What software can a small business (1 employee) use to implement order fulfillment

[Tom_VH]

Today I have a Shopify shop that only sells print-on-demand items via Printful. I love the fact that I don't have to keep stock myself and don't have to worry about fulfilling orders.

Now I would also like to sell goods from a local small business via my Shopify shop the same way as I do with Printful: forward the order to the local business and let them take care of the order fulfillment, stock, etc....

Given all plugins available for Shopify, what software should the local business run that allows my Shopify shop to connect with them? I find a lot of information about dropshipping providers, but none about software that allows companies to become a dropshipper for shopify. Any suggestion about existing software tools that can do that, or search keywords that I should use are much appreciated.

Best regards,

Tom.  

[SaaSEnthu]

Hello @Tom_VH,

Welcome to the Shopify Community! 

There are a few different options you could consider for connecting your Shopify store with a local business to facilitate order fulfillment in the way you described.

Here are a few options to consider:

1. Use an app or integration that allows you to process orders through a third-party fulfillment service: There are a number of apps and integrations available for Shopify that allow you to process orders through a fulfillment service, such as Shipstation or Orderful. These services can handle the process of forwarding orders to the local business and coordinating fulfillment on your behalf. 
   
   

   Shipstation: This app allows you to process orders through a fulfillment service, which can handle the process of forwarding orders to the local business and coordinating fulfillment on your behalf. https://apps.shopify.com/shipstation
   
   

   Printful: This app offers fulfillment services for print-on-demand products, and includes an API that allows you to integrate their fulfillment services directly into your Shopify store. https://apps.shopify.com/printful
   
   

   CustomCat: This app offers print-on-demand and fulfillment services, and includes an API that allows you to integrate their services into your Shopify store. https://apps.shopify.com/customcat-fulfillment
   
   

2. Use a fulfillment API: Some fulfillment providers, such as Printful, offer APIs that allow you to integrate their fulfillment services directly into your Shopify store. This can give you more control over the fulfillment process and allow you to customize the way orders are forwarded to the local business. https://www.printful.com/api
   
   

3. Use a manual process: If you don't want to use a third-party service or API, you can also consider a more manual process for forwarding orders to the local business. For example, you could set up a notification system to alert the business when an order is placed, and then manually enter the order details into their fulfillment system.
   
   

Regardless of which option you choose, it's important to make sure you have a clear understanding of the fulfillment process and how orders will be handled. This can help ensure that your customers receive their orders in a timely and satisfactory manner.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions or if you need further assistance.

[Tom_VH]

Thanks for your reply.

However, I was looking for a software product for the fulfillment
partner/manufacturer, not a Shopify app.

Is there commercial software available that you know of that the third
party can use to accept orders from my shop, fulfill them and report back
to my shop?

So I see 2 requirements:
1) Commercial available software for processing orders (to be installed at
the third party company)
2) Must implement the Shopify API to fulfill shopify orders (so I can
connect from my Shopify shop)

Thanks,
Tom.

[SaaSEnthu · Accepted solution]

Hi Tom,

Yes, there are several software options available that your fulfillment partner or manufacturer could use to accept orders from your Shopify store, fulfill them, and report back to your store. You need to do some more research. 

Here are a few options to consider:

1. Shipstation: This software allows businesses to process orders through a fulfillment service, which can handle the process of forwarding orders to the local business and coordinating fulfillment on their behalf. Shipstation integrates with the Shopify API, so you can connect your Shopify store to their platform to facilitate order fulfillment. https://www.shipstation.com/
   
   

2. Orderful: This software provides a similar service to Shipstation, allowing businesses to process orders through a fulfillment service and coordinate fulfillment with a local business or other third parties. Orderful also integrates with the Shopify API. https://www.orderful.com/
   
   

3. ShipBob: This software offers fulfillment services for e-commerce businesses, and includes integration with the Shopify API. https://www.shipbob.com/
   
   

4. ShipEngine: This software is a set of API tools that allow businesses to build their own custom fulfillment solutions, including integration with Shopify. https://www.shipengine.com/

These are just a few examples of the types of software that are available. There are many other options as well, so you may want to explore a variety of options to find the one that best fits your needs.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions or if you need further assistance.

[Tom_VH]

This was exact what I was looking for. Now I have a better idea what to search for. Very helpful examples! Thanks a lot.

Tom.

[SaaSEnthu]

Glad to help! Tom 🙂