Warehousing
Clients need to understand the importance of creating warehousing partners in strategic parts of the US (when the product lines expansion dictates the needs). It’s more common once a brand is established to have at least two partnering warehouse locations in the American Market. The most common cities to locate one in the Eastern USA are Memphis, TN; Harrisburg, PA; Charlotte, NC, Nashville, TN; Atlanta, GA and Raleigh, NC. The most common cities in the Western USA to locate a partnering warehouse are Reno, NV; Boise, ID and Salt Lake City, UT.
What is a 3PL Warehousing Company: Third-party logistics (abbreviated as 3PL, or TPL) in logistics and supply chain management is an organization’s use of third-party businesses to outsource elements of its distribution, warehousing, and fulfillment services.
The benefits of using a third party logistics company are (source: www.chrobinson.com)
Transportation
When it comes to transportation, 3PLs can engage carriers, consolidate less than container load (LCL) or less than truckload (LTL) freight, keep track of freight payment and insurance documents, and work with private fleets. Working with a 3PL can also help lower your transportation costs while driving efficiencies and developing solutions for complex supply chain challenges. And with connectivity to various phases of supply chain operations, 3PL providers are often able to provide real time visibility to your inventory as it is in motion.
Information technology
A 3PL often uses information technology to manage ecommerce, customer relationships, transportation, and warehouse operations. Tools like electronic data interchange (EDI), application programming interface (API), and cloud-based systems are the most popular tools trusted by 3PLs. No matter which tool is utilized, the goal is to provide increased visibility to supply chain processes as well as shipments in transit.
Information technology
A 3PL often uses information technology to manage ecommerce, customer relationships, transportation, and warehouse operations. Tools like electronic data interchange (EDI), application programming interface (API), and cloud-based systems are the most popular tools trusted by 3PLs. No matter which tool is utilized, the goal is to provide increased visibility to supply chain processes as well as shipments in transit.
Gain expertise and knowledge
Supply chain logistics can be complex; fulfillment, warehousing, and shipping all come with major challenges. When it comes to supply chain logistics, 3PL organizations are experts and can impart clients with their experience and connections to quickly streamline processes.
Save time and money
Using a 3PL can potentially eliminate the need to invest in warehouse space, technology, transportation, and employees to carry out logistics processes, allowing for more focus on your core competencies.
Scale operations and be more flexible
When a company uses a 3PL, they are able to scale space, labor, and transportation according to current inventory. Additionally, 3PLs are often able to ease the transition between seasonal periods and industry fluctuation.
Summary
Clients do not need to set up their own warehousing for quite awhile and can depend on the expertise of their 3PL partners. The types of warehousing available includes cold storage for refrigerated and frozen products. 3PL partners also have pick and pull programs for shipping to both the consumer and smaller retailers. The Lemonaders Team handles 3PL set-ups for clients quite frequently.