A fulfillment service provider seriously takes notes of clients’ needs to support the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
FulFill co-founder and chief executive Joy Chua said she and co-founder and chief operating officer Che Secillano are all ears to clients’ observations and suggestions as part of scaling-up customer engagement.
“Our mission is to really help more MSMEs. What sets us apart from others is that we listen. How the original business model of FullFill a year ago from when we were planning for it, has really changed a lot. Our decisions are shaped by how and what our clients need,” she said.
“There are actually several companies offering fulfillment services. We are not unique from that standpoint. But what makes us unique, in terms of how we manage and deal with our tenants, is that we are very ‘boutiqueish’, meaning we’re more personalized, and we are always present and hands on,” Chua said.
A purely-Filipino venture, FullFill is a third-party service provider that does not only provide warehousing services, but also does inbounding processes that includes sorting of products for proper storage. It also does the packaging, the prepping of products for pick-up and last-mile delivery by clients’ through preferred logistics partner.
For cargoes from abroad, FullFill conducts quality checks, sorting, tagging, repackaging and logistics coordination.
The business model is a preferred service by many small enterprises as it eliminates the need for tenant-partners to package, address and ship each order by themselves.
FullFill offers micro-warehousing, and by listening to clients, its operations adapted to introduce the “rack” system.
“We thought that if we want to stay true to our vision, we need to open smaller spaces for MSMEs whose businesses do not fit the micro-warehouse specifications. For products like lipstick, these can be stored in smaller spaces like cabinets,” Chua said.
The rates are very affordable, she said, which makes it easier for tenant-partners to manage their operational expenditures (opex).
For clients whose products are sensitive to temperature changes, FullFill invested in a temperature-controlled room to serve the needs of clients selling easily spoilable products.
Clients are the boss
Chua said the welfare of their clients is on the top of their fulfillment list. The entire crew is aware that for the fulfillment hub to work, they need to put out 100-percent effort to keep the service premium.
“We are an MSME ourselves. We know how it is being a micro and small business. We keep our customers’ concern close to our hearts. We take note of their necessities and requisites, and we try to respond as quickly as we can to fulfill their needs,” Chua said.
Cleanliness is a given, she said, not only to safeguard products but also for the protection of people working in the hub and for tenant-partners visiting the warehouse. On days when schools are closed, the warehouse is open to tenant-partners bringing their children to the facility so they can look after them while doing some sorting activities, which is another check on the fulfillment tab for clients.
In the 2,400 square meters of space, FullFill has managed to fill up 75 percent of the two-story warehouse in less than a year. Business owners are hoping for 100-percent occupancy now that the holiday season started.
As it draws near to celebrating its first year of operations, FullFill is already looking forward to expanding to 10 more sites across the nation. Metro cities like Cebu and Davao are among the top expansion choices. The fulfillment hub is also looking at adding more warehouses in the Greater Manila Area, starting with one possibly in Alabang. FullFill is looking at Laguna to be first hub in CALABARZON.
“We made it a point that if we are expanding to new sites, we are opening not because we need to expand that badly. We need to ensure we are giving 100-percent service before expanding. If we’re happy with that, and we can retain that level of service with 100-percent occupancy, then we’ll start with a succeeding project,” Chua said.
Unlike other fulfillment service providers, FullFill offers both B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumers) services. Some of FullFill’s clients include tea supplier Nature’s Apothecary, Aklan-based bag distributor 210 Trading, home solutions company Messy Bessy, kids supply distributor Playdate Collection and fruity chili sauce maker Aleros.
The hub also fulfills the requirement of a supplier for one of SM Department Store’s house brand.
Chua said the company intends to be present at every phase of development, providing support for businesses from ground zero and throughout their entire journey as they expand and scale-up their businesses.
Like any other startup, FullFill has a lean workforce of about 10 workers who are all outsourced from an agency. This kind of set-up works well with the company’s work model, giving the founders the flexibility to easily scale-up operations when and as needed.
Two-in-a-pod
Chua and Secillano were colleagues even before they set out to establish the fulfillment business. Both were corporate executives who set-up an e-commerce platform for a big box retailer. During the pandemic, they decided to move on separately as entrepreneurs. Shared experiences brought them back together as partners for the fulfillment business.
They have been a tag team since day one and generously provided time to build the business to what it is now. Not that the other partners—property owners who are looking for ways to optimize the facility—have nothing in contribution. But Chua and Secillano have been hands-on from the time the business was just an idea and transformed into its present form.
“Our shared history before prepared us for this kind of business. We wanted to pursue our entrepreneurial skills. And then this opportunity came. What we envision is a business venture that will really help MSMEs grow, by providing them with the right kind of assistance they need,” Chua said.