The Road to Nirvana To achieve this perfect order nirvana, Web merchants must go far back into the supply chain, examining all aspects of the order process. Fulfillment, the act of putting physical product in a box and preparing it for shipping, is just the tip of the iceberg. Web merchants also need to take a look at every stop along the way to the consumer, and then how the consumer is affected by and connected with that journey. From the outset, customers must be able to check the status of their orders, check product availability and arrange returns online all in real time. That state is achievable only if all products are on the shelf and ready to ship, with all the items ordered arriving at the same time in the same box.
Suppliers have to be cooperative and constantly on guard to automatically replenish stock.
Packing materials and shipping labels must be always on hand. Customer call centers need to operate 24x7. Delivery can be scheduled for businesses or homes. For Web companies, this synchronization of supply and demand requires sophisticated supply chain management, coupled with real-time technology to track product from the racks of the supplier through to the customer s doorstep and back again in the case of returns. Instead, Web merchants would operate virtually, avoiding the costly proposition of building warehouses and maintaining inventory.