Third Party Logistics: Choosing A 3PL Partner

Third Party Logistics: The Stakes Are High If You Choose the Wrong Partner

“We could sell more, if only the guys in shipping could get it right!” If this lament sounds familiar, you are not alone. It’s one of the top reasons companies seek third party logistics providers. Manufacturing a product – be it apparel, books, dietary supplements, cosmetics or something else – is a complex business. Who wants to be in the logistics business, too?

If you team up with a third party logistics partner, you gain expertise. Better yet, you don’t have to fund and manage the show yourself. It makes more sense, but how do you choose the best partner for your company?

First, look for a third party logistics specialist

The whole reason you’re searching for a 3PL partner is to take advantage of their fulfillment knowledge and experience. A company that offers a lot of extraneous services may be too unfocused to help you effectively. (Or they may try to sell you services you don’t want or need). So look for a company committed strictly to providing the best possible fulfillment and contact center services.

Look for someone who knows your industry, too, so you don’t have to pay for their learning curve and ramp up. A shaky transition could cost you money and customers.

Within the scope of call center and fulfillment, you will find considerable variance when it comes to services offered by a different providers. What services do you need? Or wish you could get? That might be:

Customer care that makes ordering a simple, pleasant experience for customers
Pick and pack, kitting, assembly, gift wrapping, other specialized services
Help evaluating packaging options for cost-effectiveness and for proper sizing to avoid dim weighting
Commitment to sustainability – having a “green” partner reflects well on your company and helps reduce your eco-footprint, too

Next, look for added value from a third party logistics partner

Your goal is to offload customer contact and/or warehousing and shipping. But you can’t afford to sacrifice quality – in fact, you’re looking to boost quality and consistency by turning to third party logistics experts, right? Quality comes from dedication to detail. It also comes from exceeding your expectations rather than aiming for “average” performance.

So look for a partner that demonstrates they can consistently do that, based on SLAs that reflect your company’s key fulfillment metrics.

It’s not just a matter of logistics, successful fulfillment is a total package. It comes down to these essential ingredients:

Great people
Consolidated state-of-the-art facilities and fully-integrated systems that provide maximum efficiency and accuracy
Top-of-the-line safety and security protocols
High touch philosophy that ensures the best possible experience for your customers

The third party logistics provider who can deliver all those elements – tailored to your company and customers – is the right partner for you.

Now that you know a bit more about choosing a third party logistics partner, you can take one of the following three steps to continue journey in finding the top fulfillment companies.