3PL Central Launches 2021 State of the Third-Party Logistics Industry Report

Forecasting & Performance ManagementData Visualization

By STS News Desk On Jan 15, 2021

3PL Central Launches Annual Third-Party Logistics Warehouse Benchmark Report

3PL Central, the leader in cloud-based Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) built to meet the unique needs of third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses, launched its fourth annual State of the Third-Party Logistics Industry Report highlighting several key trends and best practices for companies in the supply chain and logistics industry. The report outlines changing fulfillment trends and evolving market dynamics, as well as technology and resources being adopted by 3PLs to address an ever-changing marketplace.

Last year, ecommerce revenue broke records, showcasing the need for 3PLs to focus on resiliency and innovation to meet changing customer demands in 2021. Specifically, the 2020 holiday season order volumes through 3PL Warehouse Manager increased nearly 54% year over year, proving how important it is for warehouses to focus on flexibility and growth to support the pace of change in 2021. The report serves as a guide to the biggest trends in the coming year, and how 3PL warehouses can prepare for future industry changes.

The report points to five key trends impacting 3PLs, including:

Ecommerce and omnichannel becoming the new normal for 3PL warehouses and offering significant growth opportunities.
Expanding requirements to integrate systems, partners, and people to address increasing demand.
The growing requirement for 3PLs to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data to add value through business intelligence and visibility.
The continued impact of “The Amazon Effect” and 3PL options for both partnership and competition.
The rise of Supply Chain as a Service (SCaaS) creating expanded opportunities for 3PL and 4PL networks.

“With the pandemic accelerating ecommerce and the supply chain seeing unprecedented demand, 3PLs face a rapidly changing landscape where expectations grow daily,” said Andy Lloyd, chief executive officer of 3PL Central. “Whether it is integrating with new marketplaces or shopping carts, providing new distribution models, or building new warehouse 4PL networks to address next-day shipping needs, technology will provide the great differentiator for warehouses.

Write in to psen@itechseries.com to learn more about our exclusive editorial packages and programs.