Third Party Logistics

Third party logistics (3PL) companies have become an important part of today’s supply chain. They have grown as their clients decided to become leaner, conserve capital, and focus on core business strengths and processes. On the other hand, many enterprises view distribution/fulfillment as a strategic tool driving their business models. For them, the supply chain is much more than a transactional process, it is a competitive weapon.

In today’s dynamic global marketplace, increasing logistics flexibility is critical as shippers look for greater collaboration with their third-party providers on the way to seamless integration of supply chain activities.

For 18 years this study has documented the significant transformation of the 3PL industry. In that time 3PLs have evolved from tactical service providers to become, in the most evolved relationships, collaborative partners delivering in many instances a comprehensive suite of integrated logistics services.

While vendor compliance programs offer value in the form of improved intelligence and savings, the real value and greater savings are attained by identifying and mitigating potentially non-compliant activity before it occurs, rather than simply reporting on it after the fact. Improved vendor management offers several important implications to your business, including: improved customer service, minimized lost sales and significantly increased profits. Simply put, companies need to move beyond vendor compliance to develop strategic vendor management programs because seven-figure savings...

This Market Spotlight combines past research with current thinking about the challenges that continue to face manufacturers. It also discusses how visibility defined, and then enabled through cloud-based collaborative networks, can be a powerful tool in both solving existing business problems and anticipating new ones.

We examine how warehouse and distribution center design and operations have evolved to play a critical role in meeting overall business objectives in today’s multi-channel world.

Chances are, like most logistics professionals, you're looking for creative ways to control costs, improve visibility, and increase speed to market. One solution gaining traction in the logistics arena is total quality management (TQM).

For a business moving into the internet space, setting up a slick eCommerce website with sophisticated online ordering and payment processing is only the tip of the iceberg. If you don’t deliver the goods according to a customer’s expectations, they may never return.

An effective strategy is to implement a reverse logistics solution that capitalizes on the synergies between the provider and the customer. Sure, the reverse logistics provider is looking for the right fit. But the customer can’t afford to simply opt for a standard “out of the box” solution for processing goods at the lowest operating cost.

This year, 3PL CEOs, surveyed in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions, are generally optimistic about company and industry growth prospects over the next one and three-year periods. North American and European CEOs forecasted higher three year company revenue growth projections than last year, 14.6 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively.

Focusing on tactics that will increase a supply chain’s productivity is essential to achieving positive customer satisfaction. There are some very effective ways to do this outside of systems, logistical infrastructure and analytics.

The results of our survey indicate that companies are viewing reverse logistics more strategically than ever before. This is due in part to the fact that the global economy is putting pressures on companies to find new sources of profitable revenue.

Third-party logistics (TPL) has attracted considerable research attention in the recent past. Despite the growing body of literature on this topic, precious little effort has been devoted to synthesizing the overall state of art of research on TPL. In this paper, an attempt is made to review the status of literature on TPL. A literature review scheme is presented. A total of 152 articles published between 1989 and 2006 in 33 reputable international journals are reviewed and classified into content- and methodology-related issues.

A partial representation of all the 3PL warehousing that is available in Europe, based on those companies who were willing to make this information publically available.

When you do venture online, share or create content that inspires and connects your audience to you and your brand. This is true for corporate social media and extends to your employees and customers.

4 Leading manufacturers found their road maps to success through collaborative partnerships, thought leadership, technology, and lifecycle visibility.

Since 1983, LEGACY Supply Chain Services has grown by a compound annual growth rate of 18% and continues to evolve by expanding its service portfolio, entering new customer industries, and strategically acquiring 3PL companies to become a fully integrated supply chain and logistics services provider.

As a 3PL, do you feel like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place? Having to reduce costs, but not knowing how your actions might affect profitability? This was the most common answer in a recent survey conducted with over 100 3PL executives. This eBook summarizes what these executives told us and provides case studies on what 3PLs are doing to address their greatest challenges today.

According to the leading analysts in third party logistics (3PL) space, the concept of “mega cities” in developing countries with above average per capita income rates of growth such as Shanghai, Bangkok, Mumbai, Hanoi, Jakarta, and Sao Paulo will drive consumer demand for finished goods globally.

Today’s savviest logistics practitioners are driving out costs from the transportation system and creating new “omni-channel” distribution networks designed to take advantage of customers’ changing buying habits. The results of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ 24th Annual State of Logistics Report, co-sponsored by Penske Logistics, shows that the sharpest logistics management professionals are saving their companies millions in transport, warehouse, and shipping costs.