Third-party logistics (3PL) is the process of outsourcing your fulfilment and allowing a 3PL provider to store, pick, pack and ship your stock. Not only will this save you on warehousing and staffing costs, but also takes away the pressure of sending your items out efficiently and cheaply. All things logistics will be left to your provider, and they can sink your stock/ sales through integration processes.
Deciding to partner with a 3PL can be a tough decision, as you want to ensure you’re picking a provider who can live up to your expectations and needs. Putting your trust into a 3PL can seem daunting, but this blog post will explain how to choose the right 3PL provider for you.
What are you looking for?
When choosing a company to help outsource your fulfilment, you must consider exactly what you’re looking for and what priorities your business has. No matter what industry your business may be in, there will be niche needs that you require, and it is important you can choose a 3PL that can help you with these in order to grow.
Make sure you have all the right questions to ask when enquiring with different providers:
- Can they offer free shipping to customers?
- Can they offer next-day shipping?
- Do they offer personalised shipping?
- What is the picking accuracy like?
- Is there expertise that can be offered?
You should be looking for a 3PL that can handle all of your unique needs as well as having a proven track record of accurate picking and happy customers. Consider all details like how they track returns, can they check the dates of products regularly (food and nutrition brands), and which platforms can you sell on.
Consider 3PL technologies
It is important to check which technologies your chosen 3PL uses when it comes to their operations process. You want this process to be as easy and efficient as possible, as well as being able to give you more in-depth metrics so you can make better decisions. Your chosen 3PL should be able to seamlessly integrate with existing technologies and allow you to sell your products across multiple platforms, easily.
For example, your TikTok shop, or Amazon shop may do so much better than your website, and therefore it is important your 3PL can keep on top of these orders with their specialised technologies. A 3PL’s system should be able to stay on top of your stock count too, making it easier for you to make demand forecasts and know when to order more stock in.
Personalisation and special requests
A lot of businesses can feel nervous about using third-party logistics providers, due to losing control over the packing process, as a lot of businesses like to create a personalised message or experience for their customers. This is something you can request from a 3PL team. If you want to add written notes, or discount cards, or perhaps free gifts to your parcels, this can be something you request from the warehouse team.
If you’re a business who sells food, nutrients or products that can go out of date, then you will need to put in place health and safety procedures with your chosen 3PL to ensure your customers are receiving safe products. Customer safety and satisfaction should come first to your chosen provider, as you want to keep your brands reputation at an all time high.
Working as a team
A key factor you want in a 3PL is to feel like you are working as a team, and you are listened to as a business. You should be able to go the 3PL team with queries or questions and have them answered fast. Your 3PL should want to constantly improve by taking on feedback, as well as continuously keeping up with new technologies and industry news to help you.
Your customers should also be their priority, and therefore you should begin to see your customer satisfaction improve. 3PL can keep up with huge volumes of orders, and therefore the accuracy and efficiency of your parcels should increase your customer satisfaction rate.
Choose GNOC
Here at GNOC we have years of experience in all thing’s eCommerce and logistics and know how to help grow and scale your business. Working with multiple brands, across all markets and all niches, we know that each business has its own unique needs, and we are here to help with that (no matter how complicated). We can ship your items quickly and efficiently, keeping your customers happy and satisfied.
Don’t settle when it comes to 3PL, we are here to help you with whatever you need. No matter how big or small your business may be, we have services to offer you that can help you grow. From a range of Amazon services, fulfilment or storage. Enquire today to find out exactly how to start your 3PL journey.
