A 3PL is a supply chain specialist that manages warehousing, fulfillment, shipping, and freight on behalf of businesses. This enables companies to focus on sales, marketing and product development.
3PLs have the knowledge and infrastructure to store inventory around the world, process global online orders, optimize cross-border shipping, and navigate customs regulations in each country you sell to.
Key services include warehouse management, B2C/B2B order fulfillment, inbound and outbound transportation, customs brokerage, trade compliance consulting, supply chain visibility and inventory optimization.
A US 3PL helps consolidate US-bound imports before distribution to American fulfillment centers and end customers. This saves significant time and costs over direct overseas shipping.
Real-time inventory and order management systems, shipment tracking portals, EDI integration for orders/inventory data exchange, and workflow automation between retailers and 3PLs.
Assess 3PLs based on services offered, international scope, technology capabilities, ecommerce expertise, stability, culture fit and customer references.
Key questions include services supported, countries shipped to, IT integration options, contract terms/pricing models, KPI reporting, and opportunities for optimization.
