3PL Fulfillment

Third-Party Logistics (3PL) allows merchants of any size to scale more quickly by delegating the challenges of managing omnichannel fulfillment, inventory management, and post-purchase customer cycles.

What is 3PL (Third Party Logistics)?

Tour ShipMonk’s Warehouse
Tour ShipMonk’s Warehouse

The “simple” answer is that 3PLs outsource the logistics part of running your business. You know, all the fun stuff you do on the daily like packing boxes and making multiple, sometimes frantic, trips to the post office. But here’s the catch: eventually, it gets way more complicated.

3PL partners can provide all of the following:

Pick & pack

In addition to an automated order fulfillment system that aids in scrupulous picking & packing, we have the bandwidth to fulfill up to 10,000 orders daily. We don’t believe in charging for unused services, so, with ShipMonk, you’ll only pay for what you use. That is, if you ship one product in one month, you’ll only pay the pick & pack fee for that one product. It’s that simple.

Cost-effective & flexible shipping

ShipMonk’s background as a 3PL and our extensive professional network allows us to work some serious shipping magic and provide best-in-class service to our merchants. We join forces with many of the world’s most dependable carriers to secure heavily discounted shipping rates, and the best part is that these steep savings are passed directly to you and your customers. In turn, you get complete control over your shipping costs and invaluable peace of mind that your orders will always be delivered on time.

Powerful software

Gone are the days of the logistics stone age. Here at ShipMonk, we’ve lifted the industry out of antiquated technology and “rent-a-warehouse” business models with our powerfully agile and incredibly intuitive order, inventory, and warehouse management technology. From our frictionless API integrations to automated mapping and bundling, our software is capable of mapping SKUs across various sales channels and bundling an infinite amount of product combinations.

Intelligent storage & third-party warehousing

Our third-party warehousing system has been strategically designed to assign specific products to an optimized, designated area, which ultimately results in reduced storage fees. Unlike most third-party logistics and order fulfillment companies, we actually charge daily for storage, so that you only pay for the days you use. Moreover, all of our facilities are equipped with a state-of-the-art security system that keeps your valuable inventory safe and sound.

Returns management

Ship happens. To maintain customer satisfaction at an all-time high, keeping returns and exchanges hassle-free is an absolute must. Once again, that’s where our mastery of third-party logistics comes in handy. Our tailored solutions ensure that returns and exchanges are far from time-consuming and costly, and, instead, a satisfactory experience for you and your customers. Aside from accepting returns from multiple product categories, we’re also able to easily exchange SKUs for different sizes and colors, as well as perform product testing, assessment, and sorting.

Expert happiness engineers

Growing eCommerce businesses require special attention, whether it’s to gain traction or transition into full-blown world domination. That’s exactly why we created Happiness Engineers for each and every ShipMonk customer. Happiness Engineers are dedicated account managers that are responsible for answering questions and resolving concerns. All of our Happiness Engineers go through a comprehensive training process, so nothing is too big or too small for them to take on.

Custom packing procedures

ShipMonk offers custom packing procedures that encompass a wide array of situations. Whether it’s removing manufacturer labels, stripping away bulk packaging, or kitting products into bundles, we can do it all. Occasionally, we’ll receive products that need to be modified, but worry not. While some 3PLs like to focus on fast turnarounds at the cost of a little wiggle room, ShipMonk stays flexible enough to adjust to your needs without compromising on speed.

Delivery protection

Pick. Pack. Ship. Protect. MonkProtect’s Delivery Protection, Automated Claims Portal, and Branded Tracking Page help ensure an unbeatable post-purchase experience for your customers.

How does a 3PL work?

You focus on marketing and selling your products – we’ll handle the rest. Through our custom API integrations, our software will sync directly with your online shopping cart to automatically import orders. From there we’ll pick, pack, and ship each order without hesitation or delay. The best part is that our process is customizable and completely scalable, so no matter how fast you grow, you’re guaranteed to get the same great service for every single order.

HOW IT WORKS

3PL benefits

Top 5 benefits of outsourcing your fulfillment services
  • Focus on growing your business
  • Cut costs
  • Efficient storage and distribution
  • Scale your business with fewer headaches
  • Enter new market more easily

Sure, there are benefits to managing the fulfillment process on your own.  Initially it’s cheap and relatively easy to setup. But as your business and inventory grows, it can quickly become the most time-consuming and involved process to manage. That’s why partnering with a fulfillment company can be a game-changer.  The right FC not only handles every step of the order process, but it’ll also help you penetrate new markets with easy integrations and more shipping options.  Storing, organizing, and shipping your orders at an enterprise level reduces the cost of errors and returns.  Fulfilling orders isn’t easy, and doing it while scaling can make or break your startup in a myriad of ways. With the help of a fulfillment partner and state of the art software, your startup can focus on continuing to evolve and learn, while having a  perfected pick/pack/ship fulfillment process.

The ultimate guide to fulfillment centers

How do you find the best fulfillment center partner for your business?
Learn this and more in The Ultimate Guide to Fulfillment Centers.

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Why ShipMonk?

Stress Less, Grow More

At ShipMonk, we pride ourselves on being one of the most reliable 3PL (third-party logistics) providers for eCommerce businesses, subscription box companies, and crowdfunding campaigns of all sizes. Our fulfillment centers are supported by the most advanced order, inventory, and warehouse management software in the industry, guaranteeing that you’ll be able to “Stress Less, Grow More.” ShipMonk’s proprietary software integrates with 150+ shopping carts and marketplaces, so whether you’re just getting started or shipping 100,000 orders a month, we’ll be able to seamlessly blend with your existing solutions for the smoothest transition possible.

4-in-1 cloud-based software

Inventory Management

With ShipMonk’s inventory portal, you can kiss your cumbersome spreadsheets goodbye. Track inventory levels across multiple sales channels, identify your best selling SKUs, blacklist old SKUs, receive low stock alerts, and more. ShipMonk’s inventory system will give you complete visibility and control of your inventory.

Order Management

The core of ShipMonk’s software is the order management portal. It’s where the magic of managing your customer experience happens. Our out-of-the-box integrations sync with your sales channels to eliminate manual importing of data and trigger all the necessary notifications to your end-customer. Track the status of each order from the moment they are placed to the minute they land on your customer’s doorstep.

Shipping Management

Our shipping management system doesn’t end with discounted shipping rates. Optimize your shipping program with ShipMonk’s Virtual Carrier Network (VCN). This no-cost feature allows you to capture shipping savings with an expanded shipping network and three carrier-agnostic methods, including a 2-Day Shipping service enabling you to offer your customers express shipping without the cost of express shipping premiums.

Warehouse Management

ShipMonk’s software is comparable to an iceberg where 90% of its mass is below the surface. Our entire operation is powered through our proprietary software, so we have full control over the features that benefit your business. What you can see is the ability to manage inventory across multiple warehouses, fulfill orders based on predefined assignment logics, request special projects, and much more.

See why growing brands work with ShipMonk

Dave Vandenabeele
Dave Vandenabeele
Vice President, 4ocean

“Working with ShipMonk has been an absolute pleasure. The exceptional support and hard work of our account managers have been invaluable to our team at 4Ocean. We’ve been consistently impressed with their dedication and expertise, which have significantly contributed to our operations.”

Dave Vandenabeele Product
Jason Welsh
Jason Welsh
Sr. Fulfillment Manager, Dr. Squatch

“As a large CPG that has been through several fulfillment partners in the last few years, we can finally say that we found a home. What sets ShipMonk apart from our previous providers is their approach to our relationship as a true partnership and their desire to grow and improve with us. They worked hard to assign the right people to our account, which has made all the difference. We know that our brand is in good hands.”

Jason Welsh Product
Will McGinn
Will McGinn
COO & Co-Founder

“ShipMonk’s Client Experience Team takes the time to walk you through all charges and fees on your monthly billing so you’re fully aware of your finances. The transparency eliminates any confusion and allows us to understand how we can better reduce our monthly costs.”

Will McGinn Product
Dorian Wagner
Dorian Wagner
Founder, CatLadyBox

“ShipMonk has helped us grow in ways that would never be possible without their help. Their expertise in every step of the fulfillment process – from inventory management to packaging and shipping – has been, and continues to be, invaluable.”

Dorian Wagner Product
Khadija Luis
Khadija Luis
Founder/Owner/AMBR

“The Onboarding Team made my first experience with ShipMonk the most pleasant one ever. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone in this company. The Onboarding Associates make everything so easy. They walk you through every step with a smile and a level of professionalism I have never seen before.”

Khadija Luis Product
Nicholas Galekovic
Nicholas Galekovic
Founder, Beard King

“I love ShipMonk’s UI design and functionality. My favorite feature is the ability to quickly see inventory values at any point in time. I’ve referred several friends to ShipMonk. The reason is because I only refer people to the vendors and people that I would trust with my own business.”

Nicholas Galekovic Product
Peter B. Lee
Peter B. Lee
President & CEO, Saranghae

“ShipMonk has helped us get better at what we do — we’ve seen immediate, tangible benefits. I would absolutely recommend ShipMonk to others with absolute confidence.”

Peter B. Lee Product

Stress-free fulfillment is only one click away!