Fulfillment is a satisfying word. A promise kept, hunger slaked;, it is the biggest and often the most important part of an agreement.
Fulfillment in distribution is just that: fulfilling orders placed by customers. Sounds simple, right?
They order, you fulfill, everyone is happy…
But the steps between ordering and fulfilling can be taxing, especially on growing businesses. Inadequate fulfillment can lead to unhappy customers and promising reputations ruined.
Because of this, many companies hire third party logistics companies, or 3PLs, to take care of everything between ‘order placed’ to ‘order delivered’.
What is a 3PL?
A 3PL is a logistics provider that fulfills orders placed by customers. It is a crucial link in the supply chain that can involve warehousing, consolidation, picking, packing, inventory, shipping and more.
It’s not quite as simple as mailing an order and e-commerce has made it even more difficult for companies to handle their own fulfillment internally. Nearly all large companies use 3PLs because of this.
How Does a Third Party Logistics Company Work?
Fulfillment companies obtain your inventory usually from your manufacturer. They warehouse and manage the inventory at their locations. They receive your orders through software integration or authorized access and incorporate your orders into their processes to deliver your goods to your customers. When you get help from Your Logistics or any other similar 3PL company that provide user-friendly customer dashboard, you get to see order, run reports, get notifications and do much more that can able a smooth inventory management. Therefore, research well before deciding on which 3PL company you can build partnership.
When Do Companies Hire a 3PL?
Most companies seek the assistance of fulfillment companies after experiencing growth that surpasses their ability to meet customer orders in a timely manner.
In addition to growth, the cost of storage, transportation, distribution and shipping can all be factors to consider when making the decision to partner with a fulfillment company.
What Services do Fulfillment Companies Offer?
There are different levels of 3PLs depending on what your company needs, but the basics are two:
Transportation 3PLS: these logistics providers transport inventory between your warehousing locations, retail locations or between your storage location and buyers.
Warehouse 3PLS: these fulfillment providers store your inventory in addition to transporting it. Some will also handle your returns.
If you offer expedited shipping, you will not only need a 3PL with multiple warehousing locations, but you’ll also need to provide them with forecasted inventory as well as stock that aligns with it.
Some things to consider when hiring a third party logistics company:
- Insurance
- Pricing models
- Delivery service levels
- Returns management
- Software integration requirements
- Fulfillment guarantees
- Refund credits
- Shipping rates
- Carriers
- International distribution
- Compliance
- Customs
The advantages of a 3PL are clear. They are the professionals and can usually much better handle the tedious parts of fulfillment so you can focus on growing your business.
But the average 3PL has a missed opportunity that is inherent in their work: your business’ growth.
What Most 3PLs Don’t Do For Your Company
Logistics companies are linked up with many partners that can facilitate the growth of your company.
From international partnerships in distribution to domestic retail contracts, most 3PLs have the perfect brand building opportunities but they don’t offer to grow your business for you while they’re carrying out the most growth-inducing part of your business: fulfilling orders.
What a missed opportunity!
Super Health Center Fulfills Orders and Brand Growth
Super Health Center has nearly 20 years’ of partnerships and experience under its belt. We’ve taken our experience, partnerships and invaluable insight gained over two decades to offer you a more ‘fulfilling’ relationship with us as your 3PL.
From product development to marketing, we don’t just deliver your orders, we plant the seeds of your brands everywhere we go.
We begin our partnership by familiarizing ourselves with your company. We assign exclusive marketing and development teams to your brand. We review your strategies and develop internal growth strategies for your brand, both domestically and abroad. Everything we do from order to delivery has your brand’s growth woven into it.
Why settle for a company that just delivers your orders when you can have one that delivers your success?
Start fulfilling your orders and success– Connect with us today