As an eCommerce retailer, you need professional help to manage your logistics and supply chain management process to focus on your products and other business aspects.
Like other countries, third-party logistics (3PL) companies in the US manage, organize, track, and oversee the supply chain management process. The complete supply chain management process includes inventory stocking and forecasting, order fulfillment, warehouse infrastructure management, freight forwarding, and transportation management.
As an eCommerce retailer, you need professional help to manage your logistics and supply chain management process to focus on your products and other business aspects. Though many 3PL companies are operating in the market, it is always advisable to conduct thorough research and evaluate carefully before selecting your 3PL partner. Despite most of them providing similar services, an experienced 3PL partner can help you improve efficiency, control costs, and elevate customer service.
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How to Make the Correct Choice?
3PLs are one of your most valuable business partners as they help you to accelerate the turnover of your products. They support your fulfillment operations every step, from cutting costs, transitioning smoothly to a growth process, and providing flexibility and scalability to adjust as needed.
Here are some points that will help you make a wise choice in hiring your 3PL partner:
Check the safety and reliability record. Make sure to check the safety rating of the 3PL company you are considering hiring. A high safety rating denotes trustworthiness towards clients and their businesses. With America’s fast-changing regulatory guidelines, you need to ensure that your 3PL partner is reliable and educated in the evolving requirements.
Provide top-notch customer service. One critical factor that you need to consider carefully is the responsiveness of your 3PL partner towards customer service. Customer complaints and disputes are common in eCommerce and call for quick and prompt handling. The nature of the business makes efficient customer service a top priority that can impact your brand reputation.
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Technological infrastructure. Ensure that the 3PL provider you consider is equipped with advanced technological solutions to provide tracking and analytics of your supply chain management process. With the changing sophisticated face of business, robust technology with data insights and reporting is essential to thriving.
Scalability. While evaluating the 3PL company you are considering hiring, make sure that you assess their capability to scale their operations. It is one of the main benefits of outsourcing your logistics process. As 3PLs work with multiple companies, they can adjust their operations as peak time demands and then again scale back without much difference in cost.
Strong network. An experienced 3PL company configures its network so it can strategically determine the distribution center locations for optimal efficiency for your business. They have conveniently located warehouses and distribution centers to provide faster order fulfillment across the country.
Ability to customize. An experienced 3PL company should provide you with the flexibility to optimize your inventory and adjust based on customer demand. Your 3PL should be able to deliver top-class service by helping you to cut production and inventory carrying costs while adjusting inventory based on orders placed.
Omnichannel experience. Nowadays, online shoppers are not restrained to only one channel to make their purchases. After all, the omnichannel retail experience has become quite common in the US, especially after the pandemic. Ensure that your 3PL partner understands the nuances of omnichannel commerce and fulfillment without compromising on top-class customer experience.
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Conclusion
3PL companies are experts in logistics operations and overseeing the supply chain management process. However, whether they can be the strategic partner for your business empowering you to expand your business depends on their industry experience and understanding. Each has its own unique value proposition and area of expertise, often specializing in specific industries, which you can weigh carefully using these recommendations before making your final selection.
About XPDEL:
XPDEL is a leading hi-tech provider of Fulfillment and Logistics Services, on a mission to enable growth for eCommerce companies. Our existing customers know that all our activities are geared towards helping them grow. We are futuristic in our vision and constantly work on creating technology that allows us to meet customer expectations for today and the future. We have a widespread network of fulfillment centers that enables us to efficiently handle nationwide delivery in America wherever you require it.
