of 3PLs now offer sustainability-focused delivery services most: interoperability, real-time visibility and operational flexibility.”

For organisations, this means covering inventory platforms and order management tools.

Real-time visibility relies on live inventory and fulfilment status which can alert carriers and leaders of any data anomalies or disruption to streamlined workflows. The carriers then need to be able to react and adapt to these anomalies, whether it may be traffic issues, compliance issues or data fluctuations.

“ Strong 3PL partners today operate like platform businesses: modular, APIfirst and built for dynamic integration,” Saurabh adds.

The role of technology As demand has increased, so too has the instruction for organisations to do more with less spend. There is also the growing issue of skills gaps, labour shortages and greater complexity, leading to longer times for action. Due to this, digital tools have become more important for managing the workload and navigating complexity.

In the past, products were sold across one channel. Now, with the rise in social media and ecommerce, as well as brand partnerships and more, organisations sell across multiple platforms. This alone adds in extra layers of complexity and regulatory frameworks to manage, which is why 3PL organisations are critical for ensuring streamlined operations.

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