Dropshipping in marketing logistics.

For companies that use merchandise or promotional items, dropshipping can be an alternative to not having to manage and distribute items themselves. Especially when it comes to providing promotional materials, companies often work with a variety of suppliers. Some items are stored at the companies after production and shipped from there, for others the item producers take care of storage and shipping, and still other items are produced and shipped only when an order is placed.

In order to warrant smooth article management and delivery and to make sure that production only takes place as required as required, thus avoiding the almost stereotypical uncontrolled growth in the promotional products warehouse, it makes sense to centralize the logistics. One way of doing this is to set up an advertising materials webshop through which partners (distributors, retailers, craft companies, franchise partners, etc.) can order all the advertising materials that the company offers – regardless of which supplier is responsible for producing the item in question. Of course, such an online store for promotional products must adjust to the possible different conditions that apply to orders or articles through functions such as budgeting or rights-role concept.

Furthermore, centralizing the distribution of advertising materials is very beneficial – either at the company itself or at a fulfillment service provider commissioned for this purpose.  The latter stores, manages and dispatches the articles. Drop shipment items that, for logistical reasons, are not stored in the central warehouse but at other product manufacturers or are produced on demand by suppliers (e.g. printers) are processed in the ERP system of the fulfilment service provider after the order has been placed via the web shop. The ERP system in turn triggers a delivery from the other product manufactures/suppliers to the customer. The fulfillment service provider provides all delivery documents and also handles all accounts receivable management – there is no break for the customer at any stage of the ordering process. The central warehouse does not have to keep the items in stock, production (on demand if necessary) and shipping are carried out quickly by the supplier – dropshipping at its best.

Easy Dropshipping with PORTICA.

Whether classic advertising materials, flyers on demand, trade fair displays, T-shirts with logo embroidery – PORTICA designs your advertising materials webshop, takes care of storage, administration and shipping, prepares delivery documentation in your corporate design and handles accounts receivable management for all your advertising materials, including dropshipments. Our ERP system has a dropshipping module for third party suppliers.