How 3PL can help overcome E-commerce and Supply Chain Challenges

Considering the amount of challenges being faced by the E-commerce and Supply Chain industries, looking out for an experienced 3PL (third-party logistics) provider maybe worth taking into account. 3PL providers can be of a great deal of help to the E-commerce and Supply Chain industry and help overcome the challenges that they are faced with.

Let us look at some of the challenges faced and how 3PL providers contribute to overcome the issues:

1. Reduced visibility: As the operations within the business grow in size, there is an instant increase in the amount of data flowing in and this causes a reduction in visibility in the various processes taking place. The solution to this problem would be to deploy advanced software programs that can capture the required data and communicate it to everyone. However, deploying these programs without expertise maybe risky. This is where the role of the 3PL comes in — they can help with the deployment and execution of the software programs.
2. Improve efficiency and accuracy: By reducing the need for additional touchpoints and other unnecessary costs, a 3PL will help a business attain a considerable amount of efficiency. Moreover, a 3PL can also look at your current footprint and create a set of standards to follow in the future and also offer additional recommendations to better enhance the efficiency. By carefully analyzing your needs, a 3PL will implement a better solution for your business. This will not just lead to fewer operational costs, but will also impress your customers because of the greater service you are able to deliver.
3. Shortages of labor: Finding the best candidates to work with in the supply chain industry can be rather difficult. Without an experienced team, it may be challenging to streamline the operations and processes within supply chain. As technology advances, so does customer expectations. 3PL providers have been proven to recruit the top professionals in the industry and they can do so for your business as well, thus ruling out a rather huge hassle for the business.
4. Cost-effective shipping: As mentioned earlier, customers are more adamant on receiving their orders as fast as possible today than ever before. This means that there will be an increase in transportation costs for the business to be able to keep their customers satisfied. This issue of rising costs can be handled efficiently by 3PL providers as they can help control the shipping costs. They are willing to provide you options so that you may choose the option that suits you best economically.

These are just some among many other challenges that 3PL providers can help overcome. With technology advancing, businesses need to step up their game and incorporate these technologies in their business to gain a competitive edge over their competitors. This may not be possible if the company doesn’t collaborate with external resources such as 3PL providers. 3PL providers can provide a great deal of benefits for all businesses across the E-commerce and Supply Chain industry by easing out their challenges and thus their operations.