What Does Pending Remote Fulfillment Mean?
Order fulfillment is a key process in e-commerce. It involves taking a customer’s order and delivering the purchased products. Throughout the fulfillment process, an order will go through various statuses that indicate where it’s at in the workflow. One common status you may see is “pending remote fulfillment.” But what exactly does this cryptic status mean?
Order Fulfillment Statuses
There are a few main order statuses that occur in a sequential workflow as an order is processed by the merchant, fulfilled at the warehouse facility, and finally shipped out to the customer. They are explained below:
Submitted for Fulfillment
This is the first status after an order is placed. It means the merchant has received the order and is queued, and waiting to be fulfilled.
Pending Fulfillment
The order is now being prepared and packaged up. Depending on the volume, it may take a few hours to a few days for fulfillment to be completed.
Partially Shipped
If an order contains multiple items, some may ship out first while others are still pending fulfillment. The status changes to “partially shipped” to indicate some items have gone out while others still need to be processed.
Shipped
Once all items in the order have been packaged up and handed off to a shipping carrier, the status will update to “shipped.” This means the order is now in transit to the customer.
Delivered
The final status indicates successful delivery of the order to the customer’s address. The order process is now fully complete.
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Defining Pending Remote Fulfillment
“Pending remote fulfillment” indicates that an order has been submitted to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider or other external fulfillment center that handles warehouse storage, order processing, and shipping on behalf of the merchant.
Key Steps Of The Process
When an order is marked “pending remote fulfillment,” it means that the retailer has sent all the required order information to the remote fulfillment center. The fulfillment center will then go through the key steps:
- Receiving the order information
- Checking inventory availability
- Picking and packing the products
- Generating a packing slip and shipping label
- Handing off to the shipping carrier
The order will remain in “pending remote fulfillment” status until the external fulfillment provider has completed these steps and handed the package off for delivery.
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How Long Does Pending Remote Fulfillment Take?
Generally, pending remote fulfillment takes anywhere from 1-5 business days on average. Retailers aim to set customer delivery expectations based on their operations. The pending status simply means the fulfillment center is still within its typical processing window. As long as the order does not remain “stuck” in this status for extended periods, it generally progresses through the remote fulfillment workflow.
Factors Influencing The Duration Of Pending Remote Fulfillment
How long an order will sit in pending remote fulfillment status depends on several factors related to the retailer’s fulfillment operations:
Volume of Order
Larger orders with multiple items or bulk purchase quantities will take more time for warehouse workers to pick, pack, and prepare for shipment compared to smaller, straightforward orders. The physical labor and materials handling for big orders adds processing time.
Availability Of Inventory
If certain items in the customer’s order are out of stock or back-ordered. In that case, it can cause the entire multi-item order to be delayed or paused until the missing inventory can be restocked and replenished. Omnichannel inventory visibility and management improve overall turnaround times by preventing stockouts.
Logistics Network
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers have warehouse facilities, carriers, and transportation routes of varying efficiency and responsiveness. A streamlined logistics network allows the 3PL to intake orders, fulfill them, and ship out faster.
Customization
When customers request gift wrapping, monogramming, special packaging, or other customizations, it requires additional time and handling during the fulfillment process before shipment.
Location And Distance
The further a package travels from the fulfillment center to the customer’s delivery address, the more time spent in transit. Products may transfer between multiple fulfillment centers to optimize delivery. Cross-country or last-mile deliveries to remote locations can elongate the shipping time frame.
Shipping Carrier And Transportation Method
Ground shipping is slower than air express. Retailers who offer customers faster shipping options can reduce pending time.
Peak Seasons
Pending time typically increases during peak periods of abnormally high order volume, such as during holidays or sales events, as fulfillment centers handle substantially greater throughput and operating capacity.
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Pending Remote Fulfillment Time Frame for Different Industries
Timeframes for pending remote fulfillment can significantly vary across different businesses and industries. Understanding these variations is important for setting proper expectations. Examining the average duration of the pending status across diverse industries and considering contributing factors provides context for standard pending periods. Here are general estimates of time frames for different industries:
E-Commerce Retail
The standard timeframe for pending remote fulfillment in average-sized e-commerce retail orders shipped by ground is typically 1-3 business days. This allows for small parcel carrier pickup and delivery.
Electronics And Gadgets
For electronics and gadgets orders, 2-4 days is a common duration for pending remote fulfillment status, given the extra protective packaging materials and safe handling procedures required for these products.
Fashion and Apparel
Simple apparel orders without customization only sit pending for 1-2 days on average before fulfillment completion. For personalized embroidery, printing, or other embellishments, the added manufacturing can extend pending times to 3+ days.
Customized Or Personalized Products
Highly customized or personalized orders often have 3-5 days of pending remote fulfillment time due to the extra design, production, and assembly work involved before the order can be completed and shipped out.
Food And Grocery Delivery
For online food and grocery delivery, the average pending time is 1 day to account for the perishable nature of the products and expedite order handoff to local couriers.
Furniture and Home Decor
Oversized furniture and home decor purchases tend to sit in pending status for 3-5 days on average as they require specialized trucking and delivery, which has longer lead times than small parcel shipping.
B2B and Wholesale Orders
For business-to-business and wholesale order fulfillment, 5+ days is a typical pending duration given greater order complexity, bulk amounts, and customs procedures needing clearance for global trade compliance.
International Shipments
Sending orders across borders adds an average of 2-3 extra days in pending status to clear customs, duties, and taxes, and meet import/export regulations before international parcels can be released for fulfillment.
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Conclusion
The “pending remote fulfillment” status signifies that the digital handoff has occurred from the original retailer to the external fulfillment center that will handle the physical processing and delivery of the order. The overall duration of how long an order remains in the pending status phase depends heavily on variables such as the specific characteristics of that order, real-time inventory availability, geographical and logistical considerations, and the capabilities of the fulfillment network. While industry benchmark averages can provide a helpful guideline, retailers should communicate precise facility-specific timelines based on their operations and distribution workflows to set accurate customer expectations around when their delivery arrives. Proactively managing pending fulfillment stages and timing through transparent communication and coordination optimizes the post-purchase experience.
FAQs
How long does it take for pending remote fulfillment?
The duration varies based on factors such as order volume, complexity, shipping methods, and the type of products or services. Specific timeframes may depend on industry standards.
Can I track the status of pending remote fulfillment?
Many online platforms provide order tracking features, allowing customers to monitor the status of their pending remote fulfillment in real time.
What should I do if my order is stuck in pending remote fulfillment for too long?
If you experience delays, it’s advisable to contact customer support for updates on your order and to address any concerns you may have.
How does peak season impact pending remote fulfillment?
During peak seasons and holidays, there might be an increase in order volumes, potentially leading to longer pending remote fulfillment times. It’s essential to plan accordingly.
What does delayed fulfillment mean?
Delayed fulfillment means an order is taking longer than the standard or estimated time frame to process due to issues like inventory shortages, warehouse equipment malfunctions, or severe weather disrupting logistics networks.
Why does the tracking order status say ‘Awaiting Fulfillment’?
Awaiting fulfillment” means the retailer has received the order but fulfillment teams still need to process it. It is pending in the warehouse queue before physical fulfillment work begins.
Is there any way to Predict when an order will be fulfilled?
Order processing times vary, but retailers can provide estimates at checkout based on factors like several items ordered customization, and shipping speed. Proactive notifications on pending orders also help manage delivery expectations.