There are many factors that come into play in providing the best 3PL service possible. Communication is one of the most important aspects to have if you wish to provide and receive the best service possible.
Proper communication is needed from everyone involved in the shipping process. This leads to the best service to be provided and received – a shipper can’t expect the kind of communication they want if they themselves are not communicating effectively.
The customer is always the one that determines the level of communication they would like, which in the 3PL industry is the shipper. The shipper defines what they need in order to receive the best 3PL service, whether that be constant updates or just a confirmation after the delivery has been made.
In order to provide the best 3PL service, it’s important for the transportation provider to provide the exact amount of information needed.
There are four ways that communication improves service in the 3PL world and those are:
1. Relay important information
Open lines of communication are essential in all businesses. In order to receive the best 3PL service possible, the transportation provider must be available and ready to discuss all of the shippers needs. This means being available around the clock and having a personal connection between the shipper and one dedicated account manager.
This leads to a better service because it allows important information to be passed on when it needs to. With a 3PL having open communication they are able to receive, process, and send out this important information effectively so that it is able to make an impact.
2. Finds you the best deals
This is a case where more communication is always better. The more carriers that a 3PL is partnered with and able to reach out to, the better logistics service they will be provide for you.
Additionally, the quality of communication matters. By having better communication, a 3PL will be able to negotiate a better rate for you, which is always ideal. Also, they will have the systems in place that allow them to record and track all of these offers. These systems and technologies can make massive improvements in the quality of communication available.
3. Less mistakes
By communicating effectively internally, with you and your team and the carrier, there are fewer mistakes made. Since everyone involved has the same information it is more likely that the shipment will be delivered without error.
Also, if there is a mistake made, it will be communicated immediately so that measures can be put into place to minimize the fallout as much as possible. This is vital for both the shipper and carrier involved, because the 3PL needs to be updated for both companies involved, so that the shippers knows if the carrier is going to be late. On the flip side, the 3PL also needs to let the carrier know if a shipper pushed the delivery time.
4. Receptive to improvements
The best 3PL service is one that is always improving; one that adapts to fit your specific needs, and those needs must be communicated between the shipper and 3PL. By providing constant feedback to a 3PL that listens, the service being offered will grow to best fit your needs, whether it be reporting on particular KPI’s or just relaying on confirmations when and order is picked up.
The Best 3PL Service is one that you can trust
When you have constant and open communication leads to trust being built between the 3PL and shipper. This trust leads to partnerships being developed and success for everyone involved in the process. If you would like to see if Becker Logistics has the level of communication required for you to succeed reach out to us or request a quote!
