Back Orders & Pre-Orders

Back Orders & Pre-Orders

Why can I not work with Back Orders & Pre Orders at Expandly?

As your 3PL partner, we’re dedicated to providing reliable, efficient service, in a timely-manner. To allow us to maintain the highest standards, we focus on managing in-stock inventory rather than handling backorders (where products are not yet available in the warehouse) or pre-orders. Here’s why this approach helps us deliver consistent results for you and your customers: 

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1. Minimising Operational Complexity 

  • What does this mean? Managing backorders and pre-orders requires extensive tracking, special handling, and frequent status updates. This increases our workload, making it harder to maintain efficient operations for all clients. 

  • Result: By focusing on in-stock inventory, we streamline processes, ensuring faster order handling and fewer operational bottlenecks. 


2. Enhancing Inventory Accuracy 

  • What does this mean? Backorders and pre-orders add uncertainty to inventory planning. It becomes challenging to know exactly when stock will arrive, leading to potential inaccuracies in our inventory system. 

  • Result: We maintain a higher level of inventory accuracy and avoid stock-outs or overstock issues ,by only dealing with on-hand items. 


3. Upholding Service Level Agreements  

  • What does this mean? SLAs often specify precise delivery and despatch standards. With backorders and pre-orders, lead times are less predictable, making it difficult to guarantee adherence to these agreements. 

  • Result: By focusing on available stock, we can meet or exceed SLA commitments, maintaining trust and satisfaction with clients and their customers. 


4. Reducing Customer Service Overload 

  • What does this mean? Backorders and pre-orders can lead to increased client inquiries about order status and delivery timing, which takes up significant customer service resources. 

  • Result: By keeping our focus on in-stock items, we ensure responsive customer support for all clients, enhancing communication and problem-solving capabilities. 


5. Maximising Client Satisfaction 

  • What does this mean? Customers expect quick and reliable order fulfilment. Unavoidable delays from backorders or pre-orders can lead to dissatisfaction and potential returns or cancellations. 

  • Result: With a focus on in-stock inventory, we can consistently meet customer expectations for timely delivery, fostering positive relationships and trust. 

 

6. Managing Space and Resources Efficiently 

  • What does this mean? If large quantities of backordered or pre-ordered stock arrive at once, it can strain our warehouse space and workforce, affecting the efficiency of handling other stock. 

  • Result: With available stock management, we can allocate space and resources more effectively, improving workflow and safety for all products handled. 


7. Lowering Error Potential 

  • What does this mean? Co-ordinating stock for backorders increases the chance of inventory errors, such as double-allocations or misplacement, which can lead to fulfilment delays. 

  • Result: With in-stock inventory, our process is more straightforward, reducing the potential for errors and improving accuracy across all orders. 


8. Minimising Returns and Cancellations 

  • What does this mean? Customers may cancel backorders or pre-orders due to delays, creating extra work for handling returns and restocking. 

  • Result: Our commitment to in-stock fulfilment reduces cancellations, keeping costs low and customer satisfaction high. 

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In Summary: Focusing on Reliable, In-Stock Fulfillment 

By concentrating on inventory we have on hand, we can uphold the highest standards for accuracy, speed, and client satisfaction. While backorders and pre-orders offer certain advantages, they bring increased complexity and risk. Limiting these practices allows us to deliver reliable service for you and your customers, ensuring smooth operations across the board. 


What happens if an order goes into back order?

You can read more about what happens when an order goes into Back Order by clicking here

Need more help? 

If you have further questions, or would like to discuss how we can best support your inventory needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out! 

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