Directorate of distance education

E-fulfillment is broadly defined to mean:
The electronic integration and enablement of processes chartered 
with efficiently and effectively managing activities revolving around 
presenting, modeling, completing orders and delivering the products to 
the customer.

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It is important to reiterate that, just as the Internet has transformed 
selling and sales to customers and businesses, so it has transformed supply 
side activities. This includes integration of fulfilment activities with order 
management, warehousing and logistics. For instance e-fulfilment data 
is increasingly integrated with back-end systems or information systems 
to ensure it informs not only logistics (right product and service, on time 
accurately to the customers’ order) but also e-procurement activities 
(supplies meet demand).
Businesses also expect e-fulfilment to:
➢ Make every customer action visible
➢ Synchronise supply-side data with data on customer actions, needs, 
preferences and trends
➢ Integrate data and reporting across all stages of the supply chain
For the end customer e-fulfilment is not at all like previous 
fulfilment strategies such as direct order or catalogue sales. Electronic 
enablement means customers expect:
➢ A high level of performance, speed, and precision
➢ Access to vast amounts of information that can be personalised
➢ Traceability and status updates on any order
As stated by Hintlian, Mann and Churchman e-fulfilment revolves 
around e-business models that address three fundamental challenges:
1. Merging operational excellence with e-commerce opportunities.
2. Realising integrated fulfilment relies on creating new kinds of 
relationships and services.
3. Integrating fulfilment with strategies focused on capabilities 
required to support B2B/B2C and to better compete among 
emerging marketplaces.

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