Many companies turn to third-party logistics companies (also called a 3PL solution) to scale up their business operations efficiently. Instead of managing warehousing and order fulfillment in-house, most businesses today prefer to outsource their logistics operations to professionals.
Outsourcing gives their business access to a large 3PL network with the right assets and experienced teams that can safely package goods as well as ship them quickly to the desired location.
Outsourcing logistics operations is now becoming a trend in most business sectors. However, companies in these industries rely heavily on 3PL solutions to meet their business requirements.
1. Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector relies heavily on the timely delivery of materials to meet high-volume orders. A large number of goods require specific parts – often in fixed proportions – and rely on tightly scheduled manufacturing runs. Any delay in material delivery can disrupt the supply chain and severely hamper manufacturing operations.
Besides delivering goods and materials, 3PL solutions provide manufacturing companies with skilled and experienced project managers, meaning that these businesses can cut down on operational overheads due to in-house personnel.
As we mentioned in the beginning, 3PL companies allow manufacturing operations to be scaled up and down at the right time, which can help to deal with supply and demand issues for a broad range of material parts.
2. Restaurants
The restaurant business relies on fresh and readily available ingredients. Food is a perishable commodity and is subject to seasonable demand and availability. A 3PL solution helps eateries in two ways. The first is in the provision of fresh items on time, sometimes daily. The second use of a 3PL service is an alternative to a supplier who may run out of a specific food item.
3. Hospitality
The hotel industry has seen consistent growth over the years, which has created an increasing need to manage the logistics of existing and new projects.
3PL logistics are key partners in this industry because of the range of supply chain solutions needed here. These include catering for food and drink, operational supplies for managing rooms, construction materials and furnishings for expansions, renovations, and new projects. As you can imagine, that is a lot of different supplies and there usually is never a one-stop solution for each division.
4. Retail
Like manufacturing companies, supply chains are in a constant state of flux because of seasonal demand. 3PL solutions can make inventory management, procurement, and customer deliveries a breeze for retail operations.
By offering real-time transaction recording and delivery tracking, these 3PLs allow retailers to manage the demand and supply of their wares ahead of time, ensuring they are always stocked well. Retailers can also make use of the 3PL warehousing services to conveniently store inventory for a store that has limited space.
Since 3PLs enable retailers to keep their online and offline shops stocked with all kinds of items, they play a crucial role in maintaining a good customer experience. In fact, some 3PLs can also provide white-glove installation services for certain goods like electronics when required.
5. Medical
In the medical and healthcare sector, lives are literally on the line when it comes to delivering devices and medical samples (and even organs) from one place to another.
Medical items require safe delivery procedures designed to handle fragile items within the right timeframe. Sterility, temperature, and humidity controls need to be considered as well. This is where a 3PL solution provider with the right expertise is required, with zero compromises on reliability, speed, and quality.
6. Pharmaceutical
Just like the healthcare sector, the pharmaceutical industry needs expedited logistics that can provide controlled conditions for keeping medicines intact, long-lasting, and safe to use.
Moving shipments of medicines, including specialized products like insulin or vaccines, require cold storage with strict temperature control throughout the entire shipping route. 3PLs have fleets of trucks that are equipped with the right refrigeration solutions for delivering medicines and other products to pharmacies.
7. Construction
Many construction projects have a broad scope and nature of work, often requiring large quantities of materials. Because the demand for these materials is usually high, construction companies have to source them from multiple vendors. This creates a need for diversified warehousing solutions.
Additionally, there are a variety of materials involved, such as wood, glass, concrete, and metals, all of which add to the complexity of construction projects. That is where 3PLs can help with organized storage coupled with timely deliveries.
The Bottom Line
We’ve covered the main industries that rely on 3PL solutions to keep their clients satisfied. If you are starting your own business or considering setting up your 3PL consultancy, these are the sectors where you can have safe bets on.
If you are looking for a 3PL solution that is just right for you, we can help you with a variety of customized logistics solutions.
Do you have a project in mind that you would like to discuss with our experts? Contact us today for a free consultation!
