Processes necessary to receive, service, and track orders sold via direct marketing. There are different types of fulfillment systems based on the product or service sold, including subscriptions, book club memberships, continuities, catalog merchandise, and fund-raising. The differences among fulfillment services arise from whether the sale is a one-shot or involves continuous service over time, whether there is one product being sold at a time or many, whether the sale is on a cash or credit basis, the nature of the product being sold and its delivery requirements, and the type of statistical information that must be compiled.
The primary functions of fulfillment systems are (1) to respond quickly and correctly to an order by delivering the item ordered, (2) to maintain customer records, (3) to send invoices and to record payments, (4) to respond to customer inquiries and complaints and resolve problems, and (5) to produce purchase and payment information on an individual customer basis and on a group basis (usually by source or key code) to aid in developing marketing plans and strategies. The basic processes of fulfillment are mail opening, caging (see cage), order entry, customer service, address label printing and presorting (see presort), merchandise picking and packing, billing, promoting, and statistical analysis and reporting.
Additional information can be obtained from the Fulfillment Management Association in New York City.
