What Logistics Means

What Logistics Means

What Is Logistics

Logistics is a generic term that refers to the entire process of creating, arranging and managing resources in an organization. In a broader sense, logistics is basically the coordination and management of such an intricate operation as a whole.

The key aspects of Logistics include transportation, production, gathering of resources, and the storage of these resources. In order to ensure that the entire process is conducted in the right time, it is necessary to have proper planning, management, and control. It is also essential for businesses to have access to the right kind of resources at the right time. Transportation, for instance, refers to the movement of resources from their point of origin to their final destination; production, on the other hand, involves activities such as extraction, treatment, refining, and marketing of raw materials or products.

Gathering of resources, on the other hand, involves the gathering of raw materials and the transportation of these materials to their respective destinations. And the storage of resources takes place in facilities that are capable of holding a certain amount of the resources, like storage tanks, lockers, or even warehouses. Basically, Logistics is a part of the supply chain management. All the processes involved in the supply chain are affected by Logistics in one way or another. These include transport of raw materials, collection of resources, transportation and storage of these resources, and even the disposal of any resource left over after the process of extraction, production, processing and distribution has been completed. This makes Logistics almost as important as consumer and producer protection under the law, considering that the supply chain system may often involve illegalities or even dangers to the consumer and producer themselves.

Logistics VS Supply Chain Management

In an increasingly competitive global market, understanding the differences between Logistics vs. Supply Chain Management is critical for companies both large and small. Today's economic climate has caused many companies to rethink their strategies regarding where they fit within the overall supply chain framework. Organizations that are able to successfully address the differences between Logistics vs. Supply Chain Management can become more competitive, thereby enhancing their bottom line while reducing operation costs.

In most cases today, organizations have made the switch from using traditional Supply Chain Management (SCM) approaches to more specifically using Logistics vs. Supply Chain Management (LMS). Some of the benefits to using Logistics vs. Supply Chain Management (LMS) are the fact that it has been found to be more effective overall, producing greater efficiency across all aspects of an organization's supply chain, decreasing cycle time, improving quality, and lowering material costs. In addition, when organizations make the switch from using traditional SCM to using Logistics, they are able to significantly reduce their operational budgets. However, there are a few areas that will always remain important irrespective of whether you use LMS or SCM - customer satisfaction, system flexibility, support for customized goods, and of course, the speed at which the processes happen.

Overall, many in the manufacturing and logistics industry would agree that the sooner organizations can begin using logistics vs. Supply Chain Management solutions, the sooner they will begin to realize the benefits. The reality is that businesses today need to remain highly efficient while also being sure that they are not depending on one aspect of their operations for another. This is why using both Logistics vs. Supply Chain Management approaches is critical for organizations looking to remain at the forefront of their industry.

Logistics Component

The Logistics Components of a Supply Chain includes transportation, storage, and receiving. The transportation phase encompasses the movement of raw materials to one location and delivery of finished goods to another location. This is called logistics or transportation. Storage, on the other hand, involves the physical process of storing materials and finished products. There are three types of assets involved in the storage of inventory: fixed assets, operational assets, and capital assets.

Fixed assets are those that cannot be replaced. These include plant and machinery, furniture, fixtures, and property such as vehicles and supplies. Typically, these include inventory control systems, warehouse equipment, and other physical assets such as tooling and manufacturing equipment. Operational assets refer to those that can be replaced or changed such as parts and supplies, inventory management systems, and shipping containers.

On the supply chain, the third type of Logistics Component is at the receiving point of the chain or distribution system. This unit processes the order from the customer and delivers it to the manufacturer or shipper. This is where the Logistics System is most complex because it involves many steps. It begins with receiving inventory at one location and distributing it throughout the supply chain to various locations. The Logistics Components of a distribution chain includes inventory control, pick and pack, and is transporting the ordered items to their final destination.

Inbound Transportation

Inbound transportation-Logistics Components is those components that are delivered to the customer, either by the carriers or the logistic firms. Inbound transportation-Logistics Components is goods and/or services that are transported by transport carriers to their destination destinations. It is also known as intrastate transport or inter-transport movement. Inbound transportation-Logistics Components includes all those goods and/or services that are transported between two points.

All those services and the goods that are required by the customer and/or the authorized authorities do not come under the purview of Logistics. This sector has emerged today as a part of the business world. A Logistics consultant helps the Logistic Company to achieve a proper balance between the transportation needs and the resources of the logistic company. Transportation-Logistics is an important segment of the Logistics sector. This segment is defined as the process of movement of resources from one point to another, whether it is by way of the air, water or through any other means.

The transport industry is one of the largest global markets. The global transport market is estimated to cross USD 27 billion. Freight transportation involves movement of materials by trucks, ships, trains, airplanes or any other form of transportation system. Automobile transportation involves movement of vehicles by land, sea or air. Warehousing transport includes movement of products in warehouses, processing plants, stockrooms, and distribution hubs.

Outbound Transportation

Logistics is very important to any organization. With the proper logistics services, your company can improve their customer experience, reduce their overheads and save their money. With proper management of the transportation assets of the company, companies can serve customers on time, reduce delivery times and expenses, and maximize delivery routes. Companies that lack in logistics and transportation expertise may face many challenges and even experience financial setbacks in the future.

There are a number of logistics processes involved in the whole logistic transport process. There are three primary ways in which any company transports goods and products to their ultimate destination: On-site logistics, Logistic transport and Mobile Logistics. On-site logistics refers to the company's on site vehicles and assets for transportation. Most logistic companies have their own trucks and drivers, but there are also companies that hire third-party drivers for transportation needs such as in the case of medical or food logistics companies that ship medical supplies.

Logistic transport refers to the use of trucks and other vehicles by the logistic companies. This transport mode can either be road or air. Logistic companies have many partners that they work with for this type of transportation. Some of these include airlines, couriers, cargo ships and land and sea carriers. There are a number of ways to deliver any type of product and many types of goods are transported using logistic transport.

Fleet Management

Fleet management-Logistics Component consists of five departments namely Engineering, Administration, Finance, Human Resource and Production. Each department handles different aspects of a fleet. Finance is responsible for budget planning, collections, payments as well as for maintaining a good image. Administration deals with hiring, disciplining, grooming as well as training and discipline the drivers.

The main objective of fleet management is to maintain the efficiency of vehicles by taking care of the parts that are most vital to the overall running of a vehicle. This requires a keen eye for each and every aspect of a vehicle starting from the parts of a vehicle to its safety. Fleet management takes care of all the vehicles, driver as well as vehicles employed for passenger transportation. A large part of fleet maintenance consists of inspecting the fleet of vehicles and their drivers after which preventive maintenance is done on the vehicles. With the advent of computers, the entire process has become so automated that even the driver does not require any manual supervision anymore.

The major parts of a fleet management software includes fleet tracking system, scheduling, billing, vehicle maintenance logistician as well as others. The fleet tracking system monitors and helps in efficient fleet management by generating reports in real time. The scheduling system aids in creating a schedule for employees as well as passengers regarding the timings of their pick-up and delivery.

Warehousing

Warehousing-Logistics component is one of the growing fields in today's modern business environment. This field has a wide scope and covers almost every aspect of supply chain management. It is a growing area as companies have become aware of the need to streamline their operations and improve overall productivity. Companies that are looking to implement a more effective warehouse and logistics system can look towards several service providers, who have the experience and capabilities to deliver a fully integrated warehouse management system that will satisfy the requirements of their clients and meet all their custom needs.

The most common warehousing-logistics component includes the shipment of products through various channels. The main function of this system is to provide for the safe transport and distribution of raw materials, finished goods and services. It includes the warehousing, the transportation and the collecting of the goods and other commodities and then processing, packing and delivering them to the end users. The main concept behind the warehousing-logistics component of supply chain management is to improve the efficiency of the business processes by reducing logistic, delivery and return times, as well as saving on cost.

Warehousing-logistics component manages the complete lifecycle of the product from raw materials collection, material handling, transportation, material processing, packaging and final retailing. This saves both time and money, since it helps businesses cut down on expenses incurred during the supply chain process and improves overall productivity. The design of the warehousing-logistics component requires advanced software, which can handle all the processes involved. Some of the common software used for this component include ERP systems, supply chain software, custom software and others. The components of this software to help the company to integrate all the functions and activities of the warehouse, including order management, order tracking, fulfillment and pick and pack, into a single unified whole.

Material Handling

Materials handling Logistics Component consists of the following: management, construction and transportation, transport, manufacturing and assembly, packaging, administrative support and control, energy management and distribution. Management refers to the processes for controlling raw materials, goods produced and finished products. The components are those items that have a direct bearing on the final products and are therefore the most important in the material handling process. In the construction process, the components of the building such as walls, floors, roofs and doors constitute the elements of the construction. Transportation, manufacturing and assembly, on the other hand, include the processes for moving the material or its components from the point of production to the point of use and from one site to another.

Logistics Component also includes processes that deal with communication, goods movements, receiving, sending and storing, and is receiving payment and delivering. These processes are managed by different personnel such as supervisors, engineers, marketing managers, finance managers, information systems administrators, and production managers who are responsible for managing the activities of material handling - logistic component. They need to coordinate with each other to make the entire process work efficiently. This means that each one of them has a role to play in ensuring that the processes work and there is a continuous flow of material to and fro between the various sites.

There are many companies which have their own websites providing information on how their logistic management services help in the movement of goods from one place to another. Many of these websites also have online brochures and pamphlets that one can order online. These brochures and pamphlets contain important information on how to handle logistic deliveries and on how to select the right material handling - logistic component. These brochures and pamphlets also provide tips on how to streamline the entire handling process and on how to improve the quality of the goods delivered to the clients.

Order Fulfillment

Order fulfillment is the most significant part of the entire supply chain. It is the component that enables you to provide services to your customer, sell products and make payments in a timely fashion. If there are problems along the way like production delays, back orders, etc., this can cause you serious financial loss. So it is very important for any company to ensure that its order fulfillment strategies are implemented properly to avoid such problems.

There are many different types of order fulfillment strategies that are used by companies. Some of the most popular include e-procurement, electronic orders, telemarketing, internet orders, telephone orders, and other such strategies. Most of the time, these order fulfillment strategies are implemented by companies in small companies and mid-sized companies. But as technology advances, many companies are also starting to use advanced fulfillment services to deal with larger quantities of orders and customers.

The major logistics component that companies usually concentrate on is production. This means that most companies focus on making sure that they are manufacturing products at a proper rate and in a good shape to fulfill orders. Most companies also give more attention to their packaging and shipping operations because these two services are very important when it comes to handling customer requests. In most cases, the transportation costs and time involved to ship products from one place to another are what really kill the customer's satisfaction level. All in all, it is always important for companies to remember that the most critical part of their business is their customers. Therefore, they need to make sure that they are meeting up with the expectations of their customers by the time they ship anything to them.

Inventory Management

Inventory management is considered as the heart of all logistics, because it defines how an organization manages their inventory, as well as the process of delivery, collection, accessibility and disposal. It has become one of the core principles of a sound business. Inventory management can be defined as the method by which raw materials are acquired for use in production; it includes the warehousing and transportation of materials. There are three main objectives of inventory management; to know the present stock, to determine the present stock level and to maintain adequate stocks. Inventory asset management-logistics component involves the identification, measurement, analysis and the preparation of the inventory documents required for determining the stock levels.

The three main approaches to inventory management-logistics component include demand-chain management, production scheduling management and logistics management. Supply chain management deals with the entire process by which raw materials are acquired and used in production; it also involves quality assurance testing, manufacturing costs, and sales, marketing, and distribution activities. Production scheduling management deals with the timing of raw materials, products, and inventory shipments. Logistics management deals with the process of delivering inventory items to customers and maintaining adequate inventories.

An effective inventory management system should have both internal and external control mechanisms. Internal control means that there are measures applied at an organizational level to ensure that there are consistent and reliable performance and effectiveness of the management system. External control is exercised when there is a monitoring or inspection of the inventory management system. This is usually done by the organization's Quality Assurance or QA department. A company's inventory management system may incorporate software, however a strong manual system is still preferred.

Demand Planning

Demand planning refers to a set of inter-related events that occur prior to the initiation of a particular supply to meet a rising demand in the market. The basic function of demand planning is the allocation of resources on the basis of predicted future demand based on statistical analysis and the creation of an efficient plan to fulfill the demand. There are many advantages of demand planning including the ability to forecast demand, improve logistics management and improve overall organizational performance.

Demand planning can be defined as the process of planning for the supply of a certain commodity. The supply can either be expected or unforecasted. The unforecasted demand is usually for manufactured goods and supplies that cannot be produced in the near future. It can also refer to the demand for raw materials that cannot be obtained on a timely basis. Supply planning thus focuses on meeting the immediate needs of the users of the commodity in question with the use of available resources.

Planning for the supply of a certain commodity is often not just a matter of forecasting future demand but also the existing demand so that the appropriate adjustments can be made for the two. There are many uses of demand planning in the logistic management of products and materials such as inventory, transport and warehousing among others. Demand planning in the logistic component of the logistics management chain makes the task of warehousing and transportation much easier by ensuring that the resources available to the client are always available and can be utilized in the most productive manner.

Why Logistics Is Important

Well, it is all about supply chain management and the way we manage our supply chains and how we improve on them. Supply chain management refers to the entire process of gathering, moving, and processing goods in a timely and orderly manner, in an environmentally and health-safe manner. This concept sounds relatively simple, but when you really break it down, it is not. There are many different elements that go into supply chain management, each with their own unique purpose and ultimately the overall goal is to minimize waste, maximize efficiency and increase profits.

One of the biggest elements in managing logistics is transportation. When goods come into our company, there are a number of ways in which they can travel from the manufacturer to the distribution point and finally to the final consumers. Logistics not only refers to the actual transportation of the finished products, but it also includes the actual receiving, packing, and delivery of said products. If one of these processes are not done properly, or if logistics are handled improperly, then the results can be disastrous.

When it comes to transportation, the process of receiving, packaging, and delivery is done by several different transportation options. These options include air, land, and sea shipping as well as trucking and delivery. Depending upon the type of goods that are being shipped and the ultimate destination, there will be multiple ways in which to ship the product to the end consumer. From fulfilling orders to inventory control to inventory tracking, logistics plays a huge role in every aspect of the supply chain management process, and no one without logistics understand the importance of keeping their supply chain working smoothly.

Scroll down to read our indepth Ecommerce Platforms guide. What you should know, Ecommerce Platforms features, price plans and support. Pros and Cons of Ecommerce Platforms as a ecommerce, everything is explained below.

Overview of What Logistics Means

Shopify is a software company that specialises in ecommerce software for small to enterprise level businesses.

Shopify is listed as the best ecommerce software related to Ecommerce Platforms. Shopify was founded in 2006 in Ottawa, Canada and currently has over 6,124 employees registered on Linkedin.

Best ECOMMERCE Solution By Rating

Lets see how Shopify compare to other ecommerce platforms out there.

Name	Rating	Established	Head Office
Shopify	9.9	2006	Ottawa, Canada
Shopify Plus	9.8	2006	Ottawa, Canada
Volusion	9.7	1999	Austin, TX
WooCommerce	9.7	2005	San Francisco, CA
3dcart	9.7	1997	Tamarac, FL
Big Cartel	9.7	2005	Salt Lake City, UT
Ecwid	9.7	2009	Encinitas, CA
Contalog	9.6	2008	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Kooomo	9.6	2000	Dublin, Ireland
Ecomchain	9.6	2001	Frisco, TX
Trusted Shops	9.6	1999	Cologne, Germany
PayMotion	9.6	2019	Victoria, Canada
PayKickstart	9.6	2016	Carmel, IN
Upclick	9.6	2006	Montreal, Canada
Storbie	9.5	2007	Wellington, New Zealand
Nexternal eCommerce Platform	9.4	1995	Seven Fields, PA
nopCommerce	9.2	2008	Yaroslavl, Russia
Virto Commerce	9.2	2011	Los Angeles, CA
Gumroad	9.2	2011	San Francisco,United States
FastSpring	9.2	2005	Santa Barbara, CA

Best ECOMMERCE Solution By Price

*please check with the vendors directly for the latest pricing.

Name	Price	Duration
Shopify	$29 - $299	Per month, Per month, Per month,
Shopify Plus	$29 - $299	Per month, Per month, Per month,
Volusion	$RequestPricing - $RequestPricing
WooCommerce	$0 - $99	Per month, Per month, Per month, Per month, Per year, Per year, Per year,
3dcart	$29 - $299	Per month,
Big Cartel	$9.99 - $Free	Per month, Per month, Per month,
Ecwid	$0 - $99	Per month, Per month, Per month, Per month, Per year, Per year, Per year,
Contalog	$99 - $299	Per month, Per month, Per month,
Kooomo	$RequestPricing - $RequestPricing
Ecomchain	$RequestPricing - $RequestPricing
Trusted Shops	$RequestPricing - $£79	Per month, Per month, Per month,
PayMotion	$1.7 - $1.7	one-time/user,
PayKickstart	$79 - $299	Per month, Per month, Per month, Per year, Per year, Per year,
Upclick	$36.16 - $36.16	Per month,
Storbie	$85 - $295	Per month, Per month, Per month,
Nexternal eCommerce Platform	$RequestaFreedemo - $RequestaFreedemo
nopCommerce	$66.58 - $799	Per month, Per month,One Time Free,
Virto Commerce	$RequestPricing - $RequestPricing
Gumroad	$10 - $10	Per month,
FastSpring	$GetPrice - $GetPrice

Best ECOMMERCE Solution By Rated Features

Name
Shopify Features Credit Card Payments 94% Barcode Scanning 90% Hardware Integration 90% Price Adjustments 90% Receipts 91% Credit Card Payments 95% Partial Payments 87% Split Payments 87% Discounts 90% Voided/Refunded Payments 89% Store Credit Allocation 87% Tip Adjustments 86% Multidevice Payment Acceptance 90% Next Day Deposits 92% Loyalty Programs 87% Email Marketing 87% Employee Accounts 85% Permissions 89% Commission Tracking 89% Tab Allocation 88% Log/Shift Notes 87% Staff Scheduling 82% Floor Plans 83% Inventory Management 87% Employee Management 82% Reporting 86% E-commerce Integration 88% Loyalty Membership 88% Customer Profiles 88% Credit Card Filing 92% Track Inventory 90% Inventory Notifications 91% Product Organization 88% Multilocation Inventory Tracking 84% Accounting Integrations 87% Inventory Management Integrations 91% E-Commerce Integrations 91% Sales Tracking 93% Guest Counts 90% End of Day Reports 91% Storefront Design Tools 86% Product Visualization 86% Recommendations / Personalization 82% Promotions and Discounts 82% Abandoned Cart Tools 83% Product Reviews 83% SEO 82% Content Management 85% Configured Products 85% Product Search and Filtering 84% Intangible Products 84% Checkout Process 88% Shipping Options 86% Tax Display and Processing 87% Payment Processing 88% Order Management 88% Returns / Refunds 85% Inventory Management 86% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 84% Unified Customer Experience 85% Mobile 88% Social Commerce 87% Customer Service 85% Store Locator 84% 3rd-Party Store Integration 84% B2B Features 82% APIs 82% Customization 84% Integrations to Add-on Tools 85% User Management 86% Reporting / Analytics 84% Security 89% Multi-Site Management 84% Admin Access Rights 88% Test-to-Product Migration 84% Internationalization 85% Cross Browser Support 87% Performance and Reliability 88%
Shopify Plus Features Storefront Design Tools 84% Product Visualization 85% Recommendations / Personalization 80% Promotions and Discounts 78% Abandoned Cart Tools 81% Product Reviews 81% SEO 82% Content Management 85% Configured Products 87% Product Search and Filtering 81% Intangible Products 81% Checkout Process 89% Shipping Options 85% Tax Display and Processing 85% Payment Processing 89% Order Management 88% Returns / Refunds 83% Inventory Management 84% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 84% Unified Customer Experience 88% Mobile 89% Social Commerce 88% Customer Service 88% Store Locator 82% 3rd-Party Store Integration 84% B2B Features 76% APIs 88% Customization 82% Integrations to Add-on Tools 88% User Management 87% Reporting / Analytics 85% Security 90% Multi-Site Management 84% Admin Access Rights 89% Test-to-Product Migration 79% Internationalization 83% Cross Browser Support 89% Performance and Reliability 90%
Volusion Features Storefront Design Tools 64% Product Visualization 65% Recommendations / Personalization 57% Promotions and Discounts 64% Abandoned Cart Tools 52% Product Reviews 63% SEO 75% Content Management 70% Configured Products 67% Product Search and Filtering 62% Intangible Products 68% Checkout Process 71% Shipping Options 73% Tax Display and Processing 76% Payment Processing 72% Order Management 73% Returns / Refunds 60% Inventory Management 60% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 48% Unified Customer Experience 62% Mobile 52% Social Commerce 53% Customer Service 59% Store Locator 59% 3rd-Party Store Integration 46% B2B Features 49% APIs 51% Customization 54% Integrations to Add-on Tools 54% User Management 73% Reporting / Analytics 60% Security 80% Admin Access Rights 81% Test-to-Product Migration 66% Internationalization 60% Cross Browser Support 71% Performance and Reliability 74%
WooCommerce Features Storefront Design Tools 79% Product Visualization 82% Recommendations / Personalization 79% Promotions and Discounts 83% Abandoned Cart Tools 69% Product Reviews 81% SEO 82% Content Management 86% Configured Products 84% Product Search and Filtering 82% Intangible Products 83% Checkout Process 86% Shipping Options 81% Tax Display and Processing 82% Payment Processing 86% Order Management 84% Returns / Refunds 81% Inventory Management 83% Unified Customer Experience 82% Mobile 84% Social Commerce 79% Customer Service 78% Store Locator 77% 3rd-Party Store Integration 81% B2B Features 79% APIs 84% Customization 84% Integrations to Add-on Tools 86% User Management 85% Reporting / Analytics 80% Security 81% Multi-Site Management 79% Admin Access Rights 87% Test-to-Product Migration 78% Internationalization 81% Cross Browser Support 87% Performance and Reliability 86%
3dcart Features Storefront Design Tools 82% Product Visualization 84% Recommendations / Personalization 81% Promotions and Discounts 79% Abandoned Cart Tools 81% Product Reviews 84% SEO 84% Content Management 88% Configured Products 87% Product Search and Filtering 80% Intangible Products 87% Checkout Process 88% Shipping Options 86% Tax Display and Processing 85% Payment Processing 90% Order Management 84% Returns / Refunds 79% Inventory Management 82% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 78% Unified Customer Experience 88% Mobile 82% Social Commerce 80% Customer Service 90% Store Locator 86% 3rd-Party Store Integration 82% B2B Features 92% APIs 76% Customization 88% Integrations to Add-on Tools 84% User Management 89% Reporting / Analytics 84% Security 90% Multi-Site Management 88% Admin Access Rights 91% Test-to-Product Migration 80% Internationalization 81% Cross Browser Support 93% Performance and Reliability 90%
Big Cartel Features Storefront Design Tools 88% Product Visualization 90% Recommendations / Personalization 80% Promotions and Discounts 75% Abandoned Cart Tools 78% Product Reviews 72% SEO 76% Content Management 85% Configured Products 90% Product Search and Filtering 88% Intangible Products 67% Checkout Process 93% Shipping Options 83% Tax Display and Processing 78% Payment Processing 88% Order Management 91% Returns / Refunds 82% Inventory Management 82% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 82% Unified Customer Experience 85% Mobile 87% Social Commerce 86% Customer Service 73% Store Locator 81% 3rd-Party Store Integration 67% B2B Features 75% APIs 74% Customization 75% Integrations to Add-on Tools 86% User Management 92% Reporting / Analytics 82% Security 84% Multi-Site Management 79% Admin Access Rights 89% Test-to-Product Migration 87% Internationalization 83% Cross Browser Support 87% Performance and Reliability 92%
Ecwid Features Storefront Design Tools 84% Product Visualization 87% Recommendations / Personalization 82% Promotions and Discounts 86% Abandoned Cart Tools 83% Product Reviews 81% SEO 80% Content Management 92% Configured Products 91% Product Search and Filtering 88% Intangible Products 88% Checkout Process 91% Shipping Options 87% Tax Display and Processing 90% Payment Processing 92% Order Management 92% Returns / Refunds 88% Inventory Management 91% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 85% Unified Customer Experience 92% Mobile 91% Social Commerce 90% Customer Service 93% Store Locator 91% 3rd-Party Store Integration 90% B2B Features 84% APIs 85% Customization 85% Integrations to Add-on Tools 85% User Management 92% Reporting / Analytics 85% Security 92% Multi-Site Management 86% Internationalization 84% Cross Browser Support 90% Performance and Reliability 94%
Contalog Features Product Catalog 99% Guided Selling 99% Configuration Rules 99% Configured Pricing 100% Visual Configuration 99% Ease of Use 95% Pricing Flexibility 99% Discounting 99% Commerical Rules 99% Terms and Conditions 99% Approval Workflow 99% Renewals 99% Grouping 99% Versioning 99% Quote Document Generation 99% Document Customization 99% Ordering 99% Contracts 99% Configuration Ease of Admin 99% Pricing Administration 90% Workflow Management 99% Document Admin 99% Mobile User Support 99% Channel Partner Support 99% eCommerce 99% Customization 99% User Management 99% Reporting / Analytics 99% Test-to-Product Migration 99% Cross Browser Support 99% Performance and Reliability 99% Content Management 99% Configured Products 99% Product Search and Filtering 99% Checkout Process 99% Tax Display and Processing 99% Order Management 99%
Kooomo Features Product Catalog 99% Guided Selling 99% Configuration Rules 99% Configured Pricing 100% Visual Configuration 99% Ease of Use 95% Pricing Flexibility 99% Discounting 99% Commerical Rules 99% Terms and Conditions 99% Approval Workflow 99% Renewals 99% Grouping 99% Versioning 99% Quote Document Generation 99% Document Customization 99% Ordering 99% Contracts 99% Configuration Ease of Admin 99% Pricing Administration 90% Workflow Management 99% Document Admin 99% Mobile User Support 99% Channel Partner Support 99% eCommerce 99% Customization 99% User Management 99% Reporting / Analytics 99% Test-to-Product Migration 99% Cross Browser Support 99% Performance and Reliability 99% Content Management 99% Configured Products 99% Product Search and Filtering 99% Checkout Process 99% Tax Display and Processing 99% Order Management 99%
Ecomchain Features Storefront Design Tools 99% Product Visualization 92% Recommendations / Personalization 90% Promotions and Discounts 90% Abandoned Cart Tools 82% Product Reviews 87% SEO 92% Content Management 89% Configured Products 91% Product Search and Filtering 91% Intangible Products 91% Checkout Process 93% Shipping Options 88% Tax Display and Processing 92% Payment Processing 95% Order Management 90% Returns / Refunds 91% Inventory Management 84% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 93% Unified Customer Experience 99% Mobile 99% Social Commerce 94% Customer Service 94% Store Locator 92% 3rd-Party Store Integration 98% B2B Features 96% APIs 97% Customization 96% Integrations to Add-on Tools 94% User Management 94% Reporting / Analytics 90% Security 98% Multi-Site Management 98% Admin Access Rights 96% Test-to-Product Migration 98% Internationalization 97% Cross Browser Support 98% Performance and Reliability 96%
Trusted Shops Features Product Catalog 99% Guided Selling 99% Configuration Rules 99% Configured Pricing 100% Visual Configuration 99% Ease of Use 95% Pricing Flexibility 99% Discounting 99% Commerical Rules 99% Terms and Conditions 99% Approval Workflow 99% Renewals 99% Grouping 99% Versioning 99% Quote Document Generation 99% Document Customization 99% Ordering 99% Contracts 99% Configuration Ease of Admin 99% Pricing Administration 90% Workflow Management 99% Document Admin 99% Mobile User Support 99% Channel Partner Support 99% eCommerce 99% Customization 99% User Management 99% Reporting / Analytics 99% Test-to-Product Migration 99% Cross Browser Support 99% Performance and Reliability 99% Content Management 99% Configured Products 99% Product Search and Filtering 99% Checkout Process 99% Tax Display and Processing 99% Order Management 99%
PayMotion Features Storefront Design Tools 98% Product Visualization 98% Recommendations / Personalization 95% Promotions and Discounts 94% Abandoned Cart Tools 87% Product Reviews 93% Content Management 98% Configured Products 97% Product Search and Filtering 100% Intangible Products 86% Checkout Process 95% Shipping Options 97% Tax Display and Processing 98% Payment Processing 98% Order Management 97% Returns / Refunds 94% Inventory Management 95% Unified Customer Experience 97% Mobile 92% Customer Service 95% APIs 93% Customization 96% User Management 95% Reporting / Analytics 98% Security 98% Admin Access Rights 97% Test-to-Product Migration 97% Internationalization 98% Cross Browser Support 96% Performance and Reliability 98%
PayKickstart Features Custom Links 100% Referral Link Generator 100% Banners 93% Email Updates 100% Affiliate Tracking 88% Cookiless Tracking 90% Promotions and Discounts 86% Abandoned Cart Tools 92% Content Management 89% Configured Products 88% Product Search and Filtering 86% Intangible Products 93% Checkout Process 93% Tax Display and Processing 90% Payment Processing 93% Order Management 90% Returns / Refunds 93% Unified Customer Experience 93% Mobile 92% Customer Service 92% B2B Features 90% APIs 92% Customization 93% Integrations to Add-on Tools 94% User Management 93% Reporting / Analytics 81% Security 90% Multi-Site Management 90% Admin Access Rights 90% Test-to-Product Migration 83% Internationalization 90% Cross Browser Support 93% Performance and Reliability 95%
Upclick Features Product Catalog 99% Guided Selling 99% Configuration Rules 99% Configured Pricing 100% Visual Configuration 99% Ease of Use 95% Pricing Flexibility 99% Discounting 99% Commerical Rules 99% Terms and Conditions 99% Approval Workflow 99% Renewals 99% Grouping 99% Versioning 99% Quote Document Generation 99% Document Customization 99% Ordering 99% Contracts 99% Configuration Ease of Admin 99% Pricing Administration 90% Workflow Management 99% Document Admin 99% Mobile User Support 99% Channel Partner Support 99% eCommerce 99% Customization 99% User Management 99% Reporting / Analytics 99% Test-to-Product Migration 99% Cross Browser Support 99% Performance and Reliability 99% Content Management 99% Configured Products 99% Product Search and Filtering 99% Checkout Process 99% Tax Display and Processing 99% Order Management 99%
Storbie Features Storefront Design Tools 94% Product Visualization 90% Recommendations / Personalization 88% Promotions and Discounts 89% Abandoned Cart Tools 74% Product Reviews 60% SEO 86% Content Management 95% Configured Products 97% Product Search and Filtering 87% Intangible Products 81% Checkout Process 93% Shipping Options 85% Tax Display and Processing 86% Payment Processing 93% Order Management 93% Inventory Management 92% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 87% Unified Customer Experience 81% Mobile 86% Social Commerce 81% Customer Service 82% Store Locator 93% 3rd-Party Store Integration 74% Customization 90% Integrations to Add-on Tools 88% User Management 97% Reporting / Analytics 81% Security 92% Multi-Site Management 83% Admin Access Rights 88% Test-to-Product Migration 85% Internationalization 75% Cross Browser Support 90% Performance and Reliability 96%
Nexternal eCommerce Platform Features Storefront Design Tools 74% Product Visualization 85% Recommendations / Personalization 80% Promotions and Discounts 83% Abandoned Cart Tools 55% Product Reviews 85% SEO 76% Content Management 89% Configured Products 88% Product Search and Filtering 88% Intangible Products 91% Checkout Process 87% Shipping Options 86% Tax Display and Processing 89% Payment Processing 88% Order Management 93% Returns / Refunds 88% Inventory Management 85% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 83% Unified Customer Experience 81% Mobile 79% Social Commerce 81% Customer Service 90% Store Locator 89% 3rd-Party Store Integration 83% B2B Features 83% APIs 78% Customization 80% Integrations to Add-on Tools 78% User Management 89% Reporting / Analytics 83% Security 92% Multi-Site Management 93% Admin Access Rights 88% Test-to-Product Migration 82% Internationalization 87% Cross Browser Support 87% Performance and Reliability 90%
nopCommerce Features Storefront Design Tools 86% Product Visualization 81% Recommendations / Personalization 83% Promotions and Discounts 83% Abandoned Cart Tools 67% Product Reviews 77% SEO 79% Content Management 85% Configured Products 81% Product Search and Filtering 80% Intangible Products 73% Checkout Process 80% Shipping Options 80% Tax Display and Processing 83% Payment Processing 80% Order Management 81% Returns / Refunds 76% Inventory Management 85% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 77% Unified Customer Experience 79% Mobile 76% Social Commerce 79% Customer Service 79% Store Locator 76% 3rd-Party Store Integration 76% B2B Features 74% APIs 73% Customization 92% Integrations to Add-on Tools 81% User Management 89% Reporting / Analytics 79% Security 89% Multi-Site Management 89% Admin Access Rights 85% Test-to-Product Migration 79% Internationalization 87% Cross Browser Support 93% Performance and Reliability 85%
Virto Commerce Features Storefront Design Tools 88% Product Visualization 85% Recommendations / Personalization 87% Promotions and Discounts 83% Abandoned Cart Tools 90% Product Reviews 90% SEO 96% Content Management 90% Configured Products 90% Product Search and Filtering 92% Intangible Products 89% Checkout Process 93% Shipping Options 93% Tax Display and Processing 93% Payment Processing 90% Order Management 95% Returns / Refunds 95% Inventory Management 88% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 81% Unified Customer Experience 83% Mobile 92% Social Commerce 88% Customer Service 83% Store Locator 90% 3rd-Party Store Integration 86% B2B Features 93% APIs 88% Customization 93% Integrations to Add-on Tools 94% User Management 88% Reporting / Analytics 85% Security 88% Multi-Site Management 92% Admin Access Rights 87% Test-to-Product Migration 83% Internationalization 96% Cross Browser Support 90% Performance and Reliability 83%
Gumroad Features Product Catalog 99% Guided Selling 99% Configuration Rules 99% Configured Pricing 100% Visual Configuration 99% Ease of Use 95% Pricing Flexibility 99% Discounting 99% Commerical Rules 99% Terms and Conditions 99% Approval Workflow 99% Renewals 99% Grouping 99% Versioning 99% Quote Document Generation 99% Document Customization 99% Ordering 99% Contracts 99% Configuration Ease of Admin 99% Pricing Administration 90% Workflow Management 99% Document Admin 99% Mobile User Support 99% Channel Partner Support 99% eCommerce 99% Customization 99% User Management 99% Reporting / Analytics 99% Test-to-Product Migration 99% Cross Browser Support 99% Performance and Reliability 99% Content Management 99% Configured Products 99% Product Search and Filtering 99% Checkout Process 99% Tax Display and Processing 99% Order Management 99%
FastSpring Features Automation 87% Consolidation 72% Adjustments 70% Collections 87% Dispute Management 69% Packages 74% Discounts 81% Plan Changes 73% Storefront Design Tools 80% Product Visualization 83% Recommendations / Personalization 84% Promotions and Discounts 90% Abandoned Cart Tools 79% Product Reviews 75% Content Management 85% Configured Products 86% Product Search and Filtering 83% Intangible Products 90% Checkout Process 92% Tax Display and Processing 92% Payment Processing 94% Order Management 92% Returns / Refunds 92% Cross-Channel Fulfillment 91% Unified Customer Experience 87% Mobile 89% Social Commerce 84% Customer Service 92% Store Locator 91% 3rd-Party Store Integration 86% B2B Features 83% APIs 84% Customization 83% Integrations to Add-on Tools 84% User Management 88% Reporting / Analytics 82% Security 92% Multi-Site Management 85% Admin Access Rights 89% Test-to-Product Migration 89% Internationalization 92% Cross Browser Support 93% Performance and Reliability 95%

Check Your Ecommerce Solution Offers Round The Clock Support

Customer service is very important when using a ecommerce like Shopify.

When investing in and dealing with a ecommerce for your business, timely customer support is essential.

Customer service includes assistance in installation, training, troubleshooting, upgrading, and cancellation of a product or service.

Your ecommerce solution should offer customer support that includes Phone answering services, Live chat support and Email customer service support.

Shopify and Shopify Plus offer support where clients are able to call or contact the helpdesk via email or a chat service.

Name	Support Rating	Support	Languages
Shopify	8.4	Phone, Email	English
Shopify Plus	8.5	Phone, Email, Live Chat	Danish, German, English, Finnish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional)
Volusion	7.3	Phone, Email,	English
WooCommerce	7.4	Phone, Email	Afrikaans, Arabic, Danish, German, English, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Simplified)
3dcart	8.4	Phone, Email, Live Chat	English
Big Cartel	8.1	Phone, Email	English
Ecwid	9.6	Phone, Email	German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Contalog	10.0	Phone, Email	English
Kooomo	9.4	Phone, Email, Live Chat	Xhosa, Tonga (Tonga Islands), Samoan, Maori, Maltese, Fijian, Tibetan, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese, Uzbek, Urdu, Ukrainian, Turkish, Thai, Telugu, Tatar, Tamil, Swedish, Swahili, Serbian, Albanian, Spanish, Slovenian, Slovak, Russian, Romanian, Quechua, Portuguese, Polish, Punjabi, Norwegian, Dutch, Nepali, Malay, Mongolian, Macedonian, Marathi, Malayalam, Lithuanian, Latvian, Latin, Korean, Central Khmer, Georgian, Japanese, Italian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Armenian, Hungarian, Croatian, Hindi, Hebrew, Gujarati, Irish, French, Finnish, Persian, Basque, Estonian, English, Greek, German, Danish, Welsh, Czech, Catalan, Bulgarian, Bengali, Arabic, Afrikaans
Ecomchain	9.7	Phone, Email	Arabic, German, English, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Latin, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Urdu, Chinese (Simplified)
Trusted Shops	10.0	Phone, Email	English
PayMotion	10.0	Phone, Email	Arabic, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, English, Finnish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified)
PayKickstart	9.7	Phone, Email, Live Chat	Arabic, Czech, Danish, German, English, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Serbian, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified)
Upclick	4.0	Phone, Email	English
Storbie	9.8	Phone, Email	English
Nexternal eCommerce Platform	9.6	Phone, Email, Live Chat	English
nopCommerce	7.7	Phone, Email	Arabic, German, English, Persian, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified)
Virto Commerce	8.9	Phone, Email	German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese (Simplified)
Gumroad	10.0	Phone, Email	English
FastSpring	9.1	Phone, Email, Live Chat	Arabic, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, English, French, Croatian, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Serbian, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Simplified)

Make sure your Ecommerce Solution Offers the Features You Need

Ensure that the ecommerce solution you decide upon provides the exact range of tools your organisation needs. Check ECOMMERCE is a good fit for your business.

Best Ecommerce Software Solution Verdict

An important factor for business owners to consider when looking for a Ecommerce like Shopify is the support and educational resources the Ecommerce platform can offer.

Choose a ecommerce that is considered an industry-leader with a well tested and well known software platform.

If you are thinking of using the Shopify platform you will need to know that Shopify is ecommerce that you can rely on.

View All of the Top Ecommerce Software Solutions

Shopify

Overall rating	84%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	84%

Shopify was established in 2006.

Shopify Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Basic	$29	Per month
Professional	$79	Per month
unlimited	$299	Per month

Visit Shopify

Shopify Plus

Overall rating	85%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	85%

Shopify Plus was established in 2006.

Shopify Plus Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Mid-Market	$29	Per month
Enterprise	$79	Per month
	$299	Per month

Visit Shopify Plus

Volusion

Overall rating	73%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	73%

Volusion was established in 1999.

Volusion Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Mini	Request Pricing
Plus
Pro	unknown
Premium	unknown
	unknown

Visit Volusion

WooCommerce

Overall rating	74%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	74%

WooCommerce was established in 2005.

WooCommerce Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	$0	Per month
Mid-Market	$15	Per month
Enterprise	$35	Per month
	$99	Per month

Visit WooCommerce

3dcart

Overall rating	84%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	84%

3dcart was established in 1997.

3dcart Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
3dcart BASIC	$29	Per month
3dcart PLUS	$299
3dcart PRO
3dcart Enterprise	unknown
	unknown

Visit 3dcart

Big Cartel

Overall rating	81%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	81%

Big Cartel was established in 2005.

Big Cartel Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Titanium	Free	Per month
Diamond	$9.99	Per month
Platinum	$19.99	Per month
Gold	$29.99

Visit Big Cartel

Ecwid

Overall rating	96%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	96%

Ecwid was established in 2009.

Ecwid Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Free	$0	Per month
VENTURE	$15	Per month
BUSINESS	$35	Per month
UNLIMITED	$99	Per month
	$12.50	Per year

Visit Ecwid

Contalog

Overall rating	100%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	100%

Contalog was established in 2008.

Contalog Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Basic Terms	$99	Per month
Small Terms	$199	Per month
Growing Terms	$299	Per month

Visit Contalog

Kooomo

Overall rating	94%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	94%

Kooomo was established in 2000.

Kooomo Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	Request Pricing
Mid-Market
Enterprise	unknown
	unknown

Visit Kooomo

Ecomchain

Overall rating	97%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	97%

Ecomchain was established in 2001.

Ecomchain Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	Request Pricing
Mid-Market
	unknown

Visit Ecomchain

Trusted Shops

Overall rating	100%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	100%

Trusted Shops was established in 1999.

Trusted Shops Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	£79	Per month
Mid-Market	£129	Per month
Enterprise	Request Pricing	Per month

Visit Trusted Shops

PayMotion

Overall rating	100%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	100%

PayMotion was established in 2019.

PayMotion Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	1.7	one-time/user
Mid-Market
Enterprise	unknown
	unknown

Visit PayMotion

PayKickstart

Overall rating	97%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	97%

PayKickstart was established in 2016.

PayKickstart Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Premium Plan	$99	Per month
Professional Plan	$199	Per month
Basic Plan	$299	Per month
	$79	Per year

Visit PayKickstart

Upclick

Overall rating	40%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	40%

Upclick was established in 2006.

Upclick Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	36.16	Per month
Mid-Market
Enterprise	unknown
	unknown

Visit Upclick

Storbie

Overall rating	98%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	98%

Storbie was established in 2007.

Storbie Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	$85	Per month
Mid-Market	$125	Per month
Enterprise	$295	Per month

Visit Storbie

Nexternal eCommerce Platform

Overall rating	96%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	96%

Nexternal eCommerce Platform was established in 1995.

Nexternal eCommerce Platform Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	Request a Free demo
Mid-Market
	unknown

Visit Nexternal eCommerce Platform

nopCommerce

Overall rating	77%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	77%

nopCommerce was established in 2008.

nopCommerce Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	$66.58	Per month
Mid-Market	$99.67	Per month
Enterprise	$299	One Time Free
	$799

Visit nopCommerce

Virto Commerce

Overall rating	89%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	89%

Virto Commerce was established in 2011.

Virto Commerce Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	Request Pricing
Mid-Market
Enterprise	unknown
	unknown

Visit Virto Commerce

Gumroad

Overall rating	100%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	100%

Gumroad was established in 2011.

Gumroad Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	10	Per month
Mid-Market
Enterprise	unknown
	unknown

Visit Gumroad

FastSpring

Overall rating	91%
Support Rating	88%
Setup Rating	91%

FastSpring was established in 2005.

FastSpring Price Table

Price Plan	Price	Price Plan Duration
Small-Business	Get Price
Mid-Market
	unknown

Visit FastSpring