Awaiting fulfillment is a term used to describe a particular stage in an order process in electronic commerce. The fulfillment process is a stage where items ordered by a client are picked, arranged and packed into the proper boxes and then made ready for shipping.
This means that if an order has been received by the logistics company but has not yet been picked and packed the order in the proper boxes, then that order is Awaiting fulfillment.
To further understand what awaiting fulfillment means, it is important to understand the process in which it falls. Simply put, electronic commerce, which is very easily referred to as e-commerce is a system where goods and services are bought and also sold via the use of internet.
To make this buying and selling easier for everyone, a system has been put in place that allows both parties to be aware of each location and stage of the transaction from its start to the end. This system has a clearly set process. Understanding the different stages and statuses of your order will enable you get clarity on what awaiting fulfillment means.
Several companies have their different processes and methods but the standard general process is broken down into the following stages.
Order is placed – this is the stage where the order is initiated by the buyer. The items are selected and paid for by the buyer from the online store. However, some items are cash on delivery so in this case, the order is simply made. Order is submitted for fulfillment – this stage simply means that the order you made in the first stage has been completed and it is on its way to the department of the company in charge of the logistics of your order. Order is awaiting fulfillment – this means your order has been received by the Logistics Company or department and is waiting to be picked, arranged and packed for shipping. Order is pending fulfillment – when your order is pending fulfillment, it simply means your item(s) ordered and in the process of being picked, packed and arranged in boxes for shipping. Your order will remain in this stage until all the process in complete and has been sent out for shipping. Order is shipped – your order is flagged “shipped” the moment it leaves logistics and it gets into the hands of the courier company. Order is sent out for delivery – at this stage, the courier company has sent out your order to be delivered to youOrder is delivered – this is when your order has been delivered to you at the address you provided at the time of ordering.
Now that you know the stages from the point of ordering your items to the point of their delivery, you will note then that even though the awaiting fulfillment stage is not one to bother yourself about, it is a very important stage. As a buyer, seeing the ‘awaiting fulfillment’ status lets you know that your order has been placed and your products are on ground but have just not been arranged and packaged for shipping yet.
One important thing to note is that you are likely to miss one or more of these stages if you are not one to monitor an order very critically as most people are basically bothered about the time of shipping and time of delivery only. These processes vary in time used per stage and are dependent on several factors which may either hasten or slow a process as the case may be.
What is the difference between awaiting fulfillment and pending fulfillment?
Awaiting simply means it is yet to be picked, put together and packaged. Pending fulfillment on the other hand means the putting together and packaging has begun but is yet to be completed. An order in pending fulfillment stage may have been packed but not yet labeled, or it may be boxed and labeled but not yet picked by or sent to the courier company. Sometimes, where several items have been ordered, an order may be pending fulfillment when all other items have been packed but one of the items is out of stock.
How long does an order stay at awaiting fulfillment?
Once your order is placed and submitted to a fulfillment Centre, it should take between 48 to 72 hours at the most to be accepted and queued for fulfillment
Who is responsible at the awaiting fulfillment?
There are different people who are responsible for this, depending on where your purchase was made. For large companies, the fulfillment or logistics team are responsible for this.
