Why You Need a 3PL for Your Ecommerce Company

If you run an ecommerce business, you're like Captain Ahab on the Pequod chasing the elusive goal of efficiency. Like the colossal, mythical creature of the deep, a 3PL could be the key thing to unlock success in your ecommerce journey. Third-party logistics companies have core competencies where your business could use a helping hand, which is how they enable business growth.

The major 3PL benefits third-party logistics companies offer might be what your ecommerce venture is missing to swim farther, faster, and with more grace than your competitors. Here's exactly how a third-party logistics company can supercharge your business.

Accessing Expertise and Resources

Like you hired social media, marketing, and sales experts to round out your ecommerce team, a growing company needs experts in order fulfillment services, logistics services, and managing inventory. Partnering with a 3PL provider like All Points is like having those experts on your team—except you don't have to search for and hire them.

Working with a third-party logistics provider gives you access to experts in these core competencies:

• Scalability: 3PL providers have been around the block and know how to adjust to meet your unique business needs. You experience a sudden spike in sales? No worries for them!
• Inventory management: You'd rather count sheep than your stock? 3PLs offer finely tuned systems that keep track of inventory, guaranteeing you never run out of your best-selling products.
• Shipping: 3PL providers have mastered quality shipping, ensuring that your customers receive their orders, intact and on time!

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Third-party logistics companies also have resources ecommerce brands lack when they handle fulfillment internally. Outsourcing logistics to a 3PL gives you access to resources like:

• Integrated systems designed to streamline shipping and receiving, manage inventory, and more. They're like an orchestra conductor, ensuring every section performs in perfect harmony.
• Much-needed space that you might be lacking. Remember, a fish doesn't grow bigger in a small pond! A larger storage capacity = room for growth that many ecommerce businesses dream of.
• Vast resource network (including partnerships), which potentially presents new opportunities.

Increasing Shipping Speed and Efficiency

If you spend endless hours tying up your resources with packing, wrapping, and shipping, pause and consider the beauty of third-party logistics. These companies can eliminate inefficiencies, making your shipping not just faster but also more cost effective. They pull this off in several ways:

1. Access to Advanced Technology 

The beating heart of 3PL is its sophisticated management software. With a 3PL like All Points, you suddenly harness comprehensive logistics solutions, capable of handling complex tasks like real-time tracking and managing inventory. You don't need to muddle your way through Excel spreadsheets or puzzle over logistics. This software does the heavy lifting for you. Just imagine that: shipping, without the sweat.

2. Streamlined Operations 

Partnering with a 3PL provider means you're outsourcing your logistics to experts whose bread and butter is efficiency.

• They pack and ship orders at warp speed.
• They have optimized warehouse layouts that would make an IKEA designer jealous.
• They are constantly fine-tuning their operations.

3. Economies of Scale 

This one's a game-changer. When you play ball with a 3PL, you're not just a player; you're in the major leagues. You'll benefit from their bulk shipping rates, getting you cost savings on fulfillment. You'll also minimize overhead costs by not having to run your own warehouses and fleets. Finally, you can expand into new markets without worrying about setting up your own distribution network. 

In short, with a 3PL on your side, you're giving your customers the speedy, smooth service they expect while giving yourself the luxury of focusing on core business operations.

Streamlining Your Order Fulfillment

When you're running an ecommerce brand, you're trying to balance multiple spinning plates at once: sourcing products, marketing, customer service, and then there's the not-so-small matter of getting those products into your customers' hands. A lot can go wrong in this complex dance when you handle these logistics in-house, including:

1. High overheads: Maintaining warehouse space, staff, and equipment is costly.
2. Variable volumes: Seasonal peaks and troughs can be challenging to manage efficiently.
3. Delivery speed: Customers expect fast, often next-day, shipping. Achieving this consistently can be difficult without a solid infrastructure.
4. Managing inventory: This can become a logistical nightmare if not handled properly, leading to unhappy customers and lost sales.

Enter a 3PL like All Points, like a knight in logistics armor. Here's how they help your business overcome these challenges:

By collaborating with a 3PL, you're not just outsourcing logistics. You're partnering with experts who will run the trickiest part of your business smoothly. Remember, a good magic trick requires not only a great magician but also a trusted assistant. With a 3PL, you're getting a whole team of them.

Reducing Operational Costs

Cost savings are obviously an attention-grabber, so we'll get right into the details. When you outsource logistics as part of your business strategy, here are some of the benefits to your budget:

• Warehousing: Operating your own company's warehousing can be expensive. A 3PL, however, provides shared warehousing options that split the costs amongst various customers.
• Transportation: It's the age-old "buy in bulk" concept. Third-party logistics providers transport goods for multiple clients, thereby qualifying for bulk discounts with carriers.
• Labor: Managing your own staff is like running a small country, filled with scheduling, training, and employee morale. A 3PL takes over this piece of territorial governance, saving you valuable time and administrative stress.

Cutting down on operational costs doesn't mean you have to compromise on service quality. With the right 3PL provider, you can save money and improve customer satisfaction at the same time.

Lowering Costs Associated with Shipping

Third-party logistics providers like All Points work on the principle of pooling resources, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Here are just some of the ways these companies bake savings into your logistics process:

• Volume discounts: Third-party logistics companies can offer better shipping rates because they ship goods in large volumes for multiple clients. As a result, carriers provide them with considerable discounts, which they further pass on to you. It's not magic; it's just math.
• Dimensional weight pricing: Did you know that shipping rates are determined not only by weight but also by the size of the package? 3PLs can masterfully handle packaging to minimize dimensional weight, saving you further costs.
• Broad carrier network: 3PLs have established relationships with a wide range of carriers, whether you're in the market for international or domestic transportation. They know who to call for what job, ensuring you don't pay a dime more than necessary!

The cost of shipping can make or break an ecommerce company. That's where a 3PL becomes not just a cost saver, but a game changer.

Scaling Your Business Without Limitations

If you're on the brink of a massive surge in your ecommerce business's growth (or getting there is a goal), you're probably thinking about how to handle it. Partnering with a third-party logistics provider could be your next crucial strategic move. 

Managing the promotion of your business is a lot, especially heading into seasonal surges like Black Friday/Cyber Monday and Memorial Day sales. You're essentially fighting a war on two fronts if you're trying to handle fulfillment on top of content, marketing, and sales. That's because managing and coordinating all your SKUs, warehouse management, and shipments is like controlling an army. 

A 3PL like All Points is capable of managing these moving parts with the precision and agility of a seasoned general. They have the infrastructure, experience, and personnel to handle larger inventory and shipping demands, giving your business the unlimited potential to grow—and allowing you to stay laser-focused on getting more customers through your digital doors.

Free Your Focus for Strategy 

Simply put, working with a 3PL allows you to focus on strategic growth. It frees up your internal team to concentrate on important matters like deciding which social media platforms to engage with and analyzing which paid campaigns are most effective rather than mundane tasks like making sure shipments are delivered on time.

Working with a 3PL can help you better plan your expansion strategy, whether it's accessing new markets, launching a new product line, or improving customer service, by taking these operational concerns off your plate. 

So, if you're serious about growth and are ready for your ecommerce business to soar, it's time to consider third-party logistics providers. Yes, these companies offer comprehensive logistics solutions. But you also need to factor into your decision the value of freeing up more of your time—and the time of experts on your internal team—to think about the big picture and develop a bulletproof growth strategy.

Manages Vital Documents

Ask any ecommerce company owner about the most monotonous aspect of their job, and they'll likely complain about document management. Who really wants to spend their valuable time handling paperwork like proof of delivery, invoices, or bills of lading? Good news—a 3PL provider handles that for you.

One of the many hats a 3PL like All Points proudly dons is that of a document supervisor. Documentation plays a dominant role in logistics. It's not something you can just brush under the rug. Without the appropriate documents, your deliveries might end up in logistics limbo, and that's certainly no way to improve customer satisfaction. 3PLs easily handle these business processes so you can focus on strategy:

• Proof of Delivery (POD): Ever been in a 'your word against mine' situation with a customer claiming they haven't received their goods? That's where a POD comes in handy. It's like an insurance plan for your delivered products and peace of mind. With a 3PL, the POD is handled professionally, ensuring you're free of headaches and customers are delightfully served. 
• Invoices: Between running a brand and sorting out logistic hurdles, who's got the time to handle invoicing? A 3PL does. They handle invoice consolidation and management in alignment with industry best practices so that it doesn't fall on your plate.
• Bills of Lading (BOL): BOLs are a critical part of transportation procedures, but they can get confusing if you're not a logistics expert. 3PL providers take care of creating accurate BOLs, ensuring smooth shipment progress (and saving you the headache). 

While handling these critical documents is vital, don't underestimate the value of a 3PL's expertise in customs regulations, customs brokerage, international transportation, international compliance, and even managing returns. They have extensive experience in international markets, and partnering with one puts all those skills to work for your company.

Improving Customer Satisfaction

Your goal is to deliver a top-notch shopping experience from the moment the customer clicks the 'Buy Now' button until your product is in their hands. A lot has to go right for fast shipping to go off without a hitch, and working with a 3PL is your logistics insurance policy.

That's where 3PLs step in, like a super-efficient special task force team dispatched by you. They handle logistics operations, ensuring everything—yes, everything—happens smoothly. They're even set up to handle some special needs your customers may have.

How a 3PL Boosts Your Customer Service

Your current business may not have special shipping needs now, but it's nice to know a 3PL is set up to deal with unforeseen circumstances or changes as your inventory needs diversify. Here are just some of the ways third-party logistics companies can help:

• First and foremost, third-party logistics companies like All Points are set up with streamlined shipping operations that save time over doing it yourself.
• 3PLs come equipped to handle every demand, beating down logistical nightmares. Have hazardous materials to transport or special needs deliveries like delivering inside the house to accommodate? No worries, sit back and relax. Your 3PL is on it.
• Got a customer who resides in an area that has restricted pick-up access? Trust a 3PL to handle it like a pro. They use advanced technology and a wide logistics network to cater to hard-to-reach places.

Don't forget that the technology systems used by third-party logistics companies like All Points offer real-time visibility into your packages and their progress to your eager customers.

Wrapping It Up