Introduction
It is essential for an e-commerce company to have a flawless order fulfillment process in place in order to ensure customer satisfaction and business success. Fulfillment encompasses various tasks such as order picking, packing, and timely delivery to customers, as well as ensuring smooth restocking and product delivery during online transactions.
When buyers notice your product, fast and reliable fulfillment can give you a distinct advantage. This is where MFN comes into the picture. MFN stands for Merchant Fulfilled Network, which is also known as Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM). MFN allows both Amazon sellers and FBA sellers to list their products on the Amazon marketplace, but self-fulfillment is only available for the former.
In this case, the seller is the one in charge of things such as storing inventory, managing packaging, and shipping issues, managing returns and providing customer service related to the orders. Rather than an automated process this option will demand more active seller participation, but on the other hand, it has some benefits such as more possibilities for branding, probable higher profit, and the chance to adjust customer experience individually.
How MFN Works
1. Setting Up Shop: Listing Products on Marketplaces
The journey begins by creating an account on a marketplace like Amazon and registering as a seller. Here, you'll create detailed listings for each product you want to sell. This involves providing clear descriptions, high-quality product images, competitive pricing, and accurate shipping information. MFN sellers have more control over product presentation compared to Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), allowing them to showcase their brand identity more effectively.
2. Choosing MFN as Your Fulfilment Partner
Once your products are listed, you'll need to decide on the fulfilment method. Here's where MFN comes in. By selecting MFN, you're essentially choosing to handle the entire fulfilment process yourself. This includes storing inventory in your warehouse or through a third-party logistics provider (3PL).
3. Keeping Track: Receiving Orders and Inventory Management
As customer orders roll in through the marketplace platform, you'll be notified electronically. Here's where organization becomes key. You'll need a robust inventory management system to track stock levels, ensure accurate order fulfilment, and avoid overselling. Efficient inventory management also helps prevent stockouts that can lead to lost sales and customer dissatisfaction.
4. Packing and Shipping: Consumers demand an almost instant availability of a variety of products or services.
The world of e-commerce is fascinating. When someone places an order, it is your responsibility to meet his needs! This responsibility entails getting the right things from the inventory, bundling them in a way that makes them immune to damage while transporting and using a reliable shipping carrier to bring them to the buyer. With MFN, sellers may decide on the shipping method and carrier that suits them best (and this may allow them to save on shipping premiums charged by FBA). Nevertheless, they are accountable for making deliveries in a timely manner and exploring the challenges involved in the process.
5. Addressing Concerns: Returns Processing and Customer Support Services are being streamlined.
Customer care is the lynchpin in e-commerce, and sellers on MFN take control of all returns, inquiries, or complaints. This comprises helping customers with queries about products, dealing with return requests, re-funding, and conflict resolution in case there are complaints from consumers. If you want to create strong customer relationships, the approach of transparency in communication and customer satisfaction is definitely a must.
6. The Power of Partnership:
Leveraging Third-Party Logistics (3PL) services will help us to focus on our core competencies rather than worrying about shipping timeframes, delivery rates, shipment delays, and global distribution strategies.
With MFN completely under the seller’s domain, some sellers select 3PL providers to be able to manage fulfilments themselves. They provide solutions for inventory management, distribution and sorting of orders, shipping and returns processing. Sometimes vendors cannot provide fulfilment of orders in-house due to lack of storage area and resources.
Advantages of MFN
1. Owning Your Brand Identity: Greater Control Over Inventory and Branding
One of the key advantages of MFN is the increased control you have over your inventory and brand presentation. Unlike FBA, where Amazon stores and packages your products with generic packaging, MFN allows you to manage your own inventory in dedicated warehouses. This gives you the flexibility to implement stricter quality control measures and ensure your products are shipped in branded packaging that reflects your brand identity. You can also include marketing inserts or promotional materials with your shipments, further strengthening your brand message and fostering customer recognition.
2. Boosting Your Bottom Line: Potentially Higher Profit Margins
MFN can potentially lead to higher profit margins, especially for sellers offering low-volume or high-value products. By managing fulfilment yourself, you avoid the fulfilment fees associated with FBA. While you'll incur costs for storage, packaging, and shipping, these can potentially be lower than FBA fees, particularly for products with lower selling prices or larger profit margins. However, it's important to factor in the additional time and resources required for MFN fulfilment to ensure these cost savings translate to actual profit gains.
3. Tailoring the Experience: More Flexibility in Packaging and Shipping Options
MFN offers greater flexibility in terms of packaging and shipping options. You can choose the type of packaging materials that best suit your products and branding. This could include using eco-friendly packaging or premium boxes to create a more upscale customer experience. Additionally, you have more control over shipping methods and carriers. You can offer various shipping options at different price points to cater to customer preferences and potentially attract budget-conscious buyers.
4. Building Relationships: Direct Customer Interaction Allows for Building Brand Loyalty
When you manage MFN fulfilment, you handle all customer interactions related to orders. This allows you to build relationships with your customers directly. By responding promptly to inquiries, addressing concerns efficiently, and providing excellent customer service, you can foster trust and loyalty. This direct interaction also provides valuable insights into customer preferences and feedback that you can use to refine your product offerings and marketing strategies. However, it's essential to be prepared to handle a potentially higher volume of customer service inquiries compared to FBA.
Disadvantages of MFN
1. Time Commitment and Resource Drain: What is Management Effort?
MFN calls for a major investment in both physical and human resources, as well as can occasionally require immense effort. Day-to-day work will be taking care of the inventory recording process, filling the orders and packing and shipping them to customers. This could also become a big hurdle for the newbies in the market or those having less financial support. Besides all these, you should also anticipate the need for other production resources, such as materials for packaging, and possibly the need for a warehouse space or a third-party logistic provider, which all come at a price.
2. Speed Bumps on the Road: The Lagging ship times with FBA compared to FBA.
The concern is also that the items will stay longer than from using FBA. Since, in this case, you are the one who is paying for the shipping, you will not be able to propose the same speed of deliveries or expedited shipping options as Amazon. On the other hand, the speed of delivery may turn out a shortcoming for clients who give more importance to rapid delivery services. Besides that, you consider the location and carrier you will choose which could also make an impact on your shipping efficiency and delivery time frames.
3. The Customer Service Burden: Rise in the Job Assignment of Support and Returns Management
Not with the foreseeable, you take upon you the load for processing and resolving the customer reviews and also the complaints received. The functions of this department comprise not only answering customer questions regarding products, but also processing return requests, issuing refunds, and handling any grievances communicated by customers. This may be the case and so you need to be ready to allocate a customer care team, a very vital aspect in the event you are serving, many clients. Further, inadequate return processing procedures can persuade customers to erode their trust.
4. Scaling Up Can Be a Challenge:
It May Not Be the Best Fit for High-Volume Sellers However If Crafted Properly, It Can Be the Most Effective Method for Small Scale Sellers.
But MFN can be appropriate for new sellers or those with a few product lines only either. At the same time, it is not necessarily the best choice for businesses which generate a huge number of orders. Managing a large inventory, filling the need to send numerous orders daily, and handling customer service in the context of many transactions on a low level may become unmanageable for the teams appropriate for the size of a smaller business.
Who Should Use MFN
1. The Boutique Business: Sellers with Low-Volume or High-Margin Products
MFN can be a good fit for sellers with a limited product range or those offering high-value, low-volume items. For businesses with fewer orders, the time and effort required for MFN become more manageable. Additionally, for high-margin products, the potential cost savings from avoiding FBA fees can be significant, boosting your profit margins.
2. The Branding Buff: Sellers Who Want More Control Over Branding and Customer Experience
If you prioritize brand identity and want complete control over the customer experience, MFN might be the way to go. You can ensure your products are shipped in branded packaging that reflects your brand image. Additionally, by handling customer service directly, you can build relationships and personalize interactions, fostering brand loyalty.
3. The Logistics Lieutenant: Sellers Who Already Have a Reliable Logistics Network
If you already have a warehousing infrastructure or established relationships with shipping carriers, MFN can leverage your existing resources. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses that already handle fulfilment for other sales channels. Utilizing your existing logistics network reduces the need for additional investment when starting with MFN.
4. The Stepping Stone: New Sellers Who Want to Start Small and Gain Experience
For new sellers just starting out, MFN offers a way to test the waters of e-commerce without a significant upfront investment. By managing fulfilment yourself, you gain valuable experience in inventory management, order fulfilment, and customer service. This experience can be crucial for future growth and scaling your business, even if you decide to transition to FBA later.
Tips for Successful MFN
Here are a few tips for successful MFN:
- Shipping Smarts: Choose reliable carriers with competitive rates to ensure timely deliveries and happy customers.
- Transparency is Key: Communicate shipping times and policies on your product listings to avoid customer disappointment.
- Customer Centricity: Provide excellent customer service by responding promptly, addressing concerns effectively, and fostering trust.
- Tech Time-Savers: Consider using fulfilment software to streamline tasks like order processing, inventory management, and shipping.
- Adapt and Evolve: Regularly evaluate your MFN strategy. Analyse costs, customer feedback, and order volume to adjust and optimize your approach.
Conclusion
The Merchant Fulfilled Network (MFN) empowers sellers to manage their fulfilment on marketplaces like Amazon. While requiring more hands-on involvement compared to FBA, MFN offers advantages like control over branding, potentially higher margins, and flexible packaging and shipping. However, it also comes with drawbacks: increased responsibility for returns and customer service, potentially slower shipping, and resource demands.
Ultimately, MFN is a good fit for sellers with low-volume or high-margin products, those prioritizing brand control, or businesses with existing logistics networks. New sellers can use MFN as a stepping stone to gain experience. However, high-volume businesses or those lacking fulfilment infrastructure might find FBA more suitable.
The choice boils down to your specific needs. Carefully research both MFN and FBA, considering your resources and goals. By understanding the trade-offs, you can select the fulfilment method that propels your e-commerce business towards success.