There’s no telling how far you can go with the right team assembled. But how about the unlimited potential of a single partner that empowers you in multiple ways? In other words, instead of just having The Flash’s speed, you had Superman’s full range of abilities like speed, strength, and flight. 

At ShipMonk, we may not deal in DC superpowers; however, we are a titan in the ecommerce industry in terms of ensuring DTC and B2B brands get lightning-fast shipping speed, the strength of a technology-driven operation working to achieve your goals, and international advantages that allow your expanding business to fly higher than ever before.

Working with a 3PL fulfillment partner empowers ecommerce brands in so many avenues. In this blog we’ll talk about the six main ways your business will benefit from this super team up.

1.) Top-Notch 3PL Fulfillment Technology

One of ShipMonk’s founding principles is the development and application of effective, user-friendly 3PL fulfillment technology that sets ecommerce brands of all sizes up for success. When you work with a 3PL partner that believes in the benefits of technology, your products can get picked, sorted, packed, and sent out with maximum efficiency while retaining accuracy. Some 3PL fulfillment technology solutions our 12 international locations utilize to achieve this goal are:

• AMR Locus Robotics warehouse fulfillment robots
• Sure Sort high-speed sortation systems
• Cubiscan dimensioning, scanning, and weighing systems
• Conveyor belts with automatic dividers
• Automated QC and weight checkpoints

AMRs and How They Benefit Your Ecommerce Brand

Aren’t you tired of relying solely on a limited staff within an in-house order fulfillment set up, or staff you can’t control at a warehouse to fulfill orders as quickly as possible? AMRs (Automated Mobile Robots) are robots capable of navigating through warehouse space, narrow aisles, and so on. While 3PL team members concentrate on high-level tasks,  AMRs use their software and different sensors to collect products independently, bringing them to the next phase of the fulfillment process as quickly as possible. ShipMonk embraces this technology with amazing Locus robots that help add extra speed to our already efficient operation.

Awesome Performance, Reliable Accuracy

An established 3PL partner can lighten your ecommerce brand’s load in terms of order fulfillment by automating a lot of the process. ShipMonk 3PL technology, for instance, leads to pick times that are 4x faster than the industry average, allowing later order cut-off times while retaining a quick delivery turnaround time. That being said, technology isn’t worth the salt you put on a hard-boiled egg if its errors outweigh its convenience. Strong 3PL fulfillment technology empowers your business not with a quick-fix that could falter, but with tested advancements that (in ShipMonk’s case) hold a 99% picking accuracy, leading to fewer returns and reshipments that affect your margins.

2.) Shipping Superiority 

Having a remarkable product is step one to being a successful ecommerce brand. The steps that come after that are up for debate, but no ecommerce brand will argue that shipping (both in terms of pricing and time) has one of the biggest impacts on your business because this affects customer satisfaction, competitive advantage, and your bottom line.

Mixing it up with Shipping Methods

3PLs often have relationships with numerous shipping carriers. As a result, you don’t have to do research yourself about what shipping carrier to invest in, haggle for deals, or ensure they pick up your orders during peak holiday season. 3PLs handle all that for you. ShipMonk, for example, has relationships with all major shipping carriers. Because we (the 3PL) give each of those carriers so much business, we get access to volume discounts that trickle down the funnel to save ecommerce brands money. 

Add to that, when you pool all those shipping carriers together, you have access to a range of shipping services too, for example economy, 2-day, and overnight. Your ecommerce brand can also benefit from an array of shipping methods to better control your speed (shipping time frame) and expense (by minimizing shipping zones). For instance, you may want to utilize ground shipping vs. air travel, or freight shipping.

Virtual Carrier Network

3PLs can also offer empowerment to ecommerce brands in terms of shipping flexibility and adaptability. What do we mean by that? Well, remember the traumatic time of 2020 when supply chains came to a grinding halt and people were scrambling to fill and ship orders? The right 3PL partner will be able to shift gears at the sign of trouble, or simply adjust course in general to save you time and money during non-crazy times, by having the freedom to utilize one shipping carrier over the other at the drop of a hat.

ShipMonk, for example, has the Virtual Carrier Network (VCN). This innovative system combines the best parts of rate shopping with transportation management to constantly compare costs and delivery time frames to best meet our ecommerce clients’ needs. No rigidity, no locked-in, must-use carrier contracts per client. With the Virtual Carrier Network, ecommerce brands will always get the best rate and we’ll make sure the shipping carrier delivering your goods is the best one to meet your goals in an efficient, timely manner.

3.) Post-Purchase Peace of Mind

3PL fulfillment technology doesn’t just empower your ecommerce brand as products go out the door; the right 3PL partner can ease your stress once packages leave the fulfillment center too. ShipMonk’s method for this is MonkProtect, a fully-integrated post-purchase suite that benefits your business in seven, incomparable ways. In order to help you reduce manual labor involved with claims, keep your customer service in good standing, and have your brand’s back along the way, MonkProtect offers:

• Package Protection for Lost, Stolen, Damaged, or Incorrect Orders 
• Automated Claims Portal
• Additional Revenue Streams Per Order
• Branded Tracking
• Excellent Post-Purchase Experience
• Seamless Integration with ShipMonk
• Rapid Claims Resolution and Instant Reships

4.) Customer Service for Every Client

Let’s be blunt; sometimes mistakes happen and you, as a business owner, want them attended to and resolved as rapidly as possible so your ecommerce brand is minimally impacted. If you do order fulfillment yourself in-house, the task of finding the problem and fixing it comes down to you or your circle of staff, which isn’t fun considering you’re actually trying to run your business. And if you have a 2PL set up or other outsourced situation that’s not a 3PL partner, then you may end up playing phone tag or losing time in a myriad of other ways as you try to smooth out channels and fix the issue. 

Enter a 3PL fulfillment partner like ShipMonk. The lifeblood of our logistics operation is rooted in caring for the ecommerce brands who trust us with their products. We’ve been repeatedly named as a top company in Business Intelligence Group’s Excellence in Customer Service Awards because of our exemplary customer service and support, which we improve upon every year.  

In response to booming ecommerce sales, last year our company implemented operational and software advancements so clients could meet increasing order demands. Branded tracking was fine-tuned to boost customer loyalty while providing a seamless post-purchase experience. Other safeguards the ShipMonk tech team introduced to protect brand-customer relations included ecommerce order spike protection, notifications for at-risk orders, and new order management merge capabilities so inventory and orders are always accounted for. These are just some of the ways ShipMonk service empowered ecommerce brands in the last year.  

5.) Incredible International Advantages

Going global can present enormous challenges to growing ecommerce brands. Logistically, the main issues come down to shipping costs, shipping speeds, and keeping up with regulations. An established 3PL partner with an extended worldwide network can help your business overcome these, and other international issues so your brand can continue to expand. ShipMonk has a renowned global presence with state-of-the-art order fulfillment centers in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada to help you do just that!

ShipMonk Europe

All our facilities are imbued with ShipMonk technology and experienced personnel, but advantages extend beyond that. If we look at ShipMonk Europe, our 3PL fulfillment operation allows ecommerce brands growing internationally to:

• Attain domestic-like shipping rates (2-5 days), which lead to increased conversion rates and a superior customer experience for orders abroad.

• Avoid time-consuming customs clearances as our logistics experts handle the ins and outs of European operational challenges such as taxes, customs, duties, and special registrations.

• Access not just to one country within Eruope, but all of continental Europe thanks to our strategic locations, which widen your ability to penetrate new markets.

Section 321 

When we think about the advantage of a Mexico order fulfillment center, an important area to highlight is Section 321. This U.S. shipment type allows ecommerce brands to bypass the duties and tariffs associated with shipping internationally by going through Mexico. The result: your products clear customs swiftly while you save dramatically on import fees. Can’t believe it? It’s the truth. Section 321 opportunities with a 3PL partner like ShipMonk empower your ecommerce brand in four core ways:

• Save on Import Duties
• Optimize Freight Shipping
• Leverage Fulfillment Possibilities 
• Pass on Paperwork

6.) All-in-One Answer

The best part of all these benefits is that when you work with a 3PL partner (equipped with experience and the best 3PL technology), you get these empowering resources all in one place. ShipMonk has 12 order fulfillment centers across the globe dedicated to providing the above. But the “all-in-one” benefit of a 3PL isn’t limited to physical locations. 3PL partners have their own software to make your life easier. Instead of living with a bunch of different platforms as you try to get the info you need to lead your business effectively, a fully-integrated 3PL platform will be a one-stop-shop for transparent, real-time data. The result: a more streamlined, simplified way to oversee your order, inventory, and warehouse management.

The Power Within

Going it alone is not always noble. If there are people or resources who can make life better and business easier, why not take advantage of that help? Not all 3PLs are the same, but if you find the right 3PL partner (outfitted with advanced 3PL technology and software) you can run your operation more smoothly than ever dreamed of. 

Eager to empower your ecommerce brand that way? Contact ShipMonk today and we’ll be the superpowered business teammate you’ve always wanted!