What are the functions of micro fulfillment centers in India?

An ecommerce fulfillment services in India aim to fulfill orders on behalf of online retailers within the ecommerce industry. Once an online retailer receives an order, all details related to the order are directly sent to the fulfillment centers. Next, the 3PL service providers in India are responsible for handling the entire process like- picking, packing, and shipping the ordered item to the end consumer. The process can require fulfillment centers to carry out additional steps when the goods are shipped across international borders. A good ecommerce fulfillment center can handle several touchpoints included in the supply chain effectively. While reducing the turnaround time for ecommerce retailers, these services allow consumers to acquire the ordered items within the decided timeframe. There are two significant types of fulfillment centers, namely- direct fulfillment centers and micro fulfillment centers. 

A DFC or Direct Fulfillment Center sends products directly to the consumer’s doorstep. In simple terms, if you’ve decided to store the inventory on your own or within a warehouse while outsourcing the services to any 3PL service providers in India or fulfill it in-house, you fall under the umbrella of a direct-to-customer business model. 

On the other hand, a micro fulfillment center or commonly known as an MFC, is an emerging concept with the niche of fulfillment services. Micro fulfillment centers in India function as small fulfillment centers that include a combination of manual fulfillment and automated fulfillment. In this case, the last-minute delivery stage’s onus is endorsed to the end consumer as they will have to visit the fulfillment center to acquire their product. 

The micro fulfillment center model is highly effective due to its cost-effectiveness and time-effectiveness features. Besides, it offers multiple advantages that traditional fulfillment centers provide. Some brands tend to convert a part of their existing stores into micro fulfillment centers. MFCs are responsible for handling perishable and small item orders like groceries.