Q: How is technology changing the scope of services 3PLs offer their clients?
A: As a third party logistics (3PL) provider, our job is to provide our customers with the solutions necessary to bring their products to market and, in the process, manage their customer experience. Mobile technology is changing the way in which we operate and now demands us to be quicker and more responsive. No longer is this an 8-5 industry, instead the introduction of e-commerce is transforming our operations and demanding around the clock transparency. It is now equally important to quickly fulfill orders, creating a positive experience for the end customer.
Where our service offerings used to be to only fulfill shipments, now technology allows us to choose the best transportation option to fulfill omnichannel orders, optimizing freight spend for our customers and ensuring the end customer receives their order in a timely manner. Information technology is also driving supply chain visibility from the point of origin all the way through to consumption. Internet of Things challenges us to have later cutoffs and lockouts because there is a greater emphasis placed on the ability to respond quicker to order fulfillment.