Articles
3PL
3PLs Control Loads to Provide Shippers Superior Service
Q: Third-party logistics (3PL) companies face many challenges with each shipment they manage. Why is it critical for 3PLs to take control of their shipments? A: In today’s difficult economy, shippers look for efficiencies such as maintaining smaller inventories and scheduling employees to unload freight at key consumption and/or distribution times. This demand only increases […]
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Supply Chain Control Towers Offer a Bird’s-Eye View
Q: How can companies better manage their supply chains to gain competitive advantage? A: Over the past year, the concept of a supply chain control tower has been gaining momentum. A control tower is a single command center for visibility, decision-making, and action, based on real-time data. “A supply chain control tower is a central […]
Read MoreGaining More From 3PL Relationships
Whether your third-party logistics (3PL) service provider is a niche player or a global behemoth, you can take steps to draw more value from the partnership. Valerie Bonebrake, senior vice president at supply chain consulting firm Tompkins International, offers the following tips for getting your 3PL to do more for you. 1. Become an expert […]
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3PLs: Going Beyond Savings to True Value
Although shipping is an integral and expensive part of daily operations, other considerations often take priority. This may result in unhappy customers, increased shipping costs, and time wasted resolving issues. Companies looking to increase efficiency and maximize shipping dollars often turn to third-party logistics (3PL) providers, one-stop resources that facilitate shipping and logistics needs. 3PLs […]
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Trends—December 2011
Transportation Management Breaks Out Transportation management system (TMS) solutions and TMS-managed services have been evolving at hyper-speed over the past few years, largely driven by an economy in a tailspin, corporate mandates to reduce costs at all costs, and the emergence of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and cloud-connected networks. The facility with which companies can develop and […]
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How to Evaluate a 3PL Partner
Shippers, carriers, and even small intermediaries increasingly rely on third-party logistics (3PL) service providers to manage non-core logistics and supply functions, access capacity, and tap technology capabilities. 3PLs create value by pushing the envelope and helping customers reduce costs through tactical improvements, and enhance overall supply chain performance with strategic business process enhancements. Making the […]
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The Bright Side of Logistics in India
There is more to India’s supply chain scene than its transportation infrastructure shortcomings. APL Logistics’ David Frentzel shares insights from a recent tour of his company’s Indian facilities and meetings with shippers.
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Enjoying the Perks of 3PL Order Management
All too often, the third-party logistics (3PL) sector views order management as an operations tool—a method of capturing and processing customer orders, optimizing them through the distribution network, and, finally, delivering goods to the customer. A more holistic view of this procedure includes client-side order processing, which presents opportunities to add value and profit, and […]
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Using a 3PL: Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth?
If you are using a 3PL for truck brokerage alone, you could be leaving money on the table. Why? Because logistics providers have evolved and developed an array of solutions that bring extra value to their customers. Fuel price increases, stringent regulations, higher taxes, sustainability issues, and government labor intervention add costs to transportation. All […]
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Close Encounters of the Third-Party Kind
There is no other issue in the transportation and logistics trade press that gets as up close and personal with the 3PL industry as Inbound Logistics’ annual July issue. Our yearly compendium of outsourcing case studies, thought leadership, market research, and 3PL awards presents a thorough representation of the market from both shipper and service […]
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3PL Capability is Key to Logistics Cost Reduction
MORE TO THE STORY: How to Find a 3PL-Third Party Logistics Provider Logistics, inventory and transportation costs continue to climb, according to the 2011 State of Logistics report released by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Although overall economic conditions improved slightly in 2010, internal supply chains continue to account for double-digit cost […]
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3PLs Save the Day
Just when a shipper needs help most, in steps a partner with super powers…
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3PL Perspectives 2011: The Power of Three
Inbound Logistics’ annual 3PL market research report reveals how the dynamic duo of shippers and 3PLs are responding to changing forces in the outsourcing industry.
Read MoreReaders’ Choice: Top 10 3PL Excellence Awards 2011
In the most harrowing circumstances, a true Super hero does not falter. Faced with the most gruesome foe, a super hero stands tall and does what others cannot. No matter how insurmountable the obstacles, a super hero makes it through. Smart businesses know the best way to defeat supply chain villains such as inefficiency, lack […]
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Does Size Matter? Tier II 3PLs Find Their Niche
3PLs, like shippers, come in many shapes and sizes. The “not-too-big and not-too-small” size of Tier II 3PLs makes them just right for many shippers.
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Does Your 3PL Provide ‘Golden Rule’ Customer Service?
Outsourcing logistics can be hectic and stressful, especially if you deal with a provider more interested in the next shipment than the one en route right now. Imagine a third-party logistics provider (3PL) that does whatever it takes to fix shipping problems, believes there is no such thing as “just a transaction,” and whose drivers […]
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New Kids in Town: 3PLs Move Into the TMS Market
MORE TO THE STORY: Software House or 3PL? Addressing Your TMS Needs Changing the TMS Scene If you want to manage transportation in-house, you contract with a software vendor for a transportation management system (TMS). If you want to outsource, you ask a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to handle transportation for you. Those have been […]
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A New Day Dawns for 3PL Partnerships
Most logistics outsourcers today use an RFQ to select their 3PLs. But that model is outdated and ineffective. A handful of forward-thinking shippers and logistics providers are instead embracing a collaborative outsourcing method, with powerful results.
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Balancing Shipper and Carrier Interests
The past two years have been a roller coaster ride for both carriers and shippers. After the financial crisis, carriers dropped their rates to unprecedented levels. Service contracts locked in these non-compensatory rates, and volumes dropped precipitously. Ocean carriers took ships out of service, and capacity cuts were steep and drastic. The financial viability of […]
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White Glove Services: Ask for What You Need
White glove service is one of the supply chain’s most complex specialty areas, encompassing everything from first- and final-mile value-added services, to delicate or high-value product handling. Because of white glove services’ specialized nature, shippers must define their specific requirements for these projects in their RFPs, and service providers need to thoroughly evaluate the scope […]
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