3PL solutions: an opportunity or risk?
What specialized third-party logistics (3PL) solutions and technologies are 3PLs tapping into to support new complexities like Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)? For those 3PLs managing growth in a legacy inventory fulfillment (ERP) system, the task is overwhelming and never-ending.
System add-on after system add-on. Custom technology projects that rob IT of their vacations. Billing challenges and unique client requirements, which your manual workflows can’t keep up with. Customer service staff is often underwater tracking orders and getting blamed for mistakes or delays.
How long before clients will take their business elsewhere?
High-growth 3PLs are assessing the limitations of their current solution partner and making a switch of their own. Tired of fulfillment systems being their ball-and-chain, logistics leaders seek a simpler and faster way to onboard new capabilities. And stay aligned with fast-changing expectations.
Modern 3PL solutions provide an adaptive technology foundation that allows you to build what your clients need when they need it. This means you can pivot as quickly as client requirements change without lost time, markups, churn, or profit erosion.
Key technologies and solutions for 3PL
As a 3PL, you’re expected to do the job of order fulfillment better than the client could on their own. They expect their partner to invest in modern 3PL solutions. Not patched-together systems or afterthought ERP solutions that receive little ongoing development or support. These suites were built in another decade; another decade’s performance is what you’ll get.
Quickly take your services to the next level with fulfillment efficiencies, intelligence, precision, and scalability. Exceed your customers’ expectations and bring economies of scale to the table, resulting in higher performance and lower overall costs for everyone.
Here are the things that make 3PL fulfillment first-class:
3PL automation
As ecommerce and DTC sectors continue to expand, the demand for rapid delivery also goes up. Companies hire your 3PL to manage what they can’t. They anticipate superior performance. No excuses for late, incorrect, or missing orders.
Does your business have limitless resources to fulfill a growing quantity of orders? Most don’t. Learn how 3PL automation technologies – such as pick-to-light, autonomous mobile robots (AMR), and automated sortation, packaging, storage, and retrieval systems – fix this, giving your firm a competitive edge.
3PL services
“What’s your turnover rate?” is a question often asked in the 3PL sales process. Potential clients (and renewals, for that matter) want to know they are getting the latest value-added services. Are you equipped to offer them? More importantly, can you execute them effectively (and still grow your 3PL business)?
Compounded by the explosive DTC market, 74% of logistics leaders increased their outsourcing budgets last year. A lot is on your shoulders to continuously unlock new value streams for clients.
Find out the top 3PL services that keep logistics firms competitive.
3PL WMS warehouse management systems
Your clients are in a cut-throat race to deliver superior buying experiences. Can your current 3PL solutions enable their success (and take ownership)? Or do your outdated or disjointed systems limit progress – theirs AND yours?
Warehouse management systems have been in use for years to manage inventory, labor, and equipment. However, the need for smart automation, real-time inventory control, and integrated order fulfillment has skyrocketed.
Logistics firms that use a 3PL WMS have seen a 135% increase in labor efficiency per day alongside a 72% increase in daily shipments after implementation.
3PL billing
Given that the 3PL market will be worth $2,137.12 billion globally by 2030, you’ve likely added a lot more clients to your portfolio lately. That’s great. Except that each one expects you to produce accurate billing and invoicing to their individual needs, including all the pertinent details for charges. It all has to be transparent, too.
Manual billing processes are cumbersome and time-consuming, leaving your 3PL prone to inaccurate charges and lost revenue when it comes to capturing all charges.
Seamless, built-in automation for 3PL billing helps your company add more clients and services without taxing the system or overwhelming your staff.
Example with Relentless Fulfillment
3PL solutions powered up technology flexibility to scale the overall business at Relentless Fulfillment, a 3PL based in Reno, Nevada.
The company needed a system that could improve efficiency and services for clients with varying needs, such as custom billing and labeling options for shipping hazardous materials.
Implementing Deposco’s 3PL solutions enabled them to:
- Double YOY sales revenues
- Slash billing time to just 10-15 minutes per day
- Reduce their mispick rate to under <.01%