Ecommerce Ecommerce Logistics and Fulfillment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is same-day delivery and which company popularized it for US ecommerce?
- Delivery within 48 hours; FedEx popularized it
- Delivery on the same calendar day as the order; Amazon popularized it (Correct answer)
- Delivery within 2 hours; Walmart popularized it
- Overnight delivery; UPS popularized it
Correct answer: Delivery on the same calendar day as the order; Amazon popularized it
Same-day delivery means orders placed before a cutoff time arrive on the same day, a service Amazon helped mainstream with Prime.
Question 2: What does 'last-mile delivery' refer to in ecommerce logistics?
- The final quality check before an item leaves the warehouse
- The final step of the delivery process from a distribution hub to the customer's address (Correct answer)
- The last shipment in a large bulk order
- The distance a courier must travel between two fulfillment centers
Correct answer: The final step of the delivery process from a distribution hub to the customer's address
Last-mile delivery is typically the most expensive and complex part of shipping — moving a package from a local hub to the end customer.
Question 3: What is a fulfillment SLA (Service Level Agreement) in ecommerce?
- A contract between a merchant and payment processor
- A defined commitment specifying how quickly orders will be processed and shipped (Correct answer)
- An agreement on product return windows
- A shipping insurance policy
Correct answer: A defined commitment specifying how quickly orders will be processed and shipped
A fulfillment SLA sets measurable standards (e.g., same-day or next-day ship time) that a merchant or 3PL must meet for order processing.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a tracking number in ecommerce order fulfillment?
- To assign an internal warehouse bin location to a product
- To allow merchants and customers to monitor a shipment's real-time location through the carrier network (Correct answer)
- To identify the sales channel through which the order was placed
- To link a return to the original purchase
Correct answer: To allow merchants and customers to monitor a shipment's real-time location through the carrier network
A tracking number is a unique code assigned by the carrier that enables both the merchant and customer to monitor delivery status.
Question 5: What does 'pick and pack' mean in warehouse fulfillment?
- Selecting a shipping carrier and packing materials supplier
- Pulling specific items from warehouse shelves and packaging them for shipment (Correct answer)
- Sorting returned items back into inventory
- Choosing products to feature in a promotional bundle
Correct answer: Pulling specific items from warehouse shelves and packaging them for shipment
Pick and pack is the warehouse process of retrieving (picking) ordered items and preparing (packing) them into boxes for shipment.
Question 6: What is dimensional weight (DIM weight) pricing used by US carriers like UPS and FedEx?
- A pricing model based solely on the product's actual weight
- A method to calculate shipping cost based on the package's volume when it exceeds its actual weight (Correct answer)
- A discount tier for merchants who ship high volumes
- A surcharge for residential deliveries
Correct answer: A method to calculate shipping cost based on the package's volume when it exceeds its actual weight
DIM weight pricing charges for the space a package takes rather than just its actual weight, penalizing large but light boxes.
Ecommerce Ecommerce Logistics and Fulfillment 2
What is same-day delivery and which company popularized it for US ecommerce?