We take for granted how easy it is to sit in front of our computers, place an order for a product and for it to turn up on our door steps, but in reality there is a lot of work and planning that takes place in order for our online orders to be fulfilled.

Once the order is placed on the web site, the online retailer needs to coordinate the dispatch of the products via a courier company. The courier company needs to be made fully aware of all the details regarding the destination of the consignment.

Sounds simple – right? What you might not realise is that your order has actually been placed with a company on the other side of the world, so to get the goods delivered to your home or business requires co-ordination with different types of transportation methods in order to get it from country to country. For example, if you order a product from the United States of America, the courier has to

a) Get the product from the warehouse to the airport

b) Get the product transported via air to the destination country

c) Get the product collected on arrival in the destination country and then delivered to it’s final destination. This in itself may mean that the product has to go to one or more depots en-route.

All in all there could be many hours of carefully planned and executed travel just to get, for example, a T-Shirt from the warehouse to your home.

On top of all the transportation planning is the factor of time. With online some retailers you can request that your order is delivered within a specific time scale. For example you may request that the delivery is next day if the order is urgent. This means that the courier has to meet the demands of not only getting it to its destination but within the agreed time scale - no excuses accepted. So if flights are delayed alternatives must be found. If traffic is a problem then a new route must be planned and executed.

It’s very easy to take it for granted in todays age of technology, but there is an incredible amount of planning and work involved in getting a delivery from a warehouse to its destination.