Update: When we originally published this article in 2012, we introduced Ordoro’s dropshipping capabilities for BigCommerce merchants. Dropshipping has changed considerably since then, but the operational challenge remains familiar. Merchants still need a dependable way to route orders to suppliers, track fulfillment, and keep customers informed without managing every order through separate emails, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems.
BigCommerce provides the storefront where customers browse products and place orders. Ordoro connects those orders with the suppliers, inventory, shipping, and fulfillment activity required to complete them.
This connection is especially useful for merchants using a combination of in-house fulfillment and dropshipping. A single BigCommerce order may include one product shipped from the merchant’s warehouse and another sent directly to the customer by a supplier. The order still needs to remain understandable as one customer purchase, even when several parties are involved in fulfilling it.
What Is BigCommerce Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a fulfillment model in which a merchant sells a product without storing and shipping it directly. After the customer places an order, the relevant order details are sent to a supplier, who prepares and ships the product to the customer.
The merchant remains responsible for the storefront, pricing, product information, customer communication, and overall order experience. Using a supplier for fulfillment does not transfer responsibility for late shipments, incorrect products, poor packaging, or missing tracking information.
Dropshipping can reduce the need to purchase and store inventory upfront, but success still depends heavily on choosing reliable suppliers and creating a clear operational process. BigCommerce recommends evaluating suppliers based on factors such as product quality, pricing, communication, and their ability to support the merchant’s long-term needs.
For a broader introduction to the model, read our guide to what dropshipping is and how it works.
Connecting BigCommerce With Ordoro
The process begins by connecting the BigCommerce store to Ordoro. Once connected, active products and qualifying orders begin importing into the Ordoro account, giving the merchant one place to review orders and manage the fulfillment activity associated with them.
A typical BigCommerce dropshipping workflow looks like this:
- A customer places an order through the BigCommerce store.
- The order imports into Ordoro.
- Each product follows its assigned fulfillment method.
- Dropship items are routed to the appropriate supplier.
- In-house items remain available for the merchant’s warehouse team.
- Shipment and tracking information are recorded as each part is fulfilled.
- The order status is updated so the merchant and customer can follow its progress.
Ordoro’s current setup documentation explains that active BigCommerce products begin syncing after the store is connected. By default, eligible orders from the previous 30 days import when they have an Awaiting Pickup, Awaiting Shipment, or Awaiting Fulfillment status.
Merchants can review the Ordoro BigCommerce integration for a current overview of the shipping, inventory, dropshipping, and multichannel workflows available through the connection.
Assigning Products to Dropship Suppliers
Before dropship orders can be routed consistently, the merchant needs to define which supplier fulfills each product. Ordoro allows products to be assigned to dropship suppliers so eligible items can follow the appropriate routing process when an order imports.
This becomes increasingly valuable as the supplier network grows. Without product-level assignments, employees may have to review every order, determine who carries each item, copy customer details, and prepare a separate request for each vendor. That may be manageable when dropshipping only a few products, but it creates significant manual work as order volume and supplier count increase.
Supplier assignments create a repeatable workflow, but the underlying product data still needs to be accurate. Merchants should confirm that:
- Product and supplier SKUs match
- Each item is assigned to the correct fulfillment method
- Supplier contact and routing information is current
- Shipping preferences and special instructions are clearly defined
- Employees know which orders require review before being sent
Ordoro supports several approaches, including manual, reviewed, automatic, and rule-based dropshipping. This allows merchants to choose how much oversight is appropriate for different products, suppliers, or order types.
Managing Mixed Fulfillment Orders
Not every BigCommerce order follows one fulfillment path. A customer may purchase one product stocked by the merchant and another fulfilled by a supplier. The order must then be divided into separate fulfillment activities without losing sight of the original customer purchase.
The dropship portion can be routed to the assigned supplier while the in-house portion remains available for the warehouse team to pick, pack, and ship. This prevents the entire order from being treated as either dropshipped or merchant-fulfilled when the individual products require different handling.
Mixed fulfillment also makes order visibility more important. The record should clearly show which items have shipped, which party handled them, and whether anything remains open. BigCommerce split orders written back through Ordoro can preserve those separate fulfillment updates while keeping them connected with the original order.
Our guide to eCommerce order management explains how orders, inventory, warehouses, suppliers, shipping, and customer updates fit together across the full order lifecycle.
Sending Accurate Order Information to Suppliers
Routing the order is only useful when the supplier receives complete and accurate information.
A supplier may need the customer’s shipping address, product SKU, quantity, requested shipping method, order reference, and any special instructions. When employees recreate those details manually, small mistakes can lead to larger fulfillment problems. An incorrect SKU, omitted apartment number, or outdated shipping preference may delay the order and create additional customer-service work.
A defined dropshipping workflow reduces the need to copy and re-enter the same information for every transaction. It also gives the merchant a clearer record of what was sent, when it was sent, and which supplier is responsible for the next step.
For merchants working with several vendors, our guide to managing multiple dropship suppliers explains why centralized assignments, communication, and fulfillment monitoring become more important as the operation grows.
Tracking Supplier Fulfillment
The merchant’s responsibility does not end when the order reaches the supplier. The business still needs to know whether the supplier accepted the request, shipped the correct product, and provided tracking information.
Without a connected process, those updates may arrive through emails, spreadsheets, vendor portals, or separate messages. Employees then have to identify which customer order the information belongs to and manually update the original sales channel.
Tracking should remain connected with the order so the merchant can see which items have shipped and the customer receives accurate updates. This is particularly important for mixed orders because one customer may receive several packages from different locations.
Ordoro’s dropshipping management tools help merchants centralize supplier routing and monitor fulfillment activity. The BigCommerce integration also supports automated supplier routing and tools for reviewing supplier performance.
Choosing the Right Level of Automation
Automation can remove repetitive steps, but not every merchant should immediately send every imported order to a supplier without review. New supplier relationships, high-value orders, unusual shipping requests, or products with complicated options may benefit from a manual review stage. More predictable products and established suppliers may be suitable for automatic routing once the workflow has been tested.
The right level of automation depends on the business, the supplier, and the consequences of an error. A merchant may begin by reviewing dropship orders before routing them, then automate more of the process after confirming that product assignments, order data, and supplier communication are dependable.
Automation should reduce routine work without making exceptions harder to find.
What to Consider Before Dropshipping Through BigCommerce
A connected workflow can simplify the operational side of dropshipping, but it cannot correct a weak supplier relationship or an unsuitable product.
Before expanding a dropshipping catalog, merchants should consider product quality, supplier reliability, available margins, expected fulfillment time, return procedures, packaging, and inventory updates. They should also decide how customers will be informed when a supplier is late or an item becomes unavailable.
Keeping some products in-house may still make sense when the merchant needs greater control over packaging, delivery speed, customization, or quality inspection. Dropshipping and internal fulfillment do not have to be all-or-nothing decisions. Many businesses use both models based on the needs of each product.
BigCommerce Dropshipping FAQs
Can a BigCommerce order include both dropshipped and in-house products?
Yes. Products within the same customer order can follow different fulfillment methods. The in-house items can remain with the merchant’s warehouse while dropship products are routed to their assigned suppliers.
Can Ordoro automatically send BigCommerce orders to suppliers?
Yes. Ordoro supports automatic dropshipping as well as manual, reviewed, and rule-based workflows. The appropriate option depends on how much review the merchant wants before the supplier receives the order.
Does the merchant still handle customer service for dropship orders?
Yes. The supplier physically fulfills the product, but the merchant remains responsible for the sale and customer experience. The merchant should monitor fulfillment, communicate delays, and manage returns or other order issues according to its policies.
Connect BigCommerce With Your Dropshipping Workflow
Managing BigCommerce dropship orders becomes harder when supplier assignments, tracking updates, inventory, and in-house fulfillment are handled separately.
Ordoro helps BigCommerce merchants route orders to suppliers, manage mixed fulfillment workflows, and keep order information connected from purchase through shipment. Explore the BigCommerce Integration
