The Top 4 Benefits of Working With a Technology-Enabled 3PL for Order Fulfilment

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Third-party logistics (3PL) providers have a longstanding history of providing services to better manage the supply chain. However, traditional warehouse management and transportation services are no longer enough in a world where same-day deliveries and 2-day shipping, real-time insights, and on-demand package tracking are expected.

Modern 3PLs have evolved their services and incorporated technology to keep up with consumer demand. Likewise, online merchants are turning to technology-enabled 3PLs to compete with the big retailers.

What is a technology-enabled 3PL?

A tech-enabled 3PL is a technology company that has developed streamlined shipping and fulfilment solutions for ecommerce businesses. In addition to fulfilment services, such as warehousing, digital picking lists, packing, and shipping, they provide software that integrates data from multiple sources to give complete visibility into the lifecycle of an order.

The 3PL’s software powers their network of ecommerce warehouses and sends critical information back to the merchant. This overlap of technology and logistics provides an end-to-end supply chain fulfilment solution.

What is order fulfilment software from a 3PL?

Order fulfilment software is a cloud-based platform that helps automate inventory management, picking, packing, shipping, and tracking across orders and sales channels for online merchants. Fulfilment software integrates with other ecommerce applications, such as online stores and marketplaces, to streamline the flow of information.

Fulfilment software is also connected to the 3PL’s warehouses and fulfilment processes for real-time visibility into order tracking information, inventory levels, and much more.

Why should you use a technology-enabled third-party logistics provider?

Learn the top benefits realised by ecommerce businesses when they outsource fulfilment to a tech-first 3PL.

1. Save time and automate processes

Rather than manually sending orders to your 3PL before their shipping deadline each day, fulfilment software eliminates any manual intervention on your part. Because a 3PL’s technology integrates with your online store, warehouse staff are alerted as soon as an order is placed.

Then, each step is documented and updated in real-time, so you can view the status of every order as it moves from picking to packing, then shipping, etc. You can also search for orders that meet specific criteria to find exactly what you need.

Fulfilment software is also tied to and integrated with the other steps of the overall retail fulfilment process. This automation translates into downstream efficiencies, from reordering inventory when product levels are running low to handling returns. In addition to saving time for you and your business, it also gets deliveries to customers quicker.

2. Drive down fulfilment costs and gain intelligence

When it comes to fulfilment, one of the greatest opportunities to save money is in shipping costs. Besides the discounted shipping rates a 3PL negotiates with couriers, you can also reduce shipping costs by reducing the distance packages travel.

To do this, you can split inventory across fulfilment centres to ship orders out from warehouses that are closer to your customers. Fulfilment software uses past data to provide insights into how and where you should strategically distribute your inventory.

You can also eliminate guesswork and drive more effective supply chain optimisations with advanced analytics and distribution metrics. Utilise built-in metrics, such as peak fulfilment times, revenue of orders shipped by day, sales by channel, sales and quantity of orders by USPS zone, and much more.

This continuous data collection and reporting only becomes more powerful over time as you build up more order history.

3. Reduce errors and increase transparency

Data entry errors happen to the best of us. When you have to manually send orders to your 3PL, you risk typos or entering incorrect information. These errors – which can lead to returns, exchanges, replacements, and expedited shipping – are expensive, time-consuming, and can ultimately burden your customers.

A tech-enabled 3PL automates the shipping process by having systems talk directly to one another, thus, eliminating any duplication of work and the possibility of human error.

Additionally, connected technologies provide an extra level of transparency into the 3PL’s performance. Since the fulfilment steps of picking, packing, and shipping are tied directly into the software, you can view the 3PL’s level of accuracy with handling your orders.

4. Improve customer service and meet expectations

By incorporating technology into the ecommerce fulfilment process, you gain a complete view of the order – from the moment it’s placed online to the moment it is delivered to your customer’s doorstep.

When customers ask you questions, you can confidently answer them from anywhere using the most up-to-date information. This helps ensure greater precision, transparency, and consistency in service.

A tech-enabled 3PL also helps you provide Prime-like service that is expected by customers today. Without technology, same-day or two-day delivery is impossible. To offer the quick turnaround that your customers want, you need to optimise where you store and ship out inventory.

Your 3PL can help you distribute inventory to the warehouses closest to where your customers reside. Then, each time an order is placed, algorithms in the software automatically select the warehouse and carrier that can ship the order to your customer in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

Partnering with ShipBob for fulfilment

Technology enables logistics. To keep up, you must embrace and leverage an integrated solution. A tech-enabled 3PL can save you time, money, and headaches, while improving customer service. This type of solution brings your orders, inventory, fulfilment centres, sales channels, and customers together in one place.

ShipBob has intuitive fulfilment software includes inventory management, customer communication, analytics, and integrations with all of the major ecommerce platforms (Amazon, eBay, Shopify, BigCommerce, etc.) to create a seamless purchasing and fulfilment process.

Combining this software with fulfilment services and a network of strategically located warehouses, ShipBob offers a full-stack solution. It’s quick and easy to get started, with onboarding taking 15 minutes or less, and no IT resources required to get up and running.

Learn more

Learn more about how partnering with a modern fulfilment company can help your business scale, and get tips for choosing a fulfilment partner.

Download “How to Choose a 3PL for Your Ecommerce Business.”

Order fulfillment services

You local fulfilment partner that's an extension of your brand, from custom unboxings to fast shipping.

Best-in-class technology

The ShipBob dashboard offers real-time visibility into your inventory, orders, and shipments across locations with analytics to help you grow.

Global scalability

Grow outside of the UK into new geographies with ShipBob's international warehouse presence in the EU, US, Canada, and Australia.

Written By:

Kristina is the Sr. Director of Marketing Communications at ShipBob, where she writes various articles, case studies, and other resources to help ecommerce brands grow their business.

Read all posts written by Kristina Lopienski