Order fulfillment can be complex and time-consuming, especially as your business grows or expands to new retailers. E-commerce brands often outsource logistics to a third-party provider (3PL). 3PL logistic providers can manage a large volume of orders and increase efficiency across your supply chain, which will create additional time to focus on other aspects of your business.

Here’s how you can make your 3PL logistic strategy work better.

Determine Your Work Scope

You and your 3PL logistic partner should agree on a plan to help you reach your business goals. This plan should include specific deadlines, budgeting constraints, and other important business metrics. Let them know the following scopes of your work:

• Expectations for returns management.
• Frequency of shipping.
• Order volume projections.
• Retailer handling needs.
• Shipping cutoff times.
• Warehousing requirements.

A 3PL logistic provider will work with you to establish your business goals and determine the best way to achieve those goals, given the available resources. Proactive decision-making and cross-team visibility will help ensure that your provider can deliver the best possible outcomes during your engagement and beyond.

Keep Communications Lines Open

It is important to communicate clearly with your 3PL logistic partners to have an effective supply chain. You need to communicate your needs and expectations to them so that they can properly help you early on. This might include deciding how often you’ll touch base or setting up regular business review meetings. 

By constantly communicating with each other, you can avoid misunderstandings or miscommunications. It’s also important to be ready for any unexpected requests that might come up. Improved communication leads to increased visibility, enabling you to hold your 3PL logistic partners accountable and see how they measure up to retailer standards. This way, you can see if they are meeting your expectations.

Set Clear Expectations

Before beginning any project, you must establish service-level agreements (SLAs) with your 3PL logistic provider ensuring that your backend can meet the expectations of your retail partners regarding delivery dates, order packing, product tagging, and more.

This means creating standards for how quickly orders need to be processed and shipped and protocols for what to do when there is a sudden influx of orders. Depending on how many different retailers you work with, you may need to create multiple SLAs to communicate with your account 3PL for different requirements or guidelines so they can be certain to meet them early on. 

Ask about their processes to ensure an optimal experience if there are any changes or last-minute requests.

Set Clear Goals

When looking for a 3PL logistics provider, it’s important to keep your company’s goals in mind. You should choose a provider to help you achieve your KPIs and long-term objectives. Be sure to communicate your business goals to your service provider from the start, such as:

• Establishing standard shipping times.
• Streamlining inventory management.
• Scaling operations.
• Canvassing for affordable suppliers.

A clear understanding of what you want to achieve will help ensure that you and your provider work towards the same objectives.

Work Better with Your Logistics Corp

Experience efficient and seamless eCommerce fulfillment with Your Logistics Corp as your 3PL logistic provider. We integrate with your systems and platforms to fulfill your commitments every single time. Request your quote by calling (214) 894-8286 or visiting our website right now!