March 10, 2026 · Automation · 5 min read

Automating Fulfillment: 5 Processes That Save Online Retailers Time Every Day

E-commerce fulfillment consists of dozens of small tasks: checking orders, printing labels, transmitting tracking, creating invoices, processing returns. Individually, each task only takes minutes - together they can consume half a working day.

The good news: most of these tasks can be completely automated. Here are the five most impactful automations.

1. Automatic Shipping Label Printing

Instead of manually creating a shipment in the DHL interface for each order, labels are printed directly from the fulfillment system. The system automatically selects the cheapest or fastest carrier based on configurable rules (weight, destination country, shipping class).

Time saved: up to 60 seconds per order. With 100 orders daily: almost 2 hours.

2. Tracking Feedback to Marketplaces

Every marketplace expects a tracking update as soon as a shipment is created. Manually, this means: copy tracking number, log into the platform, find the order, enter the number. Multiplied by each channel.

Automatically: the system transmits the tracking number directly after label creation to Amazon, eBay, Kaufland, and others - without manual intervention.

3. Invoice Creation and Archiving

GoBD-compliant invoices must be created for every order and archived in a revision-proof manner. Automatically, the system generates the invoice upon order completion, creates the ZUGFeRD PDF, and archives everything in compliance.

4. Stock Alerts and Reorder Suggestions

Instead of manually checking inventory levels daily, the system automatically sends notifications when an item falls below the defined minimum stock. More advanced systems also calculate automatic reorder suggestions based on sales history and delivery times.

5. Returns Workflow

The RMA process from announcement to restocking or disposal can be fully structured. Return labels are automatically generated and sent to the customer. Status is updated at each step and is accessible at any time.

Conclusion

Automating these five processes reclaims several hours daily - time that can be invested in purchasing, marketing, or customer service. Fulfillment automation is not a feature for enterprise retailers. It is the standard by which modern e-commerce is measured.