Category Archives: Third-Party Fulfillment

As your e-commerce business grows, it’s only natural that it’s logistics support services will need to be able to manage the new order volume—or be replaced by a company that can. But you don’t want this changeover to halt future growth; better to find an appropriate provider before your business can’t sustain further growth without these more robust support services. To that end, let’s identify the signs that you have outgrown your third-party logistics (3PL) provider so you can preempt a costly and productivity inhibiting changeover. (more…)

Third-party logistics (3PL) services are growing in both number and applicability. And that makes sense—after all, with e-commerce and direct-to-consumer shipping becoming standard for retailers before COVID-19 entered into our vocabulary, the new world economy has made 3PL fulfillment solutions necessary for any and all retailers. And like any good business operations, you need key performance indicators (KPI) for shipping and receiving in order to keep your productivity trending in the right direction. KPI for 3PL operations will essentially identify which business operations are efficient and which ones are wasteful, allowing you to iterate on the former while revamping or...

Brick-and-mortar retail stores were already on the way out before COVID-19 made in-person interactions dangerous—we’ve only just seen the adoption of online shopping and direct-to-consumer fulfillment proliferate. But as your business grows with these new e-commerce opportunities, you’ll need a proven direct-to-consumer shipping company to keep up with demand, allowing you to easily scale to meet your growing customer base. There are few things the online customer prizes more than shipping speed and reliability. Those two factors alone can make the difference between a brand-loyal lifetime customer or them taking their business elsewhere. (more…)

During the holidays, it can be overwhelming to fulfill and ship your products to your customers on your own. The increase in customer demand can lead to serious warehousing problems that affect your ability to be successful during this high sales season. This is where a third-party logistics (3PL) partner can help. They can take a huge amount of work off your shoulders by handling the time-consuming process of managing your warehouse, inventory, shipping, and delivery. Here’s why working with a 3PL service this holiday season is a great idea. Lower Shipping Prices 3PL providers are often able to negotiate...

[caption id="attachment_5934" align="alignleft" width="434"] iStock.com/dusanpetkovic[/caption] Companies that choose to partner with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider need to maintain a positive and healthy relationship with them to ensure the overall success of the venture. Your 3PL relationship can benefit you in many ways, including streamlining your supply chain operations and helping you focus on other aspects of your business. So, to get the most out of your 3PL provider, here are some tips to maintain a successful partnership. (more…)

Logistics has changed and grown to encompass many facets of delivery. In order to fully understand all of the different functions of a 3PL, we must first define exactly what a 3PL is. A 3PL ( or third-party logistics) company is contracted to provide logistics services to partner companies. So if your company needs help managing the movement of its products, you would partner with a 3PL to make this happen. This management can take different forms, which we will discuss in more detail throughout this article. 4 Types of 3PL Providers 1. Standard 3PL Providers At this level, the...

Handling all the aspects of your e-commerce order fulfillment process can be a challenge, especially if you expect your business to grow in the near future. While it may be tempting to manage your supply chain independently, you may run into increased errors and delays if you do not have the right tools and manpower to get the job done efficiently. This is where third-party logistics (3PL) fulfillment solutions come in to save the day. If you need a cost-effective solution that can efficiently manage all these moving parts, it would serve you well to work with a reliable 3PL...

The e-commerce world has become more and more competitive, and the success of a business heavily relies on the quality of their third-party shipping services. If your business can ship products better, cheaper, and faster than your competitors, you win the race. If you want to achieve this goal, your third-party shipping providers must provide customers with more options and better visibility throughout the process. It also comes down to providing helpful and convenient services such as easy and free returns. Companies like Amazon set the bar high with the best third-party shipping, and if you want to succeed, here...

E-commerce fulfillment companies can provide businesses with many great benefits along every aspect of the supply chain. Since seeing is believing, there are several reasons why visiting your third (3rd) party fulfillment partner is a good idea. You may be visiting manufacturing sites and branches on a regular basis, but it is also important to visit your third-party logistics 3PL partners. Why is this important? Here are a few reasons why you should consider visiting your 3PL providers. (more…)

All businesses are different and in different stages of growth. But do you know what the one thing most companies have in common is? They can all benefit from using 3PL warehousing services. There’s the misconception that only those who can’t afford their own warehouse opt for 3PL warehousing and distribution, but that’s not the case at all. Companies that use 3PL partners, regardless of whether they can afford their own warehousing services are not, can reap the benefits of scalable services and vast resources. Still on the fence about a 3PL partner? Check out all the benefits of using...