The 3PL industry is constantly changing, introducing faster, better ways to optimize workflows every day. This keeps the industry highly competitive, with top 3PLs developing improved efficiencies that attract desirable, long-term clients. As a result, you need to find ways to transform your chaotic 3PL warehouse workflows into streamlined processes to boost productivity and efficiency. Here, we share 3PL best practices to master workflow optimization and deliver exceptional client results.
Deploy Robust Technology for Workflow Optimization
Developing a robust technology infrastructure using scalable software solutions is essential to your operations. It allows you to grow with your clients while keeping your own operations scalable and primed for change. Deploying automation technology helps streamline workflows, reduce errors related to manual processes, and see an improved return on investment.
It begins with a warehouse management system (WMS) that allows for easy integration with existing administrative tools so you can automate manual tasks that slow your team down. From inventory to order picking and order tracking to shipping, automation also improves visibility across your entire enterprise.
Forge Relationships with Trustworthy Suppliers
Suppliers contribute to your success, making them a critical factor in your workflow optimization. When you forge strong relationships with trustworthy suppliers, you always know where your next supply shipment is coming from or what freight company you can rely on. Strong, long-term relationships provide consistency when you find suitable suppliers to partner with. You can establish fair pricing with volume reductions and pass those savings on to your customers. You can also have the confidence to deliver on your promises, knowing you have reliable suppliers who value your business and go out of their way to retain your business.
Strong suppliers and trading partners also help you establish better quality control throughout your warehouse. As a result, finding partners that help strengthen your services improves your ability to meet your customer’s needs.
Never Stop Improving
Keeping on top of trends and technologies to determine which ones are worth your time and effort allows you to improve your performance and stay one step ahead of the competition. However, constant assessment of your current workflows and processes also offers opportunities to improve efficiency.
Feedback from your team is an excellent place to start, as they are often the best ones to spot inefficiencies that interfere with their workflow. Setting measurable goals allows you to track your progress and apply new quotas to see how well your team can meet them. As long as they can meet them without introducing more errors, you can continue pushing the envelope to find the ideal processing times while identifying weak spots that need improvement.
Create a Company Culture That Attracts Top Talent
Improving workflow is always easier when you can attract and retain top talent. If your company culture is unfavorable, you will see higher churn, which means your team tends to be in training mode most of the time. By creating a culture where you treat employees as your most valued asset, you retain talent, so you continue to work at maximum efficiency.
Asking employees what is important to them allows you to reassess your priorities and introduce improved benefits, training and career opportunities, and develop competitive salaries. With an improved company culture, benefits, and perks, you can attract the skill set you need and create a more positive and productive work environment.
Find New Ways to Introduce Value-Added Services
Offering value-added services to your clients helps separate you from the competition. Whether it is packaging and assembly, kitting, reverse logistics, or customized logistics solutions, you can become the 3PL of choice for companies that demand more.
Become More Agile to Anticipate Customer Needs
Keeping one step ahead of your customer’s needs keeps you agile. However, in order to do so, you need to understand your client’s business so you can look for ways to help resolve issues throughout the supply chain. As mentioned above, finding new ways to introduce value-added services is a must. However, this is always easier with an intimate knowledge of customer operations.
You can develop and improve solutions so customers don’t have to turn to other 3PLs willing to go that extra mile. Flexibility and adaptability are the wave of the future. Whether it is leveraging AI, offering customized contract management solutions, exploring the types of 4PL services you can offer, etc. Being agile allows you to adapt to changing client needs with minimal disruption or effort.
These best practices transform chaos into streamlined processes to better serve your clients. As a result, you can remain agile enough to help clients grow their businesses and offer an impressive list of value-added services.
VeraCore is SaaS order and warehouse management software trusted by top fulfillment companies and 3PLs. Affordable, flexible, easy to use; VeraCore is everything you need to keep clients happy and run a lean operation.
With VeraCore, you can grow your business and handle any challenge with ease. Rules-based automation enables you to control all aspects of your warehouse operation and satisfy each of your clients’ unique requirements.
Hundreds of fulfillment service providers and 10,000+ fulfillment clients place VeraCore at the “core” of their business to get the job done right, for over 40 years.