5 Reasons Why You May Want to Consider a New 3PL Partner

As an OEM or any product manufacturer, it is always a good practice to keep your 3PL partnership consistent as various factors related to storage, packaging, shipping, and more are dependent on it. The 3PL ecommerce fulfillment company knows your requirements and this helps expedite the supply chain process. Sometimes, manufacturers may want to change their 3PL partner for cost or security-related reasons or otherwise. Quite obviously, partnering with a new 3PL company will bring a lot of challenges related style of working, vendor network, getting to know the requirements, and more. There are some changes you must be prepared to adapt to. This post analyses the reasons for switch and tips to adapt quickly to the change without affecting efficiency and shipping schedules and deliverables. 

Are you planning to change your 3PL partner? Contact us today! 3PL Business can fulfill all your ecommerce shipping and fulfillment requirements.

Reasons You May Want to Switch to a new 3PL Partner

A switch over is never easy; however, some situations might prompt a manufacturer to change their ecommerce pick and pack and fulfillment services partner. Here are some of the common reasons.

• One of the reasons is something may not be working out or there may be some specific issues with the current 3PL partner in terms of incomplete services, increasing costs, and so on.
• Your third party logistics fulfilment may not be offering you all the services they promised and you paid for.
• Nowadays, many 3PL ecommerce fulfillment companies are using integrated solutions for tracking, warehousing, and other supply chain and distribution needs. If your current company does not invest in technology and offer you tracking software and other related technology based services, this could also be a reason to switch.
• Shipping delays are also a prime reason why you may want to switch over. It is important for any manufacturer to stick to delivery schedules and time to market of their products. Since the advent of ecommerce, this aspect has gained huge traction and OEMs are ready to pay an extra price for choosing fast shipping rates.
• Another reason to switch is your current 3PL partner may not understand your strategies and requirements well or the on-ground implementation could be a challenge. This can be frustrating. If they cannot help you meet your goals and performance indicators, then switching to a new partner is imminent.

 Have you been facing any of the above challenges? Get in touch with the experts at 3PL Business for the right ecommerce fulfillment solutions.

Ways to Adapt to the New Changes

Whenever you switch over to anything new, changes and unexpected challenges are bound to occur. Setting the expectations right and mental preparation to accept the changes are some best ways to adapt to the change comfortably.  The following tips would be helpful, too.

• As mentioned clear communication and conveying your requirements at length to your new 3PL partner are two important aspects. Aside from this, preparedness from both sides is important. They should gather details about your timelines, KPIs, goals, product details, locations where you ship your product, and other details. On the other hand, OEMs must know the special services they offer, their vendor network and procurement process, packaging and storage details, return and recall policies, and other terms and conditions. All these aspects must be clarified by both parties before signing the service level agreement (SLA) contract.
• As much as possible, stick to a single point of contact (SPOC) to communicate with your 3PL partner to avoid any miscommunication. OEMs must also have a selected team of not more than five people who make decisions in this regard.
• To allow a smooth transition, communicate very clearly to your old 3PL partner. This is because you may have some of your products stored in their warehouse or some merchandise in transit. So, the shift must be gradual and without any arguments and miscommunication.

 Adapting to any change is never easy. However, if you follow certain practices you smoothly overcome all the associated challenges. If you are a manufacturer looking to switch over to a new 3PL, ensure you choose the right one that meets all your requirements and budget. Also, ensure you overcome all the related issues you faced in the past. They may vary from ecommerce fulfilment services like packaging issues to shipping delays. All said and done, it is good find a third party ecommerce fulfillment company that would offer end-to-end services and is technology friendly with an updated tracking and inventory software.

3PL Business, a well-known third-party fulfillment services company, uses advanced technologies at all phases of order fulfillment. We have developed long-term partnerships with most of our clients. Every year, we get business through referrals. Over the years, we have helped several small- and mid-sized businesses scale up their operations and earn profits. Our team of experts has helped in swift transition whenever the clients have chosen us over other third-party ecommerce fulfillment services. Feel free to call us at (732) 983-4801 or mail us at sales@3plbusiness.com to learn more about our 3PL ecommerce fulfillment solutions.