How can suppliers efficiently manage dropship orders?

[fencetalk]

Hello. I sell direct to the consumer and act as the supplier for dropshippers (i.e., there are dropshippers that sell my product and they pass their orders to me). The dropshippers have different terms.

This is handled manually, but as I begin to explore wholesale selling, I'm looking for a solution to improve the process. I was thinking of asking the dropshippers to create wholesale accounts to place their orders. How do suppliers of dropship orders handle inbound orders?

I need to account for dropshippers having different terms and I need to be able to report how each dropshipper is performing (i.e., assign sales). Thank you.

[dropship_helps]

Hi @fencetalk 

Did you check any Shopify app available for your requirements? 

[fencetalk]

If you search the Shopify app marketplace the results are for facilitating dropshipping as the dropshipper - that is, not as the supplier to the dropshipper. 

[JoesIdeas]

@fencetalk  I used to be a partial owner of a brand that sold on Shopify, and what we did is created discount codes for our dropshippers. Then they place the orders on our site, using their code, and the code dictates the % discount they get for being a dropshipper.

I now work with dropshippers in a different arena, as the creator of an app called Order Automator.

Through speaking with some of our community that are dropshippers, I've noticed the primary ways they are doing their flow with our app is:

- Order comes to their Shopify store, our app then automatically sends an email to the supplier. Supplier ships it and uploads tracking, then they bill dropshipper

- Or, same as above but they submit orders by CSV every day (our app does this too)

I've heard of different billing agreements - some dropship suppliers require payment before shipping, some ship then bill daily, some bill weekly, some monthly. It's a pretty wide range so I guess it's worth discussing with your team what policies you'd like to be open to, then work with your dropshippers to agree on a system that works well for everyone.

Hope that helps give some ideas.

[fencetalk]

Your discount code solution is an idea I explored, but discount codes have a tendency to get into the wild. Yeah, it technically works, but creates its own problems.

The app you mentioned is for the dropshipper and not the person supplying the dropshipper.

[JoesIdeas · Accepted solution]

@fencetalk we never had a problem with the discount method, used it for years. You can always swap in a new discount code any time if you're worried about it.

You can also take it a step further by creating a customer account for the dropshipper, and then making the discount only available to that customer.

I've seen this done - if your website is hosted on Shopify you create a customer account for the dropshipper, and they place orders from that customer, just changing the address at order time, or by adding the address in cart notes. But the email would always be the same, that way you can track their order history and bill accordingly.

And you set the discount code only usable to that account, so only they can use it, and if somehow a person got ahold of the discount + the email, the dropshipper would be notified of the order by their email, and can report a false order.

The app I mentioned is for anyone on the Shopify platform, dropshippers use it to communicate with their suppliers (usually placing orders). I was assuming you were using Shopify but if not then yes only your dropshippers on Shopify could use it.

[fencetalk]

---

You can also take it a step further by creating a customer account for the dropshipper, and then making the discount only available to that customer.

That's a useful workaround tip. Thank you.

[fencetalk]

---

The app I mentioned is for anyone on the Shopify platform, dropshippers use it to communicate with their suppliers (usually placing orders). I was assuming you were using Shopify but if not then yes only your dropshippers on Shopify could use it.

---

I use Shopify but not every dropshipper is on Shopify.

[darooon]

I was thinking same but what about billing amount showing in invoice when product come to customer he or she can see that dropshipper get this order by discounted price and resell this at profitable amount. please reply this

[fencetalk]

I believe the customer gets the invoice, which in a dropship situation, the customer is the dropshipper. The ship to address would be the recipient, and they don't get the invoice from Shopify. It's on the dropshipper to send invoice/receipt to their customer. 

[Michael429]

Has anyone figured out a way to use a third party UPS shipping account when you are acting as the dropshipper?  The wholesaler of our products wants us to use their UPS account to ship directly to the customer.

[Fulfillman]

Hi @fencetalk , Good day.

The process delivery order procedure is a two-way street. It's an exchange of information backward and forward between a retailer and also a supplier. Catalog as well as inventory is based on a supplier posting information that a retailer eats. Orders are produced by the merchant for usage by the distributor, and after that there's a secondary satisfaction procedure (from the vendor back to the merchant) of an order being acknowledged and also shipped or cancelled. I'll address the gratification procedure in my following write-up. Also, you can try Fulfillman Dropshipping Services, we are a dropshipping agents in China. We can source your products and guarantee a good quality with affordable price. 

Here's a list of the fundamental order data that must be offered by a seller to a provider.

1. po_number. The special order identifier created by the store's ordering system.
2. line_item_sku. The SKU being purchased.
3. line_item_title. The title of the SKU being gotten.
4. line_item_quantity. The amount being ordered.
5. line_item_expected_cost. The expense that the merchant anticipates to spend for the provided SKU.
6. line_item_consumer_price. The price that the store charged their customer for the provided SKU.
7. ship_attention. The name or title of the consumer to whom the order is being shipped.
8. ship_first_name. First name of the client to whom the order is being shipped.
9. ship_last_name. Surname of the customer to whom the order is being shipped.
10. ship_company. The consumer's business name to whom the order is being shipped.
11. ship_address_1. Address 1 line of the client to whom the order is being shipped.
12. ship_address_2. Address 2 line of the client to whom the order is being delivered.
13. ship_city. Delivering city of the customer to whom the order is being delivered.
14. ship_region. Delivering area of the client to whom the order is being delivered.
15. ship_postal. Shipping postal code of the client to whom the order is being delivered.
16. ship_country. Shipping country of the customer to whom the order is being delivered, utilizing the two-character ISO nation code.
17. ship_phone. Telephone number of the client to whom the order is being delivered.
18. ship_email. Email address of the client to whom the order is being shipped.
19. ship_carrier. The name of the provider that is favored to be used for this order. Choices could consist of FedEx, UPS, and also USPS.
20. ship_method. Shipping approach requested. Only those choices supported by the supplier will be supported.
21. signature_required_flag. Is a trademark called for upon distribution?
22. ship_instructions. Permits details direction when the order is provided.

Nearly all of this details is needed for an effective order exchange. The fields line_item_expected_cost and also line_item_consumer_price aren't called for, but supply a way to interact as well as share cost and also price info.

One of the distinct components of drop delivery takes place within the order exchange between a merchant as well as vendor. In a more conventional supply chain, you have two various and apart order procedures.

The order in between a consumer as well as a store at a point of sale (virtual or physical store front), described as a customer order. The order in between a retailer and also its suppliers, centered around an order.

In a typical supply chain, the order happens initially, when a merchant is acquiring wholesale stock. The order happens 2nd, when a retailer markets item to the end consumer.

With decrease shipping, the series is reversed. A seller receives-generates a consumer order and also, as that is moved upstream to the distributor, it morphs right into an order from the retailer to the vendor. This is made complex, particularly due to the fact that the majority of back-office, point of sale, and online store front innovations as well as systems are geared to manage one or the various other kind of order.

Recognizing the change of series as well as the crossbreed nature of orders with decrease shipping will assist make certain that systems or some type of more guidebook procedure can take care of the connection between both. 

[KHUSHIRAJPUT]

If you use Shopify for your e-commerce platform, you can set up a dummy customer account for the dropshipper, and they can place orders as that dummy customer by simply editing the shipping address during checkout or in the cart notes.

[fencetalk]

That was the solution I have leaned towards. Not elegant, but functional.