Congratulations if you’ve decided that a third-party logistics service is the next logical step in expanding your business. Now comes the difficult work of selecting the right provider to fulfill your company’s present needs while also providing future growth opportunities.
Here are some basic suggestions for selecting a 3PL company:
- Check whether the service has an enforceable non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
- Take a look at the company’s track record in terms of financial stability and client satisfaction.
- To discover if the facility is up to code, contact a nearby 3PL warehouse or distribution center and schedule a consultation.
- Consider the company’s hours of operation, including weekend and holiday shifts.
- Ask about the company’s services and whether any are considered their specialty.
- Determine what sort of software the 3PL uses.
- Ask them why they’re different from other 3PLs and what sets them apart.
- Consider the possibilities for service customization and scaling.
- Inquire about their relations with shipping carriers, as well as negotiated rates.
- Inquire about their options for emergency delivery as well as guaranteed arrival dates.
- Determine their number of warehouses and their locations.
- Inquire about their customer support procedures and how they assist customers when a problem arises.
- Inquire about the costs and procedure. If you’re not satisfied, consider changing firms.
- Find out what their typical client profile is. If your profiles don’t match or if you’re not similar to their previous clients, they could be the wrong 3PL for you.
- Look for reviews and/or contact people who have used the service before.
Why ShipHero Should Be Your New 3PL
ShipHero is a well-known 3PL for internet merchants. ShipHero collaborates with over 4,000 ecommerce companies to handle fulfillment. Here are five reasons why you should consider using ShipHero as your new 3PL.
Offer 2-Day and Overnight Delivery
Do you want to match Amazon’s 2-day delivery service and stop losing sales to it? You may use ShipHero to offer 2-day and overnight delivery, which means you can compete with Amazon and other large ecommerce firms. With our shipping rates, providing two-day delivery may be a beneficial marketing technique for your brand and your consumers.
Distributed Fulfillment & Returns Management
Your inventory will be dispersed across our nationwide network of fulfillment centers with ShipHero’s decentralized fulfillment. When an order is placed, it is sent to the fulfillment center that is nearest to the customer. This saves you money on shipping and delivery time is faster.
ShipHero can also handle all returns for your clients. Unlike other 3PLs that don’t provide returns management, ShipHero makes it simple so that your customers are delighted.
Integrations With Your Ecommerce Platform
Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Amazon, and other ecommerce platforms are all supported by ShipHero. The connections are simple to set up and make for a good choice for businesses that sell on numerous platforms. For example, if you sell on Amazon and Shopify, we’ll handle fulfillment for purchases from both platforms. All of the order data is available in a single location, so you won’t have to hunt around different apps to keep track of everything.
Transparent Pricing
For us, transparency is critical. Our pricing structure is straightforward and easy to understand, unlike other 3PLs who nickel-and-dime you with hidden costs. Our single shipping rate covers picking, packing, packaging, and delivery in all 48 lower states at a set price. We also don’t force you into long-term obligations.
Conclusion
It’s time to start digging deeper once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential 3PLs to a few possibilities. Make sure they have and sign a non-disclosure agreement before speaking with any 3PL in depth. You should also interview 3PL representatives and ask for references in the field to assess the firm’s track record and reputation. It will become apparent whether any of the 3PLs on your list are appropriate for your firm after some time has passed.
Finding the suitable 3PL provider that will put your company’s best interests first may not be a quick and easy task, but it is critical that you do so.
For assistance locating a 3PL provider, go to our online directory or contact ShipHero immediately to learn how we can assist you with fulfillment.