Having a smooth order fulfillment process is imperative for your business to keep drawing customers to your business .
As a Shopify seller, the challenge comes in when deciding which fulfillment service you should use. Should you go for Shopify’s fulfillment network or work with a third-party option like NextSmartShip?
Today, we’ll have a side-by-side comparison between the two to help you make a well-informed choice about which order fulfillment service is more suitable for your business.
NextSmartShip at a Glance
NextSmartShip offers full order fulfillment services to eCommerce, crowdfunding, subscription box, and FBA prep service businesses. It has fulfillment centers all around the world and its headquarters in Shenzhen, China.
Shopify Fulfillment Network at a Glance
The Shopify Fulfillment Network provides fulfillment integration with your Shopify store so you don’t have to use multiple software platforms. This way, your product orders as well as inventory updates get synced and sent to your suppliers. Shopify Fulfillment network has fulfillment centers in the U.S and Canada.
Key Features to Compare
Are you wondering how NextSmartShip and the Shopify Fulfillment Network stack up against each other? We used the most critical features to look for when shopping for an order fulfillment company to determine the best choice for each.
Ease of use
NextSmartShip allows you to auto sync and track your fulfillment status. You’ll also be able to send shipping updates and tracking numbers to your customers so they can monitor shipping progress.
The Shopify Fulfillment Network also allows you to auto sync fulfillment. It also has some criteria that businesses need to follow to be able to partner with them. These include:
- Not selling regulated or perishable products
- Sell in the U.S
- Have less than 200 SKUs
- Be able to ship between 3-200 orders each day
On the other hand, NextSmartShip doesn’t have a minimum order quantity requirement or SKU number. It provides fulfillment services to businesses with either small or big catalogs. However, just like Shopify Fulfillment Network, NextSmartShip doesn’t ship regulated or perishable products.
Warehousing
Most people tend to source their products from China because of its booming manufacturing businesses. NextSmartShip provides 90 days free storage in its fulfillment center located in China to help you reduce your fulfillment budget.
It also offers global warehousing with fulfillment centers located in major cities across the U.S,Canada, Australia, as well as Europe where it offers 30 days free storage.
Shopify Fulfillment Network currently offers fulfillment to U.S-based and Canadian-based businesses.
Inventory management
You’ll be able to manage your inventory centrally using NextSmartShip even when you have multiple suppliers and sales channels. Inventory data gets updated in real-time to help you avoid overselling and selling out-of-stock products. NextSmartShip offers item inspection, pick and pack, labeling, kitting and assembly, as well as custom packaging services.
The Shopify Fulfillment Network allows you to track your inventory using transfers. You’ll have to create an inbound transfer and then pack and label the products according to the specifications of the Shopify Fulfillment Network. You’ll be able to maintain visibility of inventory through real-time updates and conduct ad-hoc inventory counts.
Order management
NextSmartShip picks and packs products as orders come in. They include any requested value added services before shipping to customers. Tracking numbers get automatically generated and emailed to your customers so they can track progress. NextSmartShip also handles product returns for you.
The Shopify Fulfillment Network handles special orders as well as customer returns. You also have the option of choosing your order delivery speed. In addition, you can use your Shopify admin to maintain orders and customer data across different sales channels.
What’s great is that the two platforms utilize robotic systems to smoothen the entire order management process.
Customer support
NextSmartShip provides a unique customer support system where you get to deal with the same customer representative. This ensures that you don’t have to keep explaining the same issues to different people and you deal with someone who knows your business well enough to offer the best solutions.
Shopify is known for providing top-notch customer support and the Shopify Fulfillment Network is no different. It has a dedicated fulfillment success team to offer support. You’ll be able to access them through phone or email.
Pricing
NextSmartShip doesn’t charge receiving fees on goods and it provides free storage for 90 days in its warehouse in China. It also offers 30 days free storage in its other fulfillment centers. When it comes to handling, it charges $0.99 per order and this includes standard packing material and pick and pack services. Shipping costs vary by destination, dimensions, weight, and shipping services. The cost of its value added services depends on your needs.
The Shopify Fulfillment Network provides a quote based on your transportation needs, packaging and storage requirements as well as special projects. It has a general cost you’ll have to pay as ongoing fees while some rates are on a daily or by-order basis.
Comparison between NextSmartShip and Shopify Fulfillment Network
So, what do these two platforms have in common and what separates them? Let’s break down the similarities and differences below.
Similarities
| Features | NextSmartShip & Shopify Fulfillment Network |
| Service | Orders will be picked, packed, and shipped |
| Add-on service | End-to-end package tracking |
| Support | Fulfillment expert and logistics advisors |
| Customer service | 24/7 via phone and email |
| Automation | Robotics-driven
|
Differences
| Features | NextSmartShip | Shopify Fulfillment Network |
| Pricing | Handling fee and shipping fee
|
Inventory storage, pick and pack rate, transportation, and special projects like receiving |
| Minimum order | No | 3 orders per day |
| Product catalogue | Big | Small |
| Fulfillment center | Global | U.S.A and Canada |
Verdict
Shopify is without a doubt one of the best eCommerce platforms in the market. However, the Shopify Fulfillment Network is still in its early stages. NextSmartShip is one of the leading fulfillment services on the market with immense experience under its belt supporting thousands of customers around the globe.
Even though the Shopify Fulfillment Network may seem like the better option because you get to manage your store and shipments under one roof, this is all in theory. The reality is, there may be some aspects missing since the Shopify Fulfillment network is in its formative stage.
NextSmartShip offers its wealth of experience in the fulfillment industry and proves to have everything you need to keep your business thriving. Its fulfillment centers are strategically located around the world to ensure faster delivery while minimizing costs. It offers free storage in some of its warehouses for a specific number of days depending on location.
The best part is that you don’t have to handle the custom packaging all by yourself as you would with the Shopify Fulfillment Network. NextSmartShip will handle the custom packaging for your brand awareness efforts. Transferring your shipping and logistics elements to a third party solution so you can focus on the business side of things is exactly what NextSmartShip is all about and what makes it the better option to Shopify Fulfillment Network.
