Black Friday from a 3PL

Most of us know what Black Friday looks like from the perspective of a consumer; sales and jaw dropping deals, crowded stores and extended shopping hours. Perhaps the lesser known Black Friday perspective is that of the Third Party Logistics (3PL) provider. For the provider and their team on the warehouse floor, it requires weeks, if not months, of preparation prior to the shopping holiday and countless hours of work afterwards to ensure orders are shipped correctly to both the consumer and the retailer. As e-commerce continues to grow in popularity, 3PL providers must amend their e-commerce fulfillment practices to the ever changing environment. Read the full article…

Reducing the High Cost of Returns in the Omnichannel

According to Forrester Research, the adoption of e-commerce solutions is accelerating, driven by the advantages offered by omnichannel strategies. However, omnichannel solutions are still plagued by supply chain inefficiencies that can reduce value and hamper productivity. Take, for example, the returns management process, where defined methodologies for handling customer returns have become high-touch processes that can introduce delays, inefficiencies and mistakes — all of which can impact the bottom line while also affecting the relationship with the customer. Read the full article…