by Ron Noden, Chief Revenue Officer, Etail Solutions
Just getting D2C ecommerce up and working can be a challenge for any organization. For brands, it can be significantly more difficult with the intense requirements needed to be able to function successfully. Even more critically, are you building a "today solution" only, or are you building a truly scalable D2C ecommerce business?
Five key areas to focus on building a scalable D2C operation include:
- Are you able to maximize the advantages in process, workflow, and delivery from your technology ecosystem instead of throwing people at the challenges? If your only path to growth is through the addition of people, you are in the “pcommerce” zone, versus the ideal ecommerce zone.
- Are you managing the details of the business or are you managing the exceptions? Having to manage every order manually is not scalable and is cost prohibitive. Finding a system that automates the vast majority of tasks and leaves only the exceptions allows your team to “get off the hamster wheel” and spend time on higher order work.
- Are all your systems working together in one ecosystem? Seamless data and process flows matter. That means seeing inventory by location, automating replenishment recommendations, managing listing inventory to ensure shipping success, optimizing fulfillment on every order and understanding how successful your full process is. It’s a difference maker to have one ecosystem. Check out this info on how to rise above IT barriers to D2C growth.
- Are you able to solve your challenges without having to radically change out your technology structure? Speed is enhanced when you don’t have to reinvent all your systems, but rather get much of what you currently use to be able to work together. Find out in this video how Evenflo, a leading baby products brand, was able to grow their D2C fulfillment capabilities while leveraging their legacy systems.
- Are you working with strategic partners that have as much interest in your success as you do? Working with organizations that “sit on the same side of the table” as you do makes things better, faster, stronger.
Building a scalable D2C organization requires planning and focus on what matters most to ensure you don’t end up in a "pcommerce" business trap instead of with an "ecommerce" growth engine.
