Order Personalization with SLAM
Customers want to feel “seen.” SLAM helps you do that.
First came the demands for overnight delivery, followed by same-day delivery. Now, the ecommerce experience is beginning to include an expectation for “custom order experience.” Buyers want to feel a connection, or a personal touch, when they open up the packages arriving on their front porch. They want the businesses supplying their items to “know” them.
Enter order personalization, which begins with the shopping experience and extends through shipping, all the way to unboxing at the customer’s home. When shopping online, customers receive personalized recommendations based on their purchase history. This helps customers feel valued and understood and nudges them into buying more. From there, the order is picked, packed and shipped.
An essential part of personalization takes place in the shipping, labeling, applying and manifesting (SLAM) area, or the final 100 feet. Specialized software allows you to design unique packaging and inserts that speak directly to the customer. For instance, you can design packaging with your brand’s logo, colors and a message to your customer. By using right-size packaging machines with color printing, you can customize that box any way you’d like.
Customization can also come in the form of a “handwritten” note. In this case, you could use a thermal printer in the SLAM area, or a full-page insert, and place it in the package as it moves through the SLAM line. This might look like a thank you note or make mention of a special occasion, like a birthday/anniversary. Suggesting additional products that might complement the existing purchase, or a variety of other recommendations could be added to the insert. If a customer is sending a product to someone else, another option is allowing a gift note. This makes the gift feel personal, even if the sender isn’t handwriting the note. The sky is somewhat the limit here, and SLAM is the area that makes it all happen.
Another way to customize orders is through loyalty programs. If your software tracks customer orders and profiles and ties them into a loyalty program, you can integrate reminders into your packaging. You can do this in the SLAM area by affixing labels and QR codes on the packaging that takes customers to their loyalty account. A different option is to insert notifications about exclusive access for loyal customers. You’ll give your customers value while also making them feel special—and more likely to purchase additional items.
Finally, if you want to insert product information into your packaging, SLAM can assist here as well. For example: your customer bought a garment that requires special care instructions. You print the instructions and insert them into packaging so that they are front and center when the customer opens the box upon arrival. Or, you’ve got a great brand story to share—you can print and insert that, too.
However you choose to approach personalization, SLAM is the key to its success.
To learn more about MHI’s SLAM industry group: www.mhi.org/slam
More information about Scanning, Labeling, Applying, Manifesting:
How SLAM Can Help with Returns
How SLAM Helps Get the Order Right
Using Peak Season for Next Season
Podcast: Elevating Order Fulfillment: VRCs & SLAM Efficiency in the Modern Warehouse
How SLAM Saves on Shipping Costs
