As the eCommerce realm is expanding, sellers have resorted to third-party logistics (3PL) services to provide better services to their customers. However, the manual operations often keep the sellers only managing the order rather than growing the business. Here comes the power of automation that makes the entire order management efficient and hassle-free. Sellers can utilize the full potential of automation by integrating the marketplace or the sales channel with the 3PL service. NetSuite 3PL integration is widely used by the e-commerce sellers. In this blog, we will understand why 3PL integration for e-commerce is necessary and how 3PL NetSuite integration offers seamless sales order management.
What is Third-Party Logistics (3PL)?
Third-party logistics (3PL) is a service offered by specialized companies that take care of the entire journey of the order. This journey involves every step from warehousing and inventory management to packaging, transporting, and shipment tracking. There are many reliable 3PL service providers like ShipStation, ShipBob, ShippingEasy, FedEx, and many more. E-commerce sellers can do all of this on their own, but outsourcing these operations helps them in multiple ways.
3PL Integration: Power of Online Sales Channels
With 3PL, sellers can easily outsource the order management process and utilize its multiple benefits. However, they can integrate 3PL with sales channels and ERPs to make their e-commerce processes more efficient and this method is called 3PL integration. They can connect 3PL to warehouse management systems for better utilization of the warehouse space and manage inventory efficiently.
Can Sellers Utilize 3PL without Integration?
Well, the answer is certainly yes, but the real question here is not whether you can or cannot. The question should be whether you should opt for a 3PL service without integration or not! From the business perspective, the answer is a big NO because sellers who do not opt for 3PL integration often face numerous challenges. Let us look at some of them:
- No Real-Time Data Sync leads to
- Manual Data Entry
- No Unified System
In today's digital era, automation is the key to accelerating the growth of any business. All the above issues affect the sales order management, and the best way to improve it is by using a reliable 3PL integration platform like ShipStation, ShipBob, AfterShip, etc. Let us see what it is and what it brings for the sellers.
NetSuite ERP Functions for Efficient Sales Order Management
NetSuite ERP is a powerful tool that has the potential to effectively and efficiently manage sales orders. Here are the key functionalities that enable NetSuite for this:
Optimizing Inventory Sourcing:
Inventory management is not just about the efficient flow of inventory and keeping an update of the same. It is also about determining the best inventory source, such as the closest warehouse or the 3PL supplier that ships the product faster. This not only reduces shipping time and costs but also makes customers happier. It is the most powerful functionality that cannot be unseen and must be utilized properly. While NetSuite helps you optimize inventory sourcing, you can efficiently manage all your inventories in one place using MapMyChannel by WebBee.
Fulfill Multi-Channel Orders:
This is an important functionality for sellers who sell on multiple channels. It becomes easy to get orders from different sales channels and then process them easily on a unified platform. This helps reduce the hassle for the sellers and helps them efficiently manage orders across channels. The benefits of Multi-Channel orders multiply if a seller opts for NetSuite 3PL integration, such as ShipStation.
Efficient Order Routing:
Order routing is the most efficient way of managing orders. It takes all the factors into account that can make the delivery fast and efficient. It utilizes technology to set some pre-defined rules that set the best possible method to fulfill the orders. These rules are based on various factors like the stock availability at a particular warehouse, the customer distance, and the delivery timelines. After considering these factors, it decides what would be the best place to fulfill the order. Thus, sellers can fulfill the orders from the warehouse 3PL or store, whichever makes it faster and more efficient. NetSuite 3PL integration makes this delivery even faster.
Reliable Delivery Coordination:
NetSuite ERP can provide the above breakthrough functionalities because it works on efficient delivery coordination. Faster and efficient delivery is an important function of sales order management. This is possible only if there is a reliable collaboration of different elements that are responsible for delivery. It is because of this, that NetSuite can coordinate with third-party logistics and optimize shipping routes and logistics.
What Makes NetSuite 3PL Integration Different?
NetSuite is among the best ERPs when it comes to e-commerce processes like order management, inventory management, real-time tracking, and much more. Sellers have many options available, but NetSuite stands out the best. Here are a few reasons why it is the best choice for 3PL integration for e-commerce.
Automated Data Exchange
The biggest advantage of the 3PL integration is that it automates the entire data exchange. There is no need to manually enter the data when 3PL integration is employed.
Make Data-Driven Decisions
NetSuite 3PL integration offers data insights that help the sellers make better decisions that improve the business process in the long run. These data insights significantly improve inventory management and warehouse management, which are helpful in making efficient fulfillment strategies.
Efficient Delivery
3PL providers have adequate resources that make the delivery accurate and timely. On-time delivery is the most required feature by the customers. NetSuite ensures that 3PLs utilize technologies like order routing and delivery coordination to make an efficient delivery.
Scalable
Because 3PL providers have all the resources, it is easy for them to scale up or scale down based on the seller's needs. This even frees the sellers to manage resources on their own. NetSuite 3PL integration makes this scalability easier to execute with its technical features.
Cost Effective
There is no resource management required in NetSuite 3PL integration, as every aspect is managed by the 3PL providers. This reduces the cost of the operations, which makes it more cost-effective.
Larger Reach
3PL providers not only have resources but also have a larger reach. It might not be possible for every seller to deliver products to every location. They might face logistics issues, which can limit their growth. But if they opt for a reliable 3PL service like ShipStation and integrate it with the efficient NetSuite, they can reach a larger audience across the geography.
Happy Customers
NetSuite 3PL integration offers all the technicalities that make the order management seamless. When the order is delivered accurately and timely, it makes the customer more satisfied.
Leverage NetSuite 3PL Integration for Order Management
Integrating NetSuite with a 3PL streamlines the entire sales order process. It covers all the aspects that include order creation and delivery. Businesses gain real-time visibility into inventory and shipping that helps sellers make better decisions and improve customer satisfaction. This is because it improves accuracy and reduces manual work to make the fulfillment faster. If sellers want to maximize the potential of NetSuite 3PL integration, they must look for the best options, like ShipStation, ShipBob, FedEx, Huboo, etc. NetSuite ShipStation integration makes order management much easier and automated. This is because ShipStation has seamless compatibility with NetSuite. It has a user-friendly interface and a strong carrier network. NetSuite simplifies shipping, automates routine tasks, and supports efficient order management. Hence, this makes it an ideal solution for growing businesses that want to scale operations while maintaining control and speed.
