Third-party logistics (3PL) services often base their choice of clients on volume. If your business is a start-up or an organization that has only been involved in e-commerce for a short time, it may be difficult to outsource your logistics activities. At 3DM, we made a decision to enable all types of businesses to measure up to the e-commerce giants.
Working with a logistics service provider from the start of your project
3DM has been managing logistics operations for hundreds of organizations for more than a decade. This 3PL provider decided to focus on a lower minimum billable volume in order to enable more businesses to outsource their logistics activities. David Mizrahi, President, and the entire 3DM team believe that entrepreneurs should start doing business with a 3PL as soon as possible for four main reasons:
- Choosing the right platform and anticipating growth: A business that plans to grow from 50 SKU (Stock Keeping Units) to 1,000 SKU will not choose the same e-commerce platform as one that expects to remain at 50 SKU. The 3DM team can help you during the development stage of your project in order to avoid significant additional expenses in the future.
- Saving money to get a head start on the competition: It is crucial to think of every detail in order to be competitive in the online world. Consider package design, which can have a huge impact on delivery costs. The experts at 3DM can help you to design packages that protect your products and reduce shipping costs, among other services.
- Having a partner so that you will always be in a position to manage your orders: If you experience rapid growth and your logistics operations are not properly adapted, you risk seeing your sales decline quickly. A partnership from the start of you project will enable you to find solutions as you need them in order to avoid crisis situations related to logistics activities.
- Multiplying transportation options: When you have access to a variety of transportation companies, you can make better economic choices based on weight and size, and based on the destination of your package. Using this approach, savings on delivery charges can reach 15% to 18%.
Customized, not compromised
3DM has an internal IT team that developed the WMS (Warehouse Management Software), and each client has an Advisor assigned to its account. This type of work organization allows 3DM to propose a truly customized offer, without compromise.
David Mizrahi explains: “One of our clients wanted same-day delivery service. Our team found a partner and quickly integrated them into our system. Now we offer this service to all of our clients. Another client in the pharmaceutical field needed to keep samples in refrigerated storage. We arranged for a space and rented refrigerators that comply with Health Canada’s requirements. We work closely with our clients to resolve their challenges and help them reach their objectives.”
3DM and Clickspace: Much more efficient than preparing orders in the basement
In March 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic, demand exploded at 3DM. From one day to the next, there were so many more orders to prepare and not enough employees to get it done. 3DM suggested that its clients take advantage of facilities where they could package their orders themselves. This temporary solution was extremely successful, and led to the development of a new offer that will be available in mid-June through Clickspace, an incubator and third-party logistics provided located in the District Central.
3DM boasts a flexible offer that meets all types of needs:
- A full range of services, from packaging to managing returns;
- Made-to-order options so clients can create a personalized offer;
- Access to cutting-edge technology and the space required to take charge of your own logistics operations.
The latter option enables entrepreneurs to use 3DM’s technology, including its WMS (Warehouse Management Software) and its portal, where they can consult inventories in real time and take advantage of preferential transportation rates. This represents an affordable way to work with technological software that would otherwise not be accessible, and to learn best practices for managing logistics operations.
Have you already entered the world of e-commerce, or are you about to launch? Now is the time to explore your options, before being overwhelmed by orders.
Advantages of support from PME MTL
Supported by PME MTL's experts in e-commerce logistics , 3DM is involved in a variety of innovation and research projects. Working together, they create opportunities for collaboration among 3PL providers and promote networking with businesses within the PME MTL network that are looking to outsource their logistics services.
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Contact our team of e-commerce logistics experts at: elog@pmemtl.com.