5 signs your 3PL isn't meeting industry standards.
Changing 3PL
Changing your 3PL can be a daunting process. But it’s important to ensure that you are receiving the best possible solutions to meet the demands of your business and provide the best service to your customers. If your current 3PL is constantly making mistakes that can have a negative impact on your business, it’s time to question if you should continue business with them.
Here are 5 key signs that it’s time to change your 3PL:
1. Hidden Fees
A 3PL should be a trusted partner with a proven track record, providing a detailed breakdown of costs without charging extra fees that weren’t included in your contract. Transparency is key between you and your 3PL provider. Being surprised by unexpected charges could have a negative impact on your business’s profitability.
2. Items Break in Transit
During order fulfilment, your products could be mishandled, resulting in damage. A reliable 3PL provider offers a streamlined inventory management process across the entire supply chain and partners with trusted and reputable couriers to deliver products. Poorly packaged products have a higher chance of breaking during transit, leading to dissatisfied customers. By partnering with a 3PL that has quality measures and training in place, means any product damages can be promptly detected and reported, significantly reducing the occurrence of items breaking in transit.
3. Inventory Management Issues
It’s crucial to have full visibility and transparency regarding the whereabouts of your inventory as soon as it enters and leaves the warehousing facilities. If your 3PL partner has a disorganised inventory management system, it can result in missing stock or damaged products. Your 3PL provider should be able to offer you a streamlined view of products allowing inventory management to be at its optimum efficiency.
4. Inexplicable Delays
Delays in shipping and deliveries can significantly decrease customer satisfaction, as customers are left with products that failed to be delivered on the promised time. A 3PL that provides speedy and hassle-free delivery to customers can be a significant selling point and enable you to meet the standards of today’s market.
5. Hold Times with Customer Service
A 3PL can serve as a mediator between you and your customers. However, an unresponsive provider that fails to provide timely updates can be frustrating. You may find yourself making numerous phone calls and being transferred from one department to another just to obtain simple answers. The inability to get updates on stock arrivals and shipments will also increase order cancellations and abandoned shopping carts made by customers. Connect with a 3PL provider that can provide immediate responses and actions to your inquiries. A reliable 3PL may even offer you a dedicated account manager who ensures consistency throughout your supply chain process.
Choosing Elanders as Your 3PL Provider
Elanders offers you full oversight of your product’s journey throughout our warehouses. With our state-of-the-art facilities, we handle the distribution and storage of your products, saving your business valuable time. As your trusted provider, you will have a dedicated account manager available to answer any questions you may have. This will provide you with immediate updates on your stock and shipments and ensure a seamless supply chain process.
Furthermore, we provide complete transparency throughout our warehouses and offer a cloud-based WMS, allowing you to track orders in real time. At Elanders, we are packaging experts and work with reputable couriers to ensure the safe delivery of your products reducing the risk of damage. We have the capability to package your products according to your specific requirements, and we can even produce them for you. As well as our global presence our combined experience and our expertise within supply chain, we can transfer stock without disrupting the customer supply chain.
Get in touch and start your 3PL journey with us today!