A supply chain is the network of people or equipment who are involved in creating, storing, and finally sending products to the consumer. The system begins with the raw materials of your products and ends when your customer receives their items. This chain can become extremely complex, with many complications along the way (such as transportation issues, lack of materials, or financial resiliency).
As a business you want to be sure your supply chain runs and smoothly and efficiently as possible, and this is where 3PL can come in to help you with this. 3PL providers are experts in logistics, and will take on all logistical tasks for you, meaning you have one point of contact for your distribution (how easy is that!)
So, let's look into how 3PL can improve your supply chain efficiency…
Provides Flexibility
When you have huge demand spikes in your business, you may feel overwhelmed keeping up with orders, especially if you have little control over your logistics. Trying to deliver orders on time and correctly can become extremely difficult, but 3PL comes in to save the day.
You can rely on 3PL to ship out your orders fast and efficiently, keeping your customers happier. It doesn’t matter how high demand may be, 3PL’s are prepared for any spike in your demand and will ensure orders are sent correctly.
3PL’s can also arrange all transport of your stock for you with their trusted partners and couriers. A logistic provider will have many contacts and understand the best ways to ship your products out fast (meaning you can offer faster shipping or cheaper shipping).
Transparency
Your supply chain will run so much smoother with a 3PL, as you can have a real-time view of everything going on in your business. Any blockages, returns or major problems that you may face will be right in front of you and easy to track, making decisions so much easier to make. 3PL partners will contact carriers for you to find out any obstacles they may face such as bad weather, traffic or service constraints that can affect your parcels.
Your supply chain will become extremely transparent, as the flow of every process will go through the oversight of your 3PL. This means they will have data and real-time updates on every destination of your products. This data can give you insights to know where there are significant issues or where you can improve in the future.
Industry Specifics
When choosing a 3PL, it is best to find a partner that suits your specific needs. Whether you need specialised packaging, or inventory needs, it is something you can discuss with your 3PL. A third-party logistics provider will help you understand your specific needs and can help match them to the best supply chain resources.
For example, if you’re a health and nutrition business and sell products that have expiry dates, you need to ensure there is regular checks on these, as well as make sure they’re kept in safe and dry places. Having these niche needs is made easy when partnering with a 3PL.
3PL providers have so many clients, making them very knowledgeable in many aspects of eCommerce, no matter how niche yours may be. This can be so helpful as you can receive helpful insights and guidance to help you grow your business.
Rationalises Supply Chain
Supply chains will get more and more complicated as your business begins to grow, and you want to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to logistics. Your 3PL provider handles multiple stages in the supply chain all in one place, meaning you can get rid of unnecessary links, making the process less complicated and saving you money.
Focus on the Rest of your Business
Efficient supply chain management can take up a lot of time for your business so by outsourcing your fulfilment to a 3PL can save you huge costs, but also a large amount of time. You will be able to free up valuable time for other business activities. Whether you want to focus on product development, brand strategy, marketing or maybe even sales, you’ll be able to put more focus into these areas, then helping your business grow at a faster rate.
You can leave the boring nitty-gritty stuff to the logistic experts and begin to really grow and scale your business in other areas.
Why GNOC?
Here at GNOC we are a trusted 3PL partner who currently help over three hundred brands with their logistics. By partnering up with us, we can help you grow and scale your business and improve your supply chain efficiency. By enquiring here, and letting us know your business needs, we can see exactly what you need to help you grow. So why not start your 3PL journey today?
