Outsourcing your warehousing and distribution to a 3rd party logistics company can be a very difficult thing to do.
After all, you can never really be sure how things will go until you’ve tried the service for a while. But, as time goes on, you’ll find that working with one of the top logistics companies in the country can save you time, money and stress.
What is it that makes those companies head and shoulders above the rest?
Logistics Secret Sauce Revealed
The best logistics companies have spend years or even decades perfecting their systems in order to deliver consistent results over the long term. But just how do they do that?
Take a look at just a few of their secrets below:
- Everything is measured. Big Data is business-changing when it comes to any 3rd party logistics company’s situation. More data points have made it possible to micromanage efficiency in every way. Fewer steps to the pick floor where more packages can be picked at once means more money for the 3PL and a smaller bill for you.Of course, that’s not the only data the top 3PLs have available. They’ll have information on everything in your inventory, including where any delicate products are stored and how everything is being handled.
- Processes are continually refined. You may have heard of the lean, agile or green supply chains. These are all different methodologies being used in the evolving supply chain. Many 3PLs haven’t yet gotten on board, but the best strive to make changes to their processes if something better comes along.
- There are backup plans with backup plans. Anything that can go wrong almost always will go wrong. That’s why top logistics companies have a plan in place to handle whatever may come. Chemical spill or power outage, nothing is going to stop a great 3PL from getting your orders out in a timely fashion.
- Learning is perpetual. It can be difficult to know which 3PLs are the best, but you can definitely tell a difference between those that look for new ways to do things and bother to get certified to handle special materials and those that don’t. Data is changing the way that 3PLs work, so if yours isn’t keeping up, you’re falling behind, too.
The best logistics companies are the ones that manage to mix technology, customer service and a corporate culture that includes accountability until something beautiful comes out. After all, you’re trusting your business and your merchandise to these people, you deserve the peace of mind that working with a great 3PL brings.
