Streamline Shipments With “Send To Amazon”

Send To Amazon is a new streamlined shipment creation workflow for FBA sellers that saves you time by simplifying FBA shipment creation. Amazon claims that Send To Amazon improves upon its older Send/Replenish Inventory workflow with new technology and a refreshed user interface, but does the new experience really make life easier for FBA sellers?

With the new system, you’re guided through a series of steps based on your decisions when creating shipments, but it’s important to note that the steps you see may vary based on your choices. To find out how beneficial the new shipment creation workflow is, let’s take a look at how it works.

Box Content Information

The first step in the workflow is providing box content information. Knowing the contents of each box allows Amazon to move your inventory rapidly through its network with minimal manual touches. Providing Amazon with accurate box content information also reduces the chances of boxes getting sidelined due to inconsistent shipment information, making your inventory available for sale faster.

You provide box content information through reusable case-pack templates for inventory shipped in boxes containing multiple units of the same SKU (single-SKU boxes). These templates contain information on how your SKUs are prepped, labeled, and packed and are ideal for SKUs shipped with the same box configuration shipment to shipment. Each time you create a shipment in Send To Amazon, the box content information is automatically identified from your case-pack template. You can simply enter the number of boxes to add them to the workflow and avoid entering other specific details from shipment to shipment when you always pack, prep, and label an SKU the same way.

If you’re packing more than one SKU in a box (mixed-SKU boxes), you’ll be prompted to enter the number of units of each SKU that you’re shipping. Once you have confirmed the inventory you want to send in mixed-SKU boxes, Amazon will determine which SKU can be packed together based on whether they require special handling at Amazon’s fulfilment centers. For example, SKUs considered to be hazardous materials (hazmat) cannot be packed with other SKUs since hazmat SKUs are shipped to special fulfilment centers that can safely receive them. You’re then prompted to provide box content information for each SKU group that can be packed together. You can directly enter the box weight and dimensions if you’re consolidating your mixed SKUs into one box. If you pack your inventory in multiple boxes, you’ll be prompted to upload your box packing details as a spreadsheet.

Finally, you can ship both single-SKU boxes and mixed-SKU boxes simultaneously using Send To Amazon. As an example, if you normally sell fast-selling products on FBA and want to test customer interest with a few new products, you can create shipments with single-SKU boxes using the case-pack template for your fast-selling products, and create mixed-SKU boxes for your new products in the same workflow.

Confirm Shipping

The next step in the workflow is to confirm shipping. Once you’ve provided box content information, Amazon will determine where each box has to be shipped, ensuring that inventory is placed close to customers. Amazon then estimates carrier fees to ship your inventory as individual boxes using small parcel delivery (SPD) or as pallets using less than truckload (LTL) options based on shipping destinations and boxes. This enables you to make a well-informed decision regarding the shipping mode that works best for you.

Whatever your shipping mode, you can choose to use an Amazon-partnered carrier and purchase your shipping labels from directly within Send To Amazon taking advantage of discounted shipping rates. However, you’re welcome to use any carrier you like to deliver your inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers.

After confirming your shipping, you’re ready to label your boxes and pallets. Let’s first consider the small parcel delivery shipping mode. Each box that you send to Amazon’s fulfillment centers requires an FBA box ID label, identifying the box’s contents. If you’re using an
Amazon-partnered carrier, a shipping label will be generated for each box in addition to the FBA box ID label. Make sure that the correct label is applied to the correct box. If you’re shipping pallets, an FBA box ID label will have to be placed on each box before you load it onto a pallet. Once the boxes are palletized, you’ll be prompted to choose your carrier and provide pallet details for each shipment in the workflow. After confirming pallet information, you’ll get four pallet labels for each pallet (one for each side of the pallet).

When you’re done labeling your boxes and/or pallets, you’re ready to hand them off to your carrier and start tracking when your inventory is received at Amazon’s fulfillment centers. If you’re using a non-partnered carrier, make sure you provide a tracking ID for your shipments so that Amazon can prepare for their arrival.

Out With The Old

As to whether or not the new system will make your daily workflow any smoother, only time will tell, but it’s likely that Send To Amazon is here to stay, and the older system will eventually be phased out. For now, you can try using the new Send To Amazon shipment creation workflow and send your feedback to Amazon about your experiences at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can learn more about Send To Amazon here.