Order Fulfillment the Capacity Way

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Capacity LLC’s order fulfillment strategies are impressive, but just wait until you see how the company’s culture operates.

Some companies and the products or services they offer are easy to get excited about: think Tesla or Space X. Finding that in shipping and logistics is harder for most, but not for a select few. Unless you’ve ordered something for yourself that you can’t wait to receive, chances are you don’t spend a lot of your free time talking or thinking about logistics or order fulfillment.

Capacity LLC shared on its website that the company knows order fulfillment “may not be sexy to most”. But what is appealing to its customers is the passion Capacity’s employees have for doing their job well: a passion for the success of their clients’ businesses, a passion for their products, and a passion for doing the work that others can't or won't do.

There is also a growing need for small and medium sized brands to have access to the best technology in order to service their customers, without investing millions. These technologies allow for faster scaling, greater compliance with the demands of major retailers, and overall efficiencies which can benefit every aspect of the supply chain.

Whether it's developing delivery solutions for local startups or international shipping for global brands, preparing EDI integration for household name vendors, or packaging for luxury brand beauty products, there's little in the supply chain industry that the Capacity team has not seen or done.

This level of passion is only possible from Capacity’s employees because of the commitment of the four founding partners from very distinct, different backgrounds. Two engineers—one who worked for NASA—one Master of Business Administration, and an English major who worked in finance came together to provide better, unique solutions to those looking for logistics and shipping services, and they haven’t looked back since.

“I had not been part of a logistics company before Capacity,” shared Thom Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer. “In any business, people are incredibly key, and it’s no different in this industry. The two partners who asked me to join and help found the company, as well as the entire leadership team, understand the importance of people to the company’s core mission.”

Capacity, though a relatively young company at just over 16 years old, is renowned for its people management strategies, particularly its approach to career development. Every employee has a path for advancement within the order fulfillment company. And this isn’t just some marketing ploy to attract employees: there are several examples within the company of people taking advantage of these employee plans.

Employees from the cleaning team have been promoted to become quality control supervisors on the packing lines; receptionists have been elevated into complex customer service roles. Perhaps what is most telling about this guided approach are the statistics: historically, the company has only a five percent turnover on the warehousing side, and similar numbers for office staff. The first employee Capacity ever hired, retired, then recently came back to work.

“Over time, many companies begin to commodify labor,” said Campbell. “Here, it doesn’t matter where an employee is within the company, they have a career path. I love the company ethos, our company culture, and how committed our employees are to Capacity because Capacity is committed to them. I believe at the end of the day, culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

These positive interactions within the company also drive Capacity’s culture around its clients, a majority of whom belong to the health and beauty industries.

Many of these companies knew they didn’t want to focus their efforts on the supply chain, and wanted someone to take them through the process. These companies were very strong everywhere else within their operations but didn’t want anything to do with the back end.

“In these cases, we offer full execution on the back end of operations,” Campbell said. “These were some of our first customers and have been some of the best relationships we’ve enjoyed. Many of these companies have done exceedingly well, and it’s a thrill to see them succeed.”

A critical part of servicing the supply chains of clients like Sephora, Macy’s, and Ulta Beauty is handling the electronic data interchange (EDI), and the attendant compliance labeling, which Capacity has done for as many as 300 retailers. This process allows one company to send information to another company electronically rather than with paper.

From mapping raw data that helps retailers issue purchase orders and turning around necessary documentation to labeling and compliance work, Capacity provides solutions all along its clients' supply chains.

“Carriers get paid by the pickup. With tight month-end solutions for many of our customers, we can always get the job done.”

There’s no way around it—logistics and order fulfillment are tough industries. Campbell, along with the other founders of Capacity, knows there are other good and capable companies in the industry. But what sets Capacity apart is its laser focus on omnichannel clients.

It doesn’t end there. The company’s vigorous, hands-on culture and focus on the target market give it a higher touch in the industry, with higher value products and services.

And Capacity is always reinvesting. The self-funded company has investments in its new WMS system and is looking to improve and expand warehouses in California and New Jersey. But the biggest investment will always be into its employees, where Capacity is pumping capital into subject matter expertise and training.

“We don’t want to be a company that approaches our interactions with our employees as mere transactions. The loyalty goes both ways here,” concluded Campbell.