Choosing the Right 3PL

Are Fulfillment errors & shipping mistakes impacting your business growth and customer satisfaction? Is an inability to handle increased order volume of the upcoming peak season a challenge?

It might be time to switch 3PLs.

Evaluating new 3PLs, relocating your inventory to their facilities, and adapting your team and technology to collaborate with this new partner is understandably daunting.

The right 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) provider can be a strategic partner and driver for your business’s growth; sticking with the wrong one could harm your brand, while choosing to handle everything in-house could lead to higher costs.

So how do you know which 3PL is right for You? Here are 3 resources to help you decide…

1. 7 primary reasons why companies choose to partner with a 3PL including key criteria your company should consider to ensure you make the right choice.
2. Your 3PL Partner should establish Contingency Planning into their Solution – Collaborate with your provider to establish a contingency plan for potential issues, including disaster planning or failover procedures for systems & automation unavailability.
3. Craft the perfect RFP to find your 3PL Partner who aligns with you and your business strategically, tactically, and most importantly, culturally.

Legacy – A Right-Sized 3PL Partner

Supply Chain expertise, national reach, technology capabilities, proven onboarding approach, and responsive customer service are all critical components of a successful 3PL outsourcing partnership.

• Expertise:
  We specialize in supply chain solutions for D2C, B2B, & high-volume omni-channel brands with broad and diverse sales channels. We service a wide range of customers often providing a single source solution for all channels.

• North American Footprint:
  We support these operations through a Multi-Node North American fulfillment network with a significant Canadian presence in the Greater Toronto Area.
  • People drive our customers’ supply chains, and Legacy’s over 3,000 employees are grounded in our vision, values, and operational know-how.​
  • 35 value-added distribution and fulfillment warehouses and regional transportation offices in the US and Canada  – and Growing!
  • 5MM+ sq ft distribution and fulfillment capacity
  • Integrated Supply Chain Services leverage a broad menu of services, including brokerage, freight forwarding, and customs brokerage.
  • Asset-based and non-asset-based transportation models, including access to our carefully vetted and reliable carrier network of over 20,000+ high quality carriers in North America.

   

• Enterprise technology creating connectivity across systems:
  • We’ve leveraged Manhattan SCALE as our enterprise warehouse management system (WMS) platform in over a dozen locations in the US & Canada for its ability to enable next-level customized distribution solutions.​
  • Our Tier 1 Transportation Management System (TMS) backbone provides insight into global and domestic supply chains and creates better connectivity across all parties. Legacy’s freight forwarding, North American brokerage, and dedicated fleet operations are all powered by leading-edge TMS platforms to provide deeper visibility across all transit stages.​
  • Connectivity to customer ERP integrations such as SAP, Oracle & Microsoft Dynamics, 3rd party Retailers, and other trading partners by MS Azure Logic Apps
    ​
• Experienced In-house Integration Experts​:
  • We have a deep team of in-house technology specialists who know how to leverage technology in supply chain environments. They have proven experience in the design, development, integration, and execution strategies for multiple ERPs, Warehouse Management and Warehouse Control Systems. We also have long-standing partnerships with our technology partners and industry subject matter experts to leverage their expertise to support go-lives and custom development.
    ​
• Onboarding:
  • When selecting a 3PL, ensure they have a robust onboarding process to minimize fulfillment issues, prioritize technology with strong customer support, adopt a phased implementation approach, prioritize data validation and migration assistance, and consider the provider’s response to disruptions through references for a comprehensive assessment.
  • To ensure a successful transition to a new 3PL, coordinating with the 3PL is encouraged between selecting the right timing, thoroughly preparing inventory, and maintaining close communication throughout the process.
  • Switching to a more right-sized 3PL is a worthwhile investment to improve fulfillment processes, enhance customer experiences, and support business growth.