Select a 3PL
Select a 3PL
Fit your growth plans, SLAs, and budget with the right third-party logistics partner.
Why Choosing the Right 3PL Matters
A 3PL becomes an extension of your brand. Their performance directly impacts customer experience.
A poor 3PL choice often leads to:
Late or inaccurate shipments
Inventory mismatches
High return handling costs
Broken marketplace SLAs
Limited scalability during peaks
Unexpected fees
The right 3PL supports growth while protecting margins and customer trust.
How to Select a 3PL Step by Step
Step 1: Define Your Fulfillment Requirements
Start with your actual operating needs, not generic checklists.
Clarify:
Order volumes today and at peak
Channels served such as D2C and marketplaces
Product types and handling needs
Geographic coverage
Returns volume and complexity
Value added services like kitting or labelling
Clear requirements narrow the field quickly.
Step 2: Build a 3PL Scorecard
A scorecard helps compare providers objectively.
Common scoring dimensions include:
Order accuracy
Shipping speed and coverage
Technology and reporting
Returns handling
Customer support
Experience with your category
Weighted scoring prevents decisions based on price alone.
Step 3: Evaluate SLAs and Performance Metrics
SLAs define how success is measured and enforced.
Key SLAs to review:
Order processing cut off times
On time dispatch rates
Order accuracy percentage
Inventory accuracy
Returns processing timelines
Penalties for misses
Strong SLAs protect service quality as volumes grow.
Step 4: Understand Pricing and Total Cost
3PL pricing can be complex and variable.
Look beyond headline rates and review:
Pick and pack fees
Storage charges
Inbound receiving costs
Returns and reverse logistics fees
Peak season surcharges
Minimum monthly commitments
Understanding total cost avoids margin erosion later.
Step 5: Check Integrations and Data Flow
A 3PL must integrate cleanly with your systems.
Confirm integrations with:
Shopify or D2C platforms
Marketplaces
WMS or inventory systems
Order management tools
Returns platforms
Good integrations reduce manual work and inventory errors.
Step 6: Plan Transition and Onboarding
Switching or onboarding a 3PL is an operational project.
Plan for:
Inventory transfer and reconciliation
SKU and barcode alignment
System integrations testing
Parallel runs
Go live timing outside peak periods
A controlled transition prevents fulfilment disruptions.
What a Well Chosen 3PL Enables
The right 3PL helps brands:
Meet delivery promises consistently
Scale during sales and peak periods
Reduce operational overhead
Support multi-channel fulfillment
Improve returns handling
Focus internal teams on growth
A 3PL should remove complexity, not add to it.
The Smart Way to Connect 3PLs with Commerce Systems: Streamoid
Streamoid helps brands keep product data, inventory, and orders aligned across systems.
With Streamoid, you can:
Maintain consistent SKU and barcode data
Sync inventory between channels and 3PLs
Reduce fulfilment errors caused by data gaps
Support faster onboarding of new 3PLs
Maintain a single source of truth for product data
Streamoid ensures your 3PL fits smoothly into your commerce stack.
Who This Is For
Fashion and retail brands
D2C founders
Operations and supply chain teams
Marketplace sellers
Omnichannel businesses
Why Choosing the Right 3PL Matters
A 3PL becomes an extension of your brand. Their performance directly impacts customer experience.
A poor 3PL choice often leads to:
Late or inaccurate shipments
Inventory mismatches
High return handling costs
Broken marketplace SLAs
Limited scalability during peaks
Unexpected fees
The right 3PL supports growth while protecting margins and customer trust.
How to Select a 3PL Step by Step
Step 1: Define Your Fulfillment Requirements
Start with your actual operating needs, not generic checklists.
Clarify:
Order volumes today and at peak
Channels served such as D2C and marketplaces
Product types and handling needs
Geographic coverage
Returns volume and complexity
Value added services like kitting or labelling
Clear requirements narrow the field quickly.
Step 2: Build a 3PL Scorecard
A scorecard helps compare providers objectively.
Common scoring dimensions include:
Order accuracy
Shipping speed and coverage
Technology and reporting
Returns handling
Customer support
Experience with your category
Weighted scoring prevents decisions based on price alone.
Step 3: Evaluate SLAs and Performance Metrics
SLAs define how success is measured and enforced.
Key SLAs to review:
Order processing cut off times
On time dispatch rates
Order accuracy percentage
Inventory accuracy
Returns processing timelines
Penalties for misses
Strong SLAs protect service quality as volumes grow.
Step 4: Understand Pricing and Total Cost
3PL pricing can be complex and variable.
Look beyond headline rates and review:
Pick and pack fees
Storage charges
Inbound receiving costs
Returns and reverse logistics fees
Peak season surcharges
Minimum monthly commitments
Understanding total cost avoids margin erosion later.
Step 5: Check Integrations and Data Flow
A 3PL must integrate cleanly with your systems.
Confirm integrations with:
Shopify or D2C platforms
Marketplaces
WMS or inventory systems
Order management tools
Returns platforms
Good integrations reduce manual work and inventory errors.
Step 6: Plan Transition and Onboarding
Switching or onboarding a 3PL is an operational project.
Plan for:
Inventory transfer and reconciliation
SKU and barcode alignment
System integrations testing
Parallel runs
Go live timing outside peak periods
A controlled transition prevents fulfilment disruptions.
What a Well Chosen 3PL Enables
The right 3PL helps brands:
Meet delivery promises consistently
Scale during sales and peak periods
Reduce operational overhead
Support multi-channel fulfillment
Improve returns handling
Focus internal teams on growth
A 3PL should remove complexity, not add to it.
The Smart Way to Connect 3PLs with Commerce Systems: Streamoid
Streamoid helps brands keep product data, inventory, and orders aligned across systems.
With Streamoid, you can:
Maintain consistent SKU and barcode data
Sync inventory between channels and 3PLs
Reduce fulfilment errors caused by data gaps
Support faster onboarding of new 3PLs
Maintain a single source of truth for product data
Streamoid ensures your 3PL fits smoothly into your commerce stack.
Who This Is For
Fashion and retail brands
D2C founders
Operations and supply chain teams
Marketplace sellers
Omnichannel businesses
