Supply chains today are susceptible to many risks and disruptions. These disruptions can cause serious damage to a company's reputation or financial wellbeing.
One of the best ways to mitigate risk while operating within the supply chain is to partner with a 3PL service.
A 3PL offers experience, technology, connections and more. Here are five ways a 3PL partnership can help you avoid unnecessary risk.
Maintaining visibility throughout the entire supply chain is vital for minimizing risks and ensuring the smooth flow of products. Without clear communication and visibility, products are susceptible to destruction, expiry, and miss-delivery, resulting in financial losses and decreased customer satisfaction.
Partnering with a reliable 3PL service provides the necessary visibility at every stage of the supply chain while your products are in their care. This significantly reduces the chances of these risks impacting your business operations.
Enhanced visibility throughout the supply chain offers several benefits, including improved warehousing and inventory management, optimized distribution, on-time and accurate deliveries, and enhanced customer satisfaction. It plays a crucial role in effectively tracking and coordinating every step of the supply chain.
Having access to the right information whenever and wherever needed is crucial for both you and your customers. Proper visibility ensures seamless communication and coordination, contributing to the success and efficiency of your business.
One of the greatest advantages of partnering with a 3PL is their inherent flexibility. They possess the ability to navigate through supply chain disruptions with ease and adapt to the specific needs of their customers.
In today's ever-changing supply chain space, the ability to pivot and adapt is imperative. Climate, politics, economics, and cyber threats are the leading causes of disruptions in the supply chain, making flexibility a key attribute for a 3PL. A capable and flexible 3PL will find innovative ways to work around these disruptions and ensure that your business needs are met.
A 3PL understands that each business has unique requirements. They must possess the flexibility to cater to the diverse needs of their clients. Whether it's scalability or the ability to navigate the ups and downs of a client, a 3PL should be able to adapt accordingly.
Scalability is a crucial aspect of a 3PL's flexibility. They can provide operations of any size, depending on the needs of their clients. Recognizing that not all customers are the same, a 3PL must have the flexibility to scale their services up or down, ensuring a tailored approach for each client.
By partnering with a 3PL, you can enhance the flexibility of your operations. They offer diverse ways to bring your products to your customers, ensuring a seamless and efficient process. Additionally, a 3PL enables you to scale your business faster and more cost-effectively by providing access to a wide range of tools and resources that would otherwise require significant investment if done in-house.
Ultimately, a flexible 3PL is dedicated to providing the best service possible to your customers. They work tirelessly to meet your unique requirements and deliver a superior experience.
By partnering with a 3PL, you gain immediate access to their extensive network of relationships and connections within the industry. This means that whenever you require something beyond the scope of what your 3PL can offer, they have trusted partners ready to assist you.
The connections and relationships that accompany a 3PL partnership also serve to mitigate the risks faced by newcomers in the industry. By eliminating the challenge of establishing connections and building relationships from scratch, you can devote your energy to growing your business and scaling more rapidly.
Being inexperienced in the supply chain space can lead to costly mistakes. The improper storage of goods and improper customer management can be common pitfalls. Using a 3PL’s experience in the industry can help you reduce these risks.
3PL partners have knowledge about the many parts of the supply chain. As they act as a one-stop shop, their in-house knowledge and experience are greater than that of a company with one specialization.
Instead of starting in the industry alone, you start with access to their years of experience. The experience a 3PL brings to the table will help you make smart decisions and mitigate risk
3PL partners have knowledge and experience in:
Companies expanding their market need access to logistics support and knowledge. Whether they are expanding into a new market, region or have been in the industry a long time, the experience a 3PL has to share is extremely beneficial.
Many companies still use manual documentation throughout the supply chain, often on paper. This increases the risk of miscommunication and discrepancies. When working with a 3PL technology comes as part of the package. No need for you to take on the responsibility for acquiring this technology alone
A 3PL can reduce these risks through technology that works with businesses.
Some of the technology made available through partnerships with a 3PL includes:
GPS tracking
GPS tracking allows tracking of vehicles used in the distribution stage of supply chains. This tracking can be used to combat risks such as miss-delivery or undelivered products, route planning, and driver error.
A delivery management system enables you to manage, create, or delete orders on the go.
It can also allow you to track damaged, lost, or refused items in the field, and track proof of delivery with signatures and store stamps.
An inventory management system enables you to restock products into inventory as well as move products between zones and bins. Another benefit of some form of IMS is its ability to keep track of damaged products and pick and pack products to fulfill orders.
With customer order portals, you can offer your customers 24/7 ordering while freeing up your team.
Placing and managing your customers' orders can be a time-consuming process, where administrative mistakes can arise when customers relay their requests to your order management team.
Customer Order Portals are the ideal solution. They offer your customers a secure and personalized experience that’s easy to access.
Birkby offers comprehensive 3PL services for our clients. Our data-driven mindset and experience in the industry allow us to provide start-to-finish resources. We meet our clients’ needs and ensure your company can run with as little risk as possible.
Our risk-reducing 3PL services include:
Contact us today to learn more about Birkby’s comprehensive 3PL Solutions.