub for a total of 24 programmable buttons, supporting even the most complex multi-step packing workflows.
Tap-to-Pack devices require ShipHero Packing App v1.0 or higher. The current release is v1.1.0.
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Imagine running a warehouse where orders are picked quickly, inventory is accurate, and all operations run smoothly without any errors or delays. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence, this can now become a reality with ease.
AI is transforming warehouse management by enhancing efficiency, intelligence, and the ability to meet the rapid demands of todayâs eCommerce-driven market.
ShipHero is pioneering this revolution with its AI-powered warehouse solutions, setting new industry benchmarks. This article explores ShipHeroâs AI Picking feature, highlighting how itâs transforming warehouse management and enhancing operational efficiency.
The integration of AI technologies, including machine learning, robotics, and predictive analytics, is revolutionizing warehouse operations, driving significant improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and overall performance. These innovations are optimizing processes across various areas, from inventory management to order fulfillment. Below are the key benefits of AI in warehouse management.
A combination of AI technologies is shaping smarter warehouse systems to help revolutionize warehouse management.
ShipHero has taken AI integration to the next level with its AI Picking feature, designed to significantly improve warehouse efficiency. This feature automates the picking process, reducing the reliance on manual labor and enhancing productivity in ways that were once thought impossible.
Letâs dive deeper into how ShipHeroâs AI Picking works and the advantages it offers.
AI Picking optimizes warehouse operations in two key ways:
The AI Picking feature delivers a wide range of benefits:
The transformative power of AI extends far beyond just picking. AI is also revolutionizing other aspects of warehouse management, driving improvements in operational efficiency, inventory management, and safety.
AI automates tasks, reducing errors and increasing speed. Automated sorting and real-time inventory tracking ensure accuracy, while real-time monitoring helps managers adapt and ensure timely deliveries.
AI plays a vital role in maintaining accurate inventory levels. By leveraging predictive analytics, AI can forecast demand and optimize stock levels, helping warehouses avoid both stockouts and overstock situations. This leads to better inventory management and fewer disruptions in supply chains.
AI-driven systems can monitor warehouse conditions to ensure safety and compliance with industry regulations. These systems can analyze warehouse data and predict potential hazards before they occur, proactively reducing risks and ensuring a safer working environment.
AI technologies are playing a transformative role in the supply chain and logistics sectors by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing decision-making.
These intelligent systems effortlessly manage supply chain processes by using data to optimize operations, predict trends, and automate routine tasks. This ultimately reshapes everything, from how goods are moved to stored and delivered.
The future of warehouse management looks promising with greater automation and efficiency, but future warehouse digitization brings challenges, such as high upfront costs and the need for skilled personnel.
AI-powered drones, autonomous robots, and IoT integration are smart warehouse technologies that are revolutionizing warehouse operations. Drones will deliver goods quickly, while robots automate sorting and transportation, thereby reducing the need for manual labor.
IoT and AI integration will enable real-time monitoring and optimization of operations. Smart technology in warehouses is leading to fully automated systems that are faster, scalable, and need minimal human input.
While AI offers immense benefits, businesses must also consider certain challenges. High initial investments in AI technology, data security concerns, and the need for skilled personnel are just a few of the hurdles that must be addressed.
However, with a strategic approach, companies can eliminate the challenges and embrace AIâs full potential to boost accuracy in picking and improve overall warehouse operations.
AI minimizes error by automating tasks like inventory tracking, order picking, and sorting, ensuring greater accuracy and efficiency.
Yes, AI-driven predictive analytics can predict demand, track inventory levels, and improve supply chain efficiency by forecasting needs with greater accuracy to help businesses stay ahead of trends and market fluctuations.
AI solutions are becoming more cost-effective thanks to cloud-based services and subscription pricing models. These options make AI technology more accessible to small businesses, allowing them to take advantage of its benefits without large upfront costs.
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When pallets roll in and loading docks buzz, your warehouseâs receiving process becomes the gatekeeper of inventory accuracy. And if that gate isnât well-guarded with structure, speed, and oversight, errors slip in.
A mislabeled item here, a damaged shipment there, and suddenly your warehouse faces stock discrepancies, late order fulfillment, or even lost customers.
A warehouse receiving process checklist streamlines receiving operations and ensures compliance across teams, regardless of whoâs on shift.
A warehouse receiving process checklist ensures every shipment that enters your facility is properly documented, inspected, and integrated into your inventory system.
Unlike ad hoc or verbal processes, this structured document verifies product condition upon arrival, checks against purchase orders to confirm accuracy, and documents all inspections for future reference.
However, ShipHeroâs digital platform already seamlessly integrates this checklist into your system, automating the tracking of goods from the moment they arrive.
Because it captures critical shipment details, a receiving checklist can double as a warehouse audit checklist sample, especially when preparing for performance reviews or inventory audits.
If youâre looking for ways to improve accuracy and accountability, learning how to audit your warehouse with a structured receiving checklist is a great place to start.
Receiving Checklist Sample 1 Â Â Â Â Â
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A well-structured warehouse receiving process checklist is crucial for ensuring accurate and efficient inventory management. Including the mentioned key components helps streamline the process, reduces errors, and enhances overall warehouse performance.
Hereâs what you must include in your checklist to maintain control and accountability:
This anchors the entire inspection. By referencing the purchase order (PO) number, warehouse teams can verify the received goods against the original order, ensuring the correct items and quantities are delivered.
Having the supplierâs full details improves accountability. If thereâs a delivery issue, this info helps your team evaluate supplier performance and speed up resolution.
Timestamping each delivery helps you review delivery schedules, track shipment delays, and identify potential gaps in receiving coverage.
Here, staff will assess damage or discrepancies, confirm specifications (e.g., size, color), take photos if needed, and record all inspections in case of claims or audits. An effective inventory audit checklist incorporates these inspection protocols to ensure accuracy from the moment goods arrive.
Listing the material name (e.g., product name, SKU, or description) prevents mix-ups during inventory allocation and ensures all items are accounted for. This also helps your Warehouse Management System (WMS) update stock records correctly.
Identifying who delivered and who received the shipment establishes accountability, helps resolve disputes over damaged or missing items, and ensures proper handoff records.
Maintaining proper documentation, such as packing slips, invoices, and bills of lading, facilitates order reconciliation and supports formal audits and record keeping.
A single receiving error often ripples through the entire warehouse. A structured receiving checklist breaks this cycle by establishing clear protocols that coordinate with supply chain operations and create accountability at every step. It drives big improvements in:
This plays out in real operations. A mid-sized clothing retailer had ongoing issues with stock discrepancies during receipt. However, implementing a standardized receiving checklist significantly reduced the number of missing items and stock inaccuracies.
Employees also appreciated having clear instructions to follow, which reduced confusion and helped maintain a smoother workflow during peak delivery periods.
Before drafting your checklist, take a closer look at your existing receiving workflow. Next, identify any inefficiencies and pinpoint areas that could benefit from more structure and consistency.
Choose the data points youâll need based on your warehouse flow, system integration, and team size. Include only whatâs necessary to document key handoff moments.
You can go with paper, but digital formats (via tablets or mobile apps) are easier to scale. Software-based checklists can instantly update records and integrate with your WMS.
Use inventory management platforms or cloud-based tools to build your checklist. For example, ShipHeroâs template system allows you to configure fields, set mandatory requirements, and establish workflow rules that guide staff through the receiving process. This makes sure every receiving action is consistent and auditable.
Train staff to make sure every team member follows standardized procedures. This minimizes human error, especially for new or seasonal workers.
Roll out the checklist during a test period. Assign clear roles (e.g., receiver, inspector), gather feedback, and then launch warehouse-wide. Revisit and refine it quarterly to keep up with operational changes.
Your warehouse receiving checklist works even better when paired with these best practices:
Spacing out deliveries helps reduce bottlenecks and allows teams sufficient time to track inventory levels accurately. It also allows for more accurate inspections.
Keep receiving areas clutter-free and near the entrance. This shortens the time it takes to organize storage locations after goods are received.
Invest in equipment such as barcode scanners, conveyors, or forklifts to speed up receiving operations, especially during peak seasons.
Donât let broken items enter inventory. Flag them, document the issue, and notify procurement so the issue can be escalated quickly.
By leveraging real-time inventory tracking and barcode scanning, you can eliminate the need for manual checklists, ensuring that every received item is accurately logged. ShipHero automates the entire receiving workflow, reducing human errors and speeding up the process.
Customizable receiving workflows allow you to tailor the system to your warehouseâs specific needs, eliminating the need for paper-based checklists. Improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency, all with ShipHeroâs advanced automation tools.
At least annually, or anytime your business introduces a new product line, supplier, or technology upgrades.
Absolutely. Cross-training builds flexibility, enabling teams to cover for absences and maintain efficiency even during peak periods or periods of high turnover.
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One missed check can cost you thousands of dollars. You may have a damaged pallet, a missing fire extinguisher, or a skipped safety step that can put your team at risk.
Warehouse daily checklists serve as a pilotâs pre-flight checklist. Before takeoff, every switch, lever, and system is checked. Why? Because skipping one step can lead to serious problems. The same goes for your warehouse.
Without a solid checklist, you risk delays, missed shipments, or worse, accidents and safety violations. A checklist ensures your team follows the right procedures and nothing falls through the cracks.
Hereâs everything you need to include in a warehouse daily checklist, its definition, and templates you could use to get started fast.
A warehouse daily checklist is a structured form that helps warehouse staff systematically inspect, verify, and record essential tasks on a daily basis. It covers all the daily to-dos that keep your warehouse operations running smoothly and safely, such as inventory tracking and forklift inspections.
The warehousing and storage industry reported an injury rate of 4.8 per 100 full-time workers, nearly double the national average of 2.7. Following a daily warehouse checklist ensures the right procedures and safety protocols are followed and nothing important gets missed.
A great warehouse daily checklist supports the safety of your warehouse, reduces errors, and keeps your workflow on point. Hereâs how to make a checklist that your warehouse workers will actually use and benefit from.
Every component of your checklist ensures your facility, staff, and inventory remain safe, compliant, and productive.
Common components include:
Instructions should be clear and structured to help your team move through inspections efficiently and consistently.
Your daily warehouse checklist doesnât have to be very detailed and complicated. It needs to be thorough, practical, and easy to follow.
Hereâs how to build a great one:
When your checklist comprehensively details the tasks in a concise manner, it becomes a tool that delivers massive impact. This ensures your warehouse operations run smoothly, safely, and efficiently.
Ready to skip the setup and just get started? Feel free to copy our Warehouse Daily Checklist Template to your Google Docs or Microsoft Word document. Itâs accessible, user-friendly, and 100% customizable to your needs.
Simply plug in your specific details, and youâre set. Itâs built to save time, support compliance, and help you manage your daily workflow like a pro.
ShipHeroâs Warehouse Management System (WMS) boosts warehouse efficiency by automating key processes like inventory tracking, order picking, and shipping. By streamlining these workflows, it reduces manual labor, minimizing errors and delays.
The systemâs real-time data updates allow staff to make quick, informed decisions, improving overall productivity. Customizable features enable businesses to adapt ShipHero to their specific operational needs, further enhancing efficiency. With ShipHero, warehouses can achieve faster turnaround times, reduced costs, and improved accuracy.
Review a warehouse daily checklist, weekly, or monthly to maintain accuracy and relevance. Frequent reviews help align the checklist with workflow changes, new safety protocols, or operational updates.
Yes, you can customize a warehouse daily checklist template. Most templates are designed to be modified based on team size, warehouse layout, and operational goals. Customization improves relevance and usability across different warehouse environments.
Yes, basic instruction and simple training on how to use the checklist ensure employees understand how to follow the checklist, report issues, and meet safety or performance standards. Training improves consistency and accountability across shifts.
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ShipHero recently launched The Fulfillment Innovation Wheel to help 3PLs understand what capabilities and service offerings they need to implement in order to be successful and to help online retailers and brands choose which 3PL is right for them by allowing them to âcheck the boxesâ.
The Fulfillment Innovation Wheel listed a set of twelve (12) capabilities that fulfillment providers and logistics companies should implement to continually delight their customers and push themselves towards greater success and innovation.
The twelve capabilities are:
In this article, we will be diving into Capability #12: Professional services.
âAnd be sure to stay tuned for future articles as we deep-dive into each capability.
If you want to grow your business, your Warehouse Management Software (WMS) needs to keep up by collecting and processing more data, offering users more capabilities and automation, and providing more customizable reports and integrations. As WMS grow more and more powerful with each iteration, naturally so does its complexity. Thatâs why business owners who want to get the most out of their WMS are turning to Professional Services offered by their fulfillment provider.
App developers try to make WMS interfaces as easy to use as possible, and often take a one-size-fits-all approach to developing their solution. When that doesnât cut it for your business, Professional Services are the perfect way to custom-fit the solution to your exact specifications.
ShipHero customers can select a wide range of customization services that include (but are not limited to):
Everyone makes mistakes! Professional Services are the easy way to get you right back on track with your WMS.
For error correction, ShipHero offers:
Sometimes you just need an expert opinion. Warehouse process and development experts stand at the ready to help you figure out the tough problems.
ShipHeroâs experts are available to provide:
So, does your fulfillment provider give you the attention and service that you need? Whether you need a quick fix over the phone or a more hands-on approach with our onsite visits, ShipHero helps its customers any way they can through their extensive list of Professional Service. Not only that, ShipHero maintains a community of customers that all chip in to help each other.
Itâs this white-glove approach to service that brings an average of 100 new signups for our fulfillment service per day, and we attribute this success on the Fulfillment Innovation Wheel to Capability #12: Professional Services.
âStay tuned next as we cover Capability #11: Integration Stack! Integrate-ful for your business. ShipHero.
Learn more about ShipHero's industry-leading warehouse management software.
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The incumbent President of the United States made quick work in demonstrating to our citizens and the rest of the world exactly what our countryâs priorities will be for the next four years and beyond. Within his first week of taking office, President Joe Biden enacted a long list of executive orders that sought solutions to the pressing issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration, and climate change.
Sustainability has been of great importance to the Biden administration since his Vice Presidency, and continued to be a main aspect of his campaign during the 2020 election, so it came as no surprise when President Joe Biden signed an executive order to initiate his plan to combat climate change through a Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice.
No matter who you voted for, itâs time to get acquainted with his stance on climate change, what measures the government will be taking to lower our carbon footprint, and how the  logistics industry will be impacted. In essence, it comes down to carbon emissions and the railroad.
Under Bidenâs leadership, the United States rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change, which calls us to determine a reduction target for emissions and direct our federal agencies to execute on that promise.
For example, US agencies have been directed to purchase American-made, zero-emission vehicles, and suspend new oil and natural gas leases on public lands in hopes to conserve at least 30% of federal lands and waters over the next ten years.
The Biden Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice also promises to make major public investments in automobile infrastructure, including 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, while accelerating R&D on battery technology and battery production. This is sure to increase production and widespread use of EV vehicles, buses, and trucks for transportation.
Sustainability
âAs the current pandemic situation unfolds, sustainability in the supply chain has gone by the wayside as urgency and necessity push for speed and reliability in shipping. But even still, some shoppers opt to use the Amazon Day feature to try and offset their purchases with their rationale being, if they have to come here, at least let them bring more than one thing. Post-COVID however, sustainability will be sure to resume as a large priority for consumers and retailers once more.
For fulfillment providers, retailers will push for low-carbon and zero-carbon (if not negative) emissions throughout the supply chain. There will be a push for clean transportation options, namely electric vehicles (EV) including electric trucks for long-distance shipping, whereas air freight has the worst carbon emissions.
Although it remains unclear what Environmental Justice specifically entails, we donât find it out of the realm of possibilities that a national carbon tax could be introduced similar to Canada, Britain or some US states, or rather an incentivized stimulus for low-emitting companies. If enacted, a carbon tax could make logistics companies like Amazon rethink their air-heavy fulfillment strategy and make way for 3PLs that are built on sustainable practices.
âBut where, WHERE, are these sustainable transportation methods coming from?, you may have shouted into your computer screen. Well, toot toot, the answer to that falls onâŚ
Bidenâs plan aims to spark âThe Second Great Railroad Revolutionâ, a push to modernize US rail infrastructure, which will ensure that we have the cleanest, safest, and fastest rail system in the world â for both passengers and freight.
A US Rail Revolution will not only reduce pollution, by working with Amtrak and private freight rail companies to further electrify the rail system, but also provide workers with âgood, unionâ jobs and stimulate investment in communities better linked to major metropolitan areas. In order to streamline the loan process and make capital more available for the railway industry, Biden has tapped existing federal grant and loan programs at the US Department of Transportation.
Multi-modal
âCurrently, fulfillment is dominated by ground travel, with long-distance trucking and last-mile delivery vans. Although rail freight can carry 400 times what a single truckload can with much fewer emissions, the current process for fulfillment by rail is too complex and downright costly. However, Bidenâs plan could be the answer for this.
By modernizing rail freight and designing it for todayâs eCommerce world, rail freight could once again become a viable option, and 3PL providers that account for this shift could disrupt the logistics industry entirely by cornering the multi-modal transportation space.
Multi-modal transport (also known as combined transport) is the transportation of goods under a single contract, but performed with at least two different modes of transport, often performed by contracted sub-carriers. The carrier responsible for the entire carriage is referred to as a multimodal transport operator, or MTO.
So, any 3PL that can become the leading MTO could position themselves to become the 4th major player in logistics and fulfillment, with UPS and Fedex at capacity, and Amazon weighed down by its traditional infrastructure.
Weâre no fulfill-osophers, but we do predict that a smart logistics provider like ShipHero, one built to scale through agility, will be perfectly positioned to quickly claim market share and delight their customers with sustainable shipping and multi-modal options.
âThrough use of already existing clean energy and green technologies, the logistics industry can lead the way towards sustainable practices in eCommerce supply chains. Moreover, the pandemic-caused boom of eCommerce has given rise to a plethora of opportunities and growth in the fulfillment space; and where money goes, progress follows.
Investments to improve fulfillment practices driven by big data and blockchain will be the spark necessary for companies to derive ROI from their sustainable practices, and effectively contribute to Green Joeâs climate plan.
Learn more about ShipHero's industry-leading warehouse management software.
ShipHero recently launched The Fulfillment Innovation Wheel to help 3PLs understand what capabilities and service offerings they need to implement in order to be successful and to help online retailers and brands choose which 3PL is right for them by allowing them to âcheck the boxesâ.
The Fulfillment Innovation Wheel listed a set of twelve (12) capabilities that fulfillment providers and logistics companies should implement to continually delight their customers and push themselves towards greater success and innovation.
The twelve capabilities are:
In this article, we will be diving into Capability #11: Integration Stack.
âAnd be sure to stay tuned for future articles as we deep-dive into each capability.
These days, all you need to start an online business is a laptop and a dream. With just a few clicks, more and more people are chasing their entrepreneurial passions by leveraging eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Wix and Squarespace, which provide all the software solutions that they need to get their business up and running.
Online businesses today are piecemealed together by a whole assortment of cloud applications, created by different app developers with different methodologies, to accomplish a specific task, e.g, returns, transactional emails, shipping labels, etc. However, without a way to tie them all together, the benefits from the expertise are lost when the entrepreneur is forced to spend enormous effort in navigating from one app to another, figuring out how to transfer information between all of their tools.
So, the eCommerce platforms like Shopify are not inherently powerful in and of themselves; rather, the real power of these platforms lies in their ability to integrate seamlessly with multiple solutions, tying in expertise from a whole plethora of applications that are otherwise customized to do one, specific thing.
Similarly, fulfillment providers need to be able to integrate seamlessly into your business, not to mention offer automation tools to speed up your workflows, leaving you time to focus on what really matters.
Retailers have come to expect that their fulfillment provider integrates into the platforms and applications that they are already using, allowing them to transfer data cross-applications and simplify their business processes. However, this is often no easy task.
Only 3PLs and fulfillment providers that are born from agile methodologies and built to scale can offer the wide-ranging integration methods that retailers demand. Without them, they will only slow down your business and as the old adage goes: time is money.
âShipHeroâs integration marketplace offers a suite of valuable integrations that make it easy to connect our customers to a long list of shipping carriers and ecommerce platforms. As seen with our recent integrations with Alloy and Returnly, ShipHero is constantly expanding our capabilities and partnering with companies so that our customers have the very best options when it comes to easy, one-click integrations.
Along with our direct integrations, we also have over 20 partners that provide integrations and systems expertise, as well as an open API so that users can code their own integrations and webhooks if itâs not already on our list.
âOur customers love the integration that ShipHero provides. We attribute this success on the Fulfillment Innovation Wheel to Capability #11: Integration Stack.
âStay tuned next as we cover Capability #12: Professional Services! At your service, professionally. ShipHero.
Learn more about ShipHero's industry-leading warehouse management software.
Give the young and prude a moment to leave⌠great. *cue retro adult film music -- bom chicka wow wow*On this featured NSFW customer story by ShipHero AfterDark, we deep-dive into our customer (not like that): The Horny Stoner, a brand that caters to empowered babes that arenât afraid to express their individuality, or as Founder and CEO Ana Dee affectionately refers to them⌠Bud Sluts, discreetly providing novelty items from peace pipes to dildos, from grinders to butt plugs, and just about everything that goes in between. Ana Dee takes immense pride in authentically sharing her entrepreneurial journey, proving to up-and-comers that anything is possible. Working as a dancer at a local strip club, Ana Dee saved up $2,000 (âno regrets!â) to start the foundation for her brand. Her businesses took off rapidly, and she went from using a spare room in her house to owning and operating a North Carolina warehouse, powered by ShipHero WMS.
"My team went with Shiphero because there isnât any other software on the market that is the all-in-one package that easily integrates with Shopify. Not to mention the speed it has to cater to small businesses like our own, with the potential to grow with us when 10,000 SKUs grows to 100,000."Ana Dee- Founder and CEO of Horny Stoner
Since the Horny Stoner has long been satisfied with ShipHeroâs all-in-one package (or so she tells us), we just had to tie her down for an interview and study her case. Without a taxi cab in sight, Ana Dee confessed all the juicy details about how she started her successful business and why she chose ShipHero to fulfill her customerâs desires, and packages. ;)~ShipHero: Ana Dee, tell us about your business.Ana Dee: âI refer to my empire as âThe Mothership.â Alien Outfitters is my first brand, which led to the birth of my two new sister stores, The Horny Stoner and Blades For Babes. We sell a wide range of clothing/accessories, adult toys and tobacco products, and fashionable knives within our online web stores...After shipping orders out of my upstairs rec room for three years, I ended up renting container units at a local fulfillment center. And within six months, we were busting at the seams and slowing down the fulfillment process with the number of orders we had. I knew in my gut it was time to handle the fulfillment ourselves. I am very hands-on with my customersâ entire unboxing experience*. I knew I had to get my own warehouse to truly keep our customer experience sustainable by having more control over our fulfillment process. Not only that, but I wanted to provide employment opportunities that diverse individuals donât have.â*Talking about her customized unboxing experience, every Horny Stoner order is jam-packed with pink stardust and shipped out of their North Carolina warehouse. Early on, Ana successfully identified her target market in the Bud Sluts, and the company was converting sales at a dizzying pace. However, she found that having to integrate multiple platforms just to ship a single order was making her fulfillment process much more complicated than necessary.SH: What was your fulfillment process like before ShipHero?Ana Dee: âPre-Shiphero was honestly a shipping sh*t storm... Groovepacker was the system we used to ensure the correct items were picked. The process lagged, the backend was a mess, but it was the only option I could afford at the time. As far as label printing, Shipstation provided a lot for the price point. Still, as we grew, it lacked the automation our stores required, such as combining orders, removing drop-ship items, and packing slip customization. I grew more and more frustrated when the bulk of my time was manually doing things that the platforms couldnât execute.Our problems seemed like simple fixes, yet you would put in ticket request after ticket request to software companies who didnât care about changing their systems. Most of the time, we wouldnât get a response for weeks at a time, which just caused delay after delay. As the tiny problems stacked, I couldnât grow my business because I simply didnât have the time.âSH: Naughty, naughty platforms. Did you⌠spank them?Ana Dee: âIf you call raising hell via email with the developers, then yes.â
SH: So when it comes to a fulfillment provider, whatâs, like, your type?*twirls hair in fingers*Ana Dee: âWhen searching for a fulfillment partner, itâs imperative to hop on a call and really see what the process looks like. As we got quotes from other companies, we noticed the lack of excitement they had or the lack of resources we needed. We saw that Shiphero cost a pretty penny for a small business, but letâs face it, you get what you pay for. Shiphero had in-depth videos that trained us before we even had the hardware in our hands.âSH: Speaking of hardware in your hands, what was the integration process like with ShipHero? Was it⌠good? You enjoyed it too, right?Ana Dee: Well with consent from both parties, our first time integrating with ShipHero was⌠a blast. [retelling the story] So itâs the peak of a pandemic, post-Black Friday, and we find the perfect warehouse that hasn't hit the market yet. Miraculously, we purchased the building within 2 weeks and moved in within 48 hours. Now it was crunch time [to fulfill holiday sales].Shiphero had a simple online document that provided us with EXACTLY what computers, scanners, and other accessories needed to make this happen. Being an entrepreneur, you are built to solve problems, so we made it happen with the natural ability to move fast. Within seven days, we had the process down and hired three more packers who had the pull and packing process down the same day they were hired. I still look back and canât believe this was possible, but the reality is that Shiphero made it possible. Any other software would have hindered our success and ability to hit our numbers before the year was over.â
"Within seven days, we had the process down and hired three more packers who had the pull and packing process down the same day they were hired. I still look back and canât believe this was possible, but the reality is that Shiphero made it possible."
SH: Well, pulling packages is sort of our specialty. What would you say the biggest advantage and disadvantage of ShipHero has been for your business?Ana Dee: âThe advantage with Shiphero, hands down, is the accuracy for pulling and packing orders. There is a zero chance you will pull the wrong product in an order. Shipping the correct products removes human error, saves money, and creates happy returning customers. The speed of the barcode readers allows us to move efficiently, getting an order fulfilled within 60 seconds.Thus far, the only disadvantage is that I havenât dove into the systemâs other capabilities, such as creating kits for our products and getting our returns portal set up.âSH: Wait til you see our back end capabilities. Anyway, how has your business been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns?Ana Dee: âIt was pretty clear that everyone was staying home, had a lot of time on their hands, and felt stressed about the pandemic. I didnât understand the power our products had until our customers needed them most.Itâs a no-brainer that adults were partaking in 18+ activities as time went by. We all certainly needed to take a load off. The Horny Stoner saw a 400% increase in sales. On the contrary, as sales went up, products were selling out.There was no way I could keep up, because even our suppliers couldnât. We were getting calls and emails about shipping delays and lack of resources left and right. 90% of international suppliers couldnât even give us a date when they would be up and running again, let alone 50% of them closing down for good.But, when things go south, I try to find the silver lining. In this case, I wanted to provide jobs for people who lost them. So I found smaller brands who had stock. I bargained with sellers I found on Etsy to purchase their whole supply, which helped them eliminate stale inventory and minimize their financial hardship during Covid. The other side, too of course, was ensuring our employees were safe to be in a space together.SH: Amazing, and whatâs next for you and the Horny Stoner?Ana Dee: Purchasing a warehouse is not something everyone in their lifetime gets to do, and I want to make this experience memorable for myself, my employees, and our followers. They have been on this journey with me since day one and now they get to indulge in our next chapter here.So now that I have this big hunk of space, itâs no surprise that it will be full of glitter and neon lights in no time.â
Follow Ana Dee and the Horny Stonerâs journey at their website and Instagram. https://hornystoner.com/https://www.instagram.com/thehornystoner/Want to be featured in our case study? If you would like to share with us stories about your ecommerce experiences, whether itâs how you started your business, what opinions you have on the stories we share, or if you just feel like venting⌠weâre here for you. Shoot us an email and you could be featured on an upcoming Case Study, our critically-acclaimed weekly news segment The Packet, or if youâre lucky, you could be invited to join one of our many Podcast episodes!
By all accounts, gig workers are redefining the American Dream. To date, over one third of Americans take advantage of the Gig Economy to enjoy the freedom of setting their own work schedule and chasing projects that resonate with their passions.
While US regulations are finally catching up to the speed at which the Gig Economy continues to grow, more and more major companies are adding freelancers and gig workers to their workforce at varying positions and ranks, up to about two thirds of major companies currently. And 80% of companies are planning to make the switch to independent work in the coming year.
Specifically, several sectors like the warehouse and ecommerce fulfillment industry are ramping up their use of gig workers due to the flexibility and expertise that they provide. Not only that, gig workers in these industries are constantly being offered full-time work if they need more stability. Thereâs just too much work in ecommerce fulfillment right now.
Greater acceptance of remote work has proven to be a win-win situation for gig workers. Thatâs because their work can now transcend the boundaries of where they can physically show up to work, and at the same time, the demand for work that does require in-person attendance is only skyrocketing.
With the advent of staffing platforms like Indeed and AngelList, itâs never been easier for businesses to find and team up with quality and trusted independent workers. This has led to many predictions that virtual organizations and solely-online retailers will continue to rise through the consistent employment of gig workers.
76% of gig workers claim satisfaction in their work life, despite the pressure to continually find projects. But perhaps it is this pressure, rising to the challenge, designing a personal work style and life, that entices gig workers to this style of work in the first place.
Today, 15% of independent workers have side-gigs, and with services like Indeed and ecommerce platforms like Shopify that allow people to market and sell their services and goods like never before, this proportion is sure to grow.
We at ShipHero are seeking gig workers to become Gig Heroes at our warehouses as Pick-and-Packers and fulfillment specialists, because we value the expertise and flexibility that they bring to a work environment. We are currently hiring experienced warehouse team members to join our team to help us pick, pack & ship orders in our 150,000 sqft warehouse in our network in Pennsylvania. You'll be part of a team that helps ship over $5 billion of e-commerce orders a year, and thereâs always options for full-time employment.
Learn more about ShipHero's industry-leading warehouse management software.
Welcome to Episode 10 of We're Just Human! Today's guest is Andrew Marshall, the head of operations and finance at Pacific Northwest Components, a business thatâs focused on making great quality bicycle components that donât cost a fortune. Prior to @PNWComponents, Andrew worked in logistics operations for some of the largest automobile supply chains in the world, and then experienced Tesla, with some notable differences.
Oh and that article Andrew references when talking about how you can take your standard mountain bike and do some upgrades: https://www.pnwcomponents.com/blogs/news/how-to-upgrade-an-old-bike
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If youâre interested in being a guest on our new podcast, Objects!, please contact John Wakim at pitch@shiphero.com.
ShipHero recently launched The Fulfillment Innovation Wheel to help 3PLs understand what capabilities and service offerings they need to implement in order to be successful and to help online retailers and brands choose which 3PL is right for them by allowing them to âcheck the boxesâ.
The Fulfillment Innovation Wheel listed a set of twelve (12) capabilities that fulfillment providers and logistics companies should implement to continually delight their customers and push themselves towards greater success and innovation.
The twelve capabilities are:
In this article, we will be diving into the Capability #10: Scale Up and Out. Â
âAnd be sure to stay tuned for future articles as we deep-dive into each capability.
Your business constantly strives for growth. Whether itâs new customers, new markets, new products, your quest for innovating and providing more value seemingly never ends. Shouldnât you ask the same of your fulfillment providers?Without clear-cut criteria and a well-executed strategy for growth, your fulfillment provider could slow your business down. As we saw with this global pandemic, traditional shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS, and even Amazon could not scale quickly enough to meet the soaring demands of the eCommerce boom. Conversely, FaaS providers and third-party logistics (3PL) companies like ShipHero that were built for scale, equipped with agile development processes and defined expansion strategies, not only experienced tremendous growth and innovation but were able to deliver for their customers when others could not. We attribute this success on the Fulfillment Innovation Wheel to Capability #10: Scale Up and Out.
First and foremost, through real-time data monitoring and executive reporting, your fulfillment provider should get the right data to the decision-makers, so that they can make the best possible decisions when it comes to expansion. Let the data tell you when itâs time to expand, because over-expansion is a kiss of death all on its own.Make sure you are tracking the data that tells the real story, like âMiles Travelled per Orderâ or âTime to Fulfillâ; whatever it may be for your business. Remember, locking in new warehouses to your network is expensive and very difficult to undo, so you need to ensure that there are no simple fixes for your current fulfillment capacity. At ShipHero, we have clearly defined criteria that informs us when itâs time to expand our operations. We know itâs time to expand when one of the following happens:
If you are a 3PL or FaaS provider, be sure to collect the right data and set clear-cut goals for expansion. If you are a customer looking to outsource fulfillment, make sure that your fulfillment provider has these in mind, and can grow as quickly you do.Want to learn more? Some content from this article was borrowed from our previous article: Warehouse Buying 101: A Guide to Scalability, where we dive deeper into the expansion strategy that launched us to become trusted by over 4,000 ecommerce brands and 3PLs every day, in just under a year.
âStay tuned next as we cover Capability #12: Professional Services! At your service. ShipHero.
Learn more about ShipHeroâs industry-leading warehouse management software.
In a slew of Executive Orders signed during his first week on the job, President Biden aims to tackle climate change through his plan for a Clean Energy Revolution with Environmental Justice. In so doing, Biden has set up several councils and initiatives specifically focused on administering environmental justice and creating green jobs to fulfill his plan.
Iâm not saying President Joe Biden is Captain Planet, Iâm just saying that Iâve never seen them in the same room at the same time...
President Bidenâs plan aims to conserve at least 30% of the United State's lands and waters by 2030. The plan also calls for a pause on new oil and gas leases on public lands and waters, while taking steps to increase offshore wind energy production 100% over the next ten years.
The plan also promises to make major public investments in automobile infrastructure, including 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, while accelerating R&D on battery technology and battery production. This is sure to increase production and widespread use of EV vehicles, buses and trucks for transportation.
Besides him famously commuting to work daily on trains, earning him the nickname âAmtrack Joeâ (which would be a sweet rapper name), Bidenâs infrastructure plan also promises to usher in the next great railway revolution.
âBiden will make sure that America has the cleanest, safest, and fastest rail system in the world â for both passengers and freightâ, reads his Plan. âBiden will work with Amtrak and private freight rail companies to further electrify the rail system, reducing diesel fuel emissions.â
Heavy investments on the railway system will lead to millions of âgood, union jobsâ for many Americans and breathe new life into Americaâs middle class. Way to go, Amtrack Joe.
While nobody can be certain what the future will hold, we predict that logistics companies will be forced to move away from transportation systems that carry a heavy carbon footprint (think: air freight) and move towards a more eco-friendly option.
Currently, multi-modal transportation systems that incorporate freight are too complex and downright costly, but Bidenâs plan could turn the tides and make freight a viable option once more.
What do you think?? Will freight be a viable option for the future of logistics? Let us know your thoughts by emailing us here.
Besides checking off âclimate changeâ on his presidential to-do list, President Biden also has the COVID-19 pandemic response to deal with. President Biden has ordered 200 million vaccines to be distributed equally between Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, in an effort to reduce reliance on vaccines coming from other countries.
WE CALLED IT! Last Packet you may recall our prediction of the impending global fashion craze launched by the elegant and stunning Bernie Sanders walking the Red.. er.. Blue Carpet. Now Bernie Sanders merch has Sold Out on the Bernie Sanders official website, and all proceeds are going to a good cause.
â...all of the money thatâs going to be raised â which I expect will be a couple of million dollars â will be going to programs like âMeals on Wheels,â that feed low-income senior citizens,â Sanders said.
In a trend that just continues to prove the growing importance of political merchandise, the Bernie Sanders meme has taken a viral turn, being featured in everything from album covers to Japanese anime. What is it with Anime artists and Sanders men?
We start our The Fulfillment Innovation Wheel series by explaining Capability #4: Designed for Returns.
Plain and simple, customers have come to expect a quick and easy return process. Canât you just hear them shout âItâs 2021! why canât this be easier?!â into the ear of your poor customer service rep? Thatâs why a growing number of businesses, led by Amazon and Walmart eCommerce, have taken the customer-centric approach by offering generous return policies and a frictionless return process.
Find out how your business can offer a frictionless return process and bolster your customer loyalty.
Stay tuned as we break down each of the twelve capabilities. Next we will discuss Capability #10: Scale up and out.
In the first of our Shipping Method Explained series, we dive into dropshipping. In this article, we weigh the pros and cons, and discuss when itâs right for your business. Stay tuned as we cover 3PLs and logistics providers next.
We were overjoyed by the fabulous submissions from our wonderful and extremely attractive Packet community. While we engage with these businesses to squeeze every last juicy detail from them to share, we continue our search for more businesses that want to tell their story. If you would like to share with us stories about your ecommerce experiences, whether itâs how you started your business, what opinions you have on the stories we share, or if you just feel like venting⌠weâre here for you.
Shoot us an email and you could be featured on an upcoming edition of The Packet, or if youâre lucky, you could be invited to join one of our many Podcast episodes or featured on our Blog!
Check out the packets you missed here and Subscribe below so you don't miss the next one!
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Welcome to our Shipping Methods Explained blog series. In this series, we will deep dive into fulfillment methods - that is, how businesses fulfill their online orders and get products to their customers.
Sounds simple right? Well, in theory, it is. You could hop on your itty-witty bicycle and hand-deliver your product, mission accomplished. But consider the complexity when your company fulfills hundreds to thousands of orders daily, not to mention the skyrocketing shipping costs that could price you out of the market.
Managing inventory, navigating each carriersâ specific requirements, calculating the lowest cost from thousands of shipping options⌠itâs a daunting task. Thatâs why more and more businesses are outsourcing their fulfillment methods.
Are you ready to outsource your fulfillment? Letâs analyze your options to help you decide the best method for your business. In this second article, weâll discuss Fulfillment-as-a-Service (FaaS). What is FaaS? What are the pros/cons? When is it right for my business? Letâs dive in.
â(Check out our first article on Dropshipping here. And be sure to check back for future articles where weâll cover even more fulfillment methods)
Simply put, Fulfillment-as-a-Service (FaaS) is where your company employs a third party company or warehouse to prepare and ship orders for you. This allows you to tap into fulfillment capabilities with no upfront investment of capital, and only pay for the services that you use.
Think about it like a subscription to Netflix. As long as you pay the subscription price, you have access to the content and services. Same with FaaS. As long as you partner with a third party logistics (3PL) provider, you can use them to pick, pack, and ship your product.
Now consider the alternative: in-house fulfillment, where companies must invest heavily in warehouse space, labor, management, and software to keep things running smoothly. With FaaS, this is all included in one subscription price, and you can pick and choose the specific capabilities that you need.
We wrote previously about how to choose which fulfillment method is right for you. Take a look here.
With seamless integration between your business systems and their fulfillment cloud-based platforms, getting started with a fulfillment provider has never been easier. All it takes is 3 easy steps to start delivering the goods.
The first step to outsourcing your fulfillment is to find the right FaaS partner for you.There is an endless list of fulfillment companies vying for your business. So when you are vetting each, ask questions like:
Not all 3PLs operate the same way: some value customization over speed, some strive to be the low cost option at the expense of service, so be sure to select the fulfillment partner that aligns with your specific strategic goals.
Once you decide on a fulfillment provider, itâs time to integrate.
FaaS providers offer cloud-based software solutions so that your business can utilize their warehouse management capabilities to control the flow of your products. These solutions offer great value to your business because this allows for highly customized options when it comes to fulfillment - custom packing, custom unboxing, custom bundles - you name it. Â
Also, smart fulfillment companies like ShipHero provide you with the ability to create automated workflows and a frictionless return process through strategic partnerships with companies like Alloy and Returnly.
The final step is to send your inventory to your 3PLâs warehouses and get to shipping.
Once the inventory is received, the warehouse will begin to pick, pack and ship your products for you. If you picked a good fulfillment provider that is built for performance and scale, the 3PL will also disperse inventory across their network of warehouses, bringing the products closer to where the orders are coming from.
ShipHero is able to provide 2-day ground shipping for the contiguous US due to intelligent forecasting solutions powered by AI. We bring the products to where your customers are located, instead of a central fulfillment hub. This allows us to lower costs and our carbon footprint through an emphasis on ground transportation.
Is FaaS right for your business? Or would you benefit from dropshipping or another fulfillment method? Letâs look at the pros and cons of fulfillment-as-a-service so you can decide for yourself.
Business with big goals, fluctuating sales, and not enough time all find great value in the FaaS model. Beyond the obvious benefit of saving time and effort by having a third party fulfill your order for you, FaaS provides advantages in terms of skill specialization, agility, and scalability.
Flexible Pricing
As you grow, 3PLs are able to adapt to your needs and adjust costs accordingly. Conversely, when your business goes through a bit of a slow down (hopefully not), the costs can reflect this as well, and you wonât be weighted down with high overhead. FaaS allows you to forego the high costs, risk, and commitment of leasing and operating your own warehouse.
Skill Specialization
âWhen you choose FaaS, you donât just get a fulfillment provider, you get a business partner. Most 3PLs employ teams of logistics experts and support staff to help you with your shipping needs, and this comes standard with years of experience with fulfillment best practices and software solutions.
Not only do they provide shipping expertise, but also when handling the dirty business of returns. As online shopping continues to grow, so do the number of returned products. 3PLs can help you manage the nightmare of returns and offer a frictionless return experience for your customers.
Agility
âIf there is one thing that FaaS providers do well, itâs move quickly. Whether itâs shipping times or software development, 3PLs embody the spirit of agility. Many fulfillment providers like ShipHero offer 2-day shipping to anywhere in the US; this would require an immense investment from a business, so more and more retailers are partnering with 3PLs to achieve a level of agility they otherwise wouldnât achieve.
The advantages above explain why more and more retailers are partnering with third party logistics providers and fulfillment specialists. Despite the pros, FaaS is not right for every business.
Need Consistent Orders
âIf you are a startup or a small business still getting their feet wet, it may be better to handle your orders in-house due to the costs associated with fulfillment-as-a-service. But when customers are knocking down your door and you canât handle the growing number of orders, 3PLs are standing by to help you as needed.
Lose Full Customization and Control
âYouâd be surprised with the range of customization that 3PLs can offer, but still there is a limit when compared to the full autonomy that you would have with in-house fulfillment. So if you have very detailed and highly specialized requirements when it comes to fulfillment, handling your fulfillment in-house may be a better option.
So, is FaaS right for your business? If youâre not sure, stay tuned for our next article as we dive into Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
Learn more about ShipHero's industry-leading warehouse management software.
Welcome to Episode 9 of We're Just Human! Starting out at the ripe old age of 17, our guest Tance Hughes started his own print on demand business making t-shirts for teams. Since then, he's gone on to found several business starting with Southern Designs. Selling a range of products for the home and business that are manufactured, printed and fabricated in Vidalia, Lousiana.
Tance shares how he started coming from modest beginnings, the journey of building a business that has covered retail, wholesale and DTC, as well as the challenges and opportunities of hiring and growing his businesses in the madness of 2020. My only concern is Tance likes to wake up at 4:30am... :)
The products are really cool too! Check out the maps that are laser cut from metal https://www.cutmaps.com/ as well as some rather lovely home products that have me rethinking my wallpaper strategy https://www.carterandmain.com/
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