We take your stock, store it, pick, pack and deliver it for you automatically.
In just a few simple steps, you’ll be selling, growing and focusing on the things you enjoy most, with the peace of mind that we’re taking care of your orders.
With Huboo you get excellence as standard thanks to our 99.9% fulfilment accuracy. How? Because we put quality and reliability first. Our great people and smart technology are there for you, working in harmony to give you the reassurance and freedom to deliver your goals.
We can store, pick, pack and post for you using bespoke instructions.
In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, precision is not just a goal; it’s a necessity in order to meet customer expectations, maintain store health and maximise efficiency.
The backbone of this precision lies in achieving a 99.9% picking accuracy in the fulfilment processes. Picking accuracy, in simple terms, refers to the ability to correctly pick and pack items for customer orders- ensuring every customer receives the exact item they ordered. When an order is picked incorrectly this is referred to as a ‘mis-pick’, and can be as simple as the wrong colour way or size being selected for the correct item, or the wrong item being selected all together.
Why do mis-picks occur?
The common causes for these errors are:
1.Human error – due to lack of attention, stress, misreading labels, confusing naming conventions, similar looking SKUs, manual data entry errors.
2. Communication breakdowns – due to lack of training for new staff, language barriers, changing procedures or layouts, unclear item descriptions, missing information.
3. Poor inventory management – disorganised storage of SKUs, overcrowding, stockouts and messy warehouses can all impact the final picking process.
4. Technology and system errors – discrepancies between digital and physical inventory, malfunctioning barcode scanners, poorly printed or damaged barcodes and labels.
5. Order complexities – personalisation, item kitting, similar SKUs or even large multi-pick orders can cause issues for pickers.
What are the impacts of errors on your business?
The most obvious cost of mis-picks is the monetary value of the error and correcting the mistake which includes:
Wasted labour for the original wrong picking, packaging and processing in the fulfilment centre
⇒ Reduced inventory (and revenue as a result) because mis-picked items are unsellable until they’re back in stock and may be not be in a condition to be resold.
⇒ Original shipping which can not be reclaimed
⇒ increased Customer support required as customers report the issue and the teams work to resolve the issues
⇒ Return shipping for the incorrect item to be returned to the warehouse
⇒ Return processing and restocking
⇒ Costs of the sending the correct product, including picking, packing and shipping
Beyond the monetary cost
Time
In addition to the value of the labour time caused by the errors there is also the added impact on the new orders coming in that may be delayed while staff correct the mistakes. Time that could have been used to improve the existing systems, develop new products or processes and bring new revenue into the business both within the 3pl and the merchants organisation. Additionally the customer themselves is spending their valuable time notifying you of the issue, sending the parcel back and waiting for the correct item to arrive.
Cash Flow
When inventory is tied up in errors and mis-picks it can’t be turned into cash revenue for the business. This might not seem like a huge problem if you have one or two mis-picks but if significant errors occur and you are facing hundreds or thousands of mis-picks each year with products that have a high turnover rate you could be facing significant issues.
Customer Loyalty
When errors of any kind occur, the trust built up between the organisation and their customers is damaged. When a consumer is inconvenienced by a mis-pick they may start to see the merchant as unreliable with poor service quality which could drive them to your competitors, damaging your reputation and growth. If your brand has a strong customer community rumour of the issues can spread quickly and even put off potential new customers. The same can be said for the fulfilment partner onboarding new merchants.
The solutions
Technology is the driving force behind achieving and maintaining 99.9% picking accuracy. Automated systems, barcode scanners, and state-of-the-art WMS software play a pivotal role in reducing human errors. The integration of these tools ensures that every item is precisely picked, packed, and dispatched, leaving minimal room for mistakes.
When paired with motivated, knowledgeable staff and direct communication, a seamless pick & pack service can be achieved consistently.