How does the E-Commerce Supply Chain impact the quality of your products?

With the ever increasing popularity of online shopping, E-Comm players are continually developing their supply chains to ensure the increasing demands of the consumers are being met.

As supply chains become more intricate, do you know how the quality of your products sold through these E-Commerce players is impacted?

1. Impact of delivery times?

With the majority of FMCG E-Commerce players now offering same or next day delivery, what impact will delivery times have on your end product quality? Do products delivered  within the standard delivery time of 3-5 working days record a lower level of product quality than products the same day? Does a longer delivery time allow for more quality defects to arise in your product?

2. Do E-Commerce players who use third parties for warehousing/ fulfillment register a higher level of product quality defects?

The vast majority of FMCG E-Commerce players across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa have their own warehousing/ fulfillment centres, allowing for greater control across the supply chain. That said, a small number rely on third party providers or a mix of both. Does having a greater level of control at this level result in fewer product quality defects? Do E-Commerce players who use third parties for warehousing/ fulfillment register a higher level of product quality defects?

3. Does the overall quality experience of your product differ region to region?

In terms of FMCG, click & mortar E-Commerce players are more prominent across Europe, while pure players seem to dominate the E-Commerce market in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Do consumers expect a higher standard of product quality from pure players versus click & mortar and are these standards being met? Does the overall quality experience of your product differ region to region?

4. Does the use of third party delivery providers impact your products quality?

While click & mortar players typically utilise their own delivery fleet, pure players are more likely to use third party delivery drivers or a mixture of both. While the use of third party providers means E-Commerce players no longer have control over this aspect of their supply chain, does this impact the quality of your product? Are you more likely to see quality defects in products delivered by players own fleet or by third party providers?

5. How do various delivery methods impact the quality of your product?

E-Commerce players are now offering a wide variety of delivery methods including lockers, drones, smart delivery stations, bikes and vans as a result of the increased focus on last mile delivery. Do these various methods of delivery impact the quality of your product? Is the quality of your product at more risk when being delivered by bike than by van?

Here at Eolas we have been helping to answer these questions for our clients through our tailored product quality measurement and consumer experience programs. To understand more please contact Martina, by emailing martina@eolasinternational.com