3PL partners are essential for many growing businesses to scale their business. Handling inventory management, storage, and shipping can drain a lot of a company’s internal resources, so an outside partner can free up significant bandwidth to save an organization’s time and money.
Let’s break down the entire 3pl eCommerce fulfillment process from start to finish.
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Storage
A business first must coordinate sending their inventory to their 3PL provider so that they can have their products at their disposal. Typically, a company will fill out a Warehouse Receiving Order (WRO) to document the quantity and product names they plan to send. Once a business records its inventory and transmits it to 3PL partners, they will store the items at their fulfillment centers either on shelves, pallets, or bins. They will categorize and label inventory accordingly to have it ready for when customers place orders.
Orders
When a customer places an order online, the 3PL will begin the fulfillment process. The most efficient 3PL ordering processes integrate the online store with the fulfillment center. As soon as a customer places an order on the company’s website, the 3PL party is notified and sent the necessary information to complete the order. A warehouse packing team member will collect the order from storage and send it to the packing and shipping division.
Packing and Shipping
The warehouse team will begin to package the item. Businesses can specify how to package their products based on costs and weight. They can also customize the packaging material to highlight the brand. The 3PL will place a shipping label on the product and have their daily inventory ready for carrier pickup. 3PL partners will send an order and shipping confirmation to their partners, and the 3PL can handle any possible returns.