Signs You Have Outgrown Your Current 3PL Provider

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.

Your Customers Are Facing Shipping Errors and Delays

The fact is that if your customers are continuously encountering delays and errors in their shipments, then it’s time to find a new 3PL provider. After all, if they can’t even properly manage your current shipping load, the additional sales are only going to exacerbate the issue. A 3PL provider for growing businesses will have proven itself viable at your current level as well as the ability to adjust to higher volumes.

KPI’s Keep Returning Unsatisfactory Results

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical to keeping track of what’s going right with the logistics side of the business and what needs improvement. Without the hard data, being able to identify the areas that need improvement will prove much more difficult. What’s more, if your current partner routinely fails to meet the baselines set out in your KPI, that’s a big red flag and a sign that you have outgrown your 3PL provider.

3PL Can’t Scale to Meet Your Growth

Scalability is crucial to a 3PL provider supporting your business as it grows. That means that it will be able to quickly reorient itself to meet your developing needs without missing a beat. If it’s demonstrated in the past that even minor growth can upset its effectiveness, then it’s safe to assume that you need a new 3PL provider.

3PL Provider Doesn’t Include Additional Services Like Real-Time Tracking and Custom Packaging

3PL providers can do a lot of good for your company. From real-time tracking of your orders to custom packaging, your provider is more equipped to help your business grow not with just raw shipment speeds, but also with additional support services like package tracking and custom packaging, both which are known to induce sales.

You Need More Fulfillment Centers

If you find that your inventory is unable to fit in your current fulfillment centers, then it’s a sign you have outgrown your 3PL provider. Ensure you have flexible inventory space that’s ready to meet both your present and current storage needs.

Contact APS Fulfillment, Inc. All-In Fulfillment Service

Managing and storing inventory is critically important to your e-commerce fulfillment business. With the right 3PL provider on your side, you can substantially reduce costs, boost margins, and develop an overall more efficient delivery pipeline, even as you grow.

And in order to achieve all those benefits, you’re better off working with a top third-party logistics provider like APS Fulfillment, Inc.

We offer full-service e-commerce fulfillment out of Miami that includes state-of-the-art warehouse management software (WMS) and we make inventory management and goods tracking easy. We’ll also support your business and automate the warehousing, prepping, shipping, picking, and packing of your orders!

Get in touch with us and one of our consultants will tailor a fulfillment plan designed to grow your business. Book a consultation by calling (954) 582-7450 or email info@apsfulfillment.com.