We reported on the beta phase of the JTL-Fulfillment Network (JTL-FFN) some time ago. In the following interview with MIMO GmbH, we show you how this beta phase actually works and how the JTL-FFN presents itself from the perspective of a fulfillment service provider. Managing Director Peter Steib (PS) and his colleague Christian Lohner-Nittmann (CLN), the head of fulfillment, served as our contacts for this interview.
(from left: Peter Steib, Christian Lohner-Nittmann)
JTL: Hello, both of you. Perhaps you could start by briefly introducing your company.
PS: Hello, we are happy to do that. MIMO GmbH is a provider of fulfillment & services from the Augsburg region. MIMO stands on the one hand for a technology in data transmission, Multiple Input & Multiple Output, and on the other hand for the location at Mittleren Moos in Augsburg. As a company of the Pressedruck media group, we are part of an established group of companies that has logistics services “in its genes”, so to speak. Specifically, we are a fulfilment provider that specializes in high-quality warehousing and shipping via all common carriers. We do not have one standard customer connection, but various access channels to eCommerce, including JTL-FFN. This makes us interesting for our customers regionally, nationally and internationally.
JTL: That brings us to the topic. How did your integration with JTL-FFN come about?
CLN: The first contact with the topic basically came about at JTL Connect 2016. You spoke about your plan for the network for the first time there. That’s when we started talking about it. Since MIMO, unlike other fulfillment companies that use JTL solutions, uses fulfillment services as its core business, we were a good fit for your early planning phases. This is because our focus is solely on processing our customer orders from the fulfillment business.
Since then, we have been in close contact with our contacts at JTL and are delighted to be involved in the birth of JTL-FFN.
JTL: You must have had expectations of the new solution in advance, right?
PS: Of course. On the one hand, we wanted to drive forward a deeper development partnership with JTL. We see a lot of potential there. On the other hand, we wanted to integrate JTL customers into our services as quickly and easily as possible. The opportunity here is crystal clear to us: we can scale with our customers and combine our logistics expertise with the shop experience of JTL merchants.
JTL: Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty – how did the integration into the network go?
CLN: For the integration, we relied on a long-standing service partner of JTL, OBME. Their experience and the close exchange between JTL, the service partner and us ensured an almost seamless, fast start.
After the go-live in June 2017, there were of course some minor challenges due to the beta status of the solution and the fact that we were the first fulfillment provider to send out sales orders for customers. However, the close cooperation ensured that any problems were solved quickly, so that beta testers who joined later and JTL-FFN as a whole were able to benefit from this experience.
JTL: That is definitely the case. How do you see the development of the solution as a whole? What advantages do you see in JTL-FFN?
CLN: We are very positive about the development of the new solution. We are already working productively with it. This means that the processes are stable and important warehouse functions such as batch, BBD and serial numbers are working on both sides. On the other side, i.e. the JTL retailer side, we are also noticing growing awareness and interest. It is important for us to emphasize to retailers how simple and at the same time stable the integration with the system is. This is clearly our greatest strength. Ideally, retailers and fulfillers should both use a JTL infrastructure – perfect from a technical point of view, as both sides have the same understanding of the technical processes.
PS: Early participation in the development process of the solution offers further advantages. We were able to play an active role in the first steps – topics such as best-before dates and serial numbers were important to our customers, which is why we were committed to their implementation. On the customer side, the benefits are obvious: the customer receives a selection of fulfillment service providers and is quickly guided through the “jungle” of providers, interfaces, etc. by the network. The simplification of the entire selection and integration process is enormous, and retailers save time and money. We, in turn, benefit from a smooth data exchange and closer ties with the retailers.
JTL: You sound very satisfied – that makes us happy, of course. But I’m sure you also have requirements for the further development process, don’t you?
CLN: Absolutely. We are particularly curious to see how the opening of the JTL fulfillment network via an interface for customers with third-party systems will work. A Good standard interface would open up a whole new market potential for us and others.
If we could express any wishes: Even more transparency in the processes in the network would be great. Ideally, the customer would be able to see that we are currently in the picking process, for example, when the sales order has reached this status with us. The transmission of goods values for international shipping is also on our wish list – but we are sure that you are already working on this. (This is now possible with JTL-Wawi 1.3.0.12).
Otherwise, we are currently missing our own number ranges for individual fulfillment customers. This would indeed help us a lot.
However, one thing is particularly important to us: continue the regular, productive and open exchange with fulfillers, service partners and retailers. The workshop on this last year was an important building block for the growth and further development of the network. We believe this is crucial for the future of the product.
JTL: Thank you for your frank words. We agree and are already looking forward to the next workshop. Thank you very much for the interview!
Are you curious about how you can use the JTL-Fulfillment Network for yourself? You can register as a beta tester on our landing page. We are currently still in the closed test phase and will integrate new participants as required. Following this, we are planning an open beta test in which anyone interested can take part. We will keep you up to date!
