7 Key traits of an ecommerce fulfillment partner

Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) are a more critical part of the value chain in e-commerce than in physical stores. Customers now expect overnight or two-day delivery of products in stock, so the ability of a 3PL to meet tight deadlines with accurate tracking and pinpoint precision is critical. This requires a very different set of skills from managing a warehouse. In the brick-and-mortar world, logistics providers work with pallets of goods, while in an e-commerce scenario the unit of delivery is more likely a package. Depending upon the business, 3PLs may also need to be able to handle deliveries of everything from smartphones to refrigerators with equal ability.

It isn’t overstating the matter to say that the choice of a 3PL can make or break an e-commerce business. Here are seven critical capabilities to look for.