3PL BEST PRACTICES – 5 STEPS TO EXCEL

Choosing the right 3PL provider to suit your business needs is very important to ensure your supply chain requirements are met.

We’ve been established for over 20 years, so we’ve seen the ebb and flow of the industry, successfully navigated a global pandemic, and seen the integration of technology into warehouses create a whole new way of working. Gone are the days of handwritten despatch notes and manual stock takes however, we do remember them fondly!

The 21st century business needs more from its 3PL provider than ever before, and we have worked hard to tailor our services to support a variety of businesses from a variety of sectors. Our warehouses stock everything from popcorn to paddling pools, and Christmas gifts to summer deck chairs – so we’ve got a vast range of experience that allows businesses to utilise our services to create a bespoke solution that suits their wishes perfectly.

With an award winning, experienced team, managed by industry professionals who are highly respected within the field, here are the five things that we believe constitute best practice, and why this helps our business to excel.

Having the right technology

A robust and detailed Warehouse Management System (WMS) can be worth its weight in gold, and one that has the flexibility to support customers, as well internal systems means that customers benefit from full product traceability.

Our WMS helps us to deliver our contracts, but also ensures that we can support our customers with accurate delivery information, stock management data, real time stock accuracy, bespoke and automated reporting, and end to end visibility helping both parties to seamlessly manage operations with detailed accuracy.

It helps our team manage our multi-site operations (four sites totalling 1.3m sq ft of space) and the broad functionality it offers, supports businesses with myriad complexities to realise the value an independent 3PL partner can add.

Seamless onboarding

We understand that choosing a 3PL partner, either for the first time, or to move operations from an incumbent supplier, can raise some difficult questions.

· How long will it take?

· How will it affect by day-to-day business operations?

· Who will be handling my project?

Rest assured, we are well known for the onboarding process that we deliver. Our seamless methodology has seen customers onboarded and integrated into our systems in as little as 48 hours.

By utilising a standard and systemised approach, we are pro-active with data and information gathering, customer requirement workshops, operational and IT systems mapping, and creating walk-through plans from concept right through to business as usual and ongoing account management.

In the video below, Carlton Forest 3PL Continuous Improvement Officer, Dan Smith talks about the seamless onboarding methodology that has seen customers onboarded and integrated into our systems in as little as 48 hours.

Customer centric focus

Our team of planning, operations, stock control, IT and technology and customer service professionals are there to work with each customer to identify the customer’s need and to ensure that they are met. This will be from concept planning, set up of the account, execution, and ongoing account management.

Taking into account our three core business principles of ‘People, Process and Technology’ we easily identify the requirements of our customers and build a team to deliver them ensuring a complete end-to-end solution which is accurate and traceable is created and delivered.

Our customer centric focus means that our services are tailored and that our operations are visible to our customers.

Choosing a 3PL partner that mirrors our customer ethos will see a dynamic partnership that evolves to support business needs whether they remain constant or are fluid to cope with uplift in demand.

Reputation matters

It’s important that your chosen 3PL provider should have a good reputation within the industry in terms of integrity, honesty, and transparency.

We’ve been around for many years, but have evolved over time to ensure we always remain forward thinking. During that time our brand reputation has been consolidated.

Our customers are advocates of our business and professionalism, and we support our activities with a clearly defined marketing and communications plan to ensure we share our business news, the successes of our people and our strategic growth plans.

Our advice would be to choose a 3PL partner that is proud of who they are, and what they do, and is not afraid to share it.

Safe and secure

You’re entrusting us with your goods and that is something we take very seriously. Any 3PL partner worth considering should do the same.

We are proud to have BRC AA accreditation across all our sites and, at the sites we have had in our portfolio for many years, have had this accreditation on a continuous basis.

We also have COMAH and BAMA accreditation at our Bawtry Park site, and are proud to be members of Road Haulage Association (RHA) and United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) who are ambassadors for our industry, as are we.

Our IT and Technology team ensure we have secure systems, and our buildings are protected by 24/7 security giving reassurance to your goods and our teams.

We believe these five business principles are the differentiating factors between an average 3PL partner and one that excels.

Choose wisely, and a 3PL partner, such as Carlton Forest 3PL will bring immeasurable value to your supply chain.

To discuss our services, how we support businesses and to work with us contact our experienced 3PL Business Development Manager alistair.plant@carltonforestgroup.com