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Does Halloween keep you up at night worrying about the future of your 3PL network?

Maybe not. But it is Halloween. And many supply chain players, including 3PLs, are in the midst of holiday peak season for 2024. But beyond this year, what do you need to improve for 2025 and beyond?

Recently, 3PL Worldwide highlighted 21 trends shaping the future, from AI and automation to eCommerce-driven demands. That’s just too many. I don’t need my three degrees in industrial engineering to know that if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.

So, we surveyed over 200 Tompkins Ventures Business Partners to pinpoint the top concerns haunting the 3PL landscape. We put them in a cauldron and boiled them down to nine key trends.

Here’s what could come back to haunt you if you don’t get ahead of the curve.

1. AI/ML and Machine Learning

Don’t let a ghostly absence of insight come back to haunt your delivery times and inventory levels.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming 3PL. As my colleague Mike Royster has been saying for quite some time, AI and ML are not just for chatbots anymore.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have vast applications in warehousing and transportation. Without them, your supply chain managers risk wandering blindfolded through a haunted maze of inefficiency.

Properly deployed, artificial intelligence and machine learning can help your logistics operations predict demand, optimize routes and manage inventory. Quicker order fulfillment and better organized warehouse space could yield cost savings.

AI-driven decisions ensure precision and adaptability for third-party logistics operators. Those two traits are essential in today’s complex supply chain networks.

2. Robotics and Automation

For years, thought leaders have hyped robotics and automation as the future of every third-party logistics company.

And, as time has gone by, many 3PL services have taken advantage of these technologies. They can power fulfillment centers with precision, speed and efficiency, fighting off the vampires of downtime and inefficiency. And robotic picking systems and automated guided vehicles have morphed into aerial drones and RFID systems for inventory management.

And they are improving every day. Previous RFID systems could cost millions of dollars to deploy. But Tompkins Ventures’ partners offer options that cost pennies on the dollar and can inventory 2 million square feet of warehouse space in under an hour. Using only one person

A 3PL network without robotics and automation? Think of it as a vampire, silently draining the lifeblood from your operations.

3. Advanced Analytics and Big Data

When you’re walking through a haunted house, it’s the unknown that spooks you.

The same goes for supply chain operations. Advanced analytics and big data help you avoid the ghouls around the corner. They are the crystal balls of modern logistics, offering insights into supply chain dynamics and customer behavior.

Today’s 3PL networks must move beyond guesswork, using data to uncover hidden opportunities and potential bottlenecks. Without this data-driven approach, your logistics strategy might be wandering around in the dark, haunted by inefficiencies.

4. Final-Mile Delivery

The eCommerce boom has made last-mile delivery a top priority for 3PL providers. No longer does it suffice to get your pallet to the store.

These days, customers expect their packages yesterday, and that pressure demands innovative final-mile solutions.

Route optimization software, flexible delivery options and a variety of delivery vehicles, including drones, could all be parts of a solid final-mile delivery strategy.

Absent that, and your eCommerce fulfillment could send your packages to the Twilight Zone. Don’t let customer satisfaction disappear into the Bermuda Triangle of outsourced logistics.

5. Enhanced Focus on Reverse Logistics

As eCommerce grows, so does the rate of returns, making reverse logistics crucial.

Efficient reverse logistics keep customers happy and reduce operational costs. But if neglected, they can grow as uncontrollably as a werewolf under a full moon. Ensuring smooth, cost-effective returns is essential to surviving the modern logistics landscape.

Unfortunately, nothing can kill returns. No matter what, from 10% to 30% of your orders show back up at your door.

The key? Cloud-based platforms that integrated seamlessly with your current warehouse management systems and preferred providers.

Yes, you can keep returns from becoming a werewolf’s curse. In fact, 3PLs that offer customers reverse omnichannel logistics can increase revenue per returned unit. Contact us to find out how.

6. Real-Time Tracking and Transparency

For eons, the invisible phantom of uncertainty has haunted supply chain operations. Luckily, today’s technology can help your operations keep track of every package and pallet.

Real-time tracking should start when raw materials first enter your supply chain and not end until the finished good is in your customer’s hands.

But today, that demand for tracking has moved from supply chain operators to consumers. Today’s customers demand visibility into every step of their order’s journey. Real-time tracking transforms a logistics network into a transparent, accountable ecosystem, instilling customer confidence.

Without it, your 3PL network could become a ghost story. Lost packages and uncertain delivery dates haunt your customers. Scared, they scurry away to safer buying options.

Real-time visibility is a necessity, not a luxury, for your operations and your customers.

7. Integration of Advanced Technologies

3PL providers must embrace and integrate advanced technologies across all logistics functions. AI, IoT, blockchain and data analytics all play a role in making logistics smarter and more efficient.

Many technological integrations seem as incomprehensive as the witch’s brew in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I mean, who wants poisoned entrails, sweltered venom, eye of newt and toe of frog?

Without cohesive integration, your technology stack could resemble this chaotic witch’s brew. You have potent ingredients with no structure or synergy.

In many ways, successful integration spells resilience. Without it, expect fragmented systems to throw a hex on your efficiency.

8. Collaboration and Partnerships

How many collaborations and partnerships do you have on autopilot? Have you revisited your alliances, or are they just wandering around?

No one navigates the 3PL world alone anymore. Collaboration and partnerships are key to expanding capabilities and reach. 3PL providers that fail to build and nurture strong alliances could end up like zombies, trudging along slowly in isolation.

Strategic partnerships enable 3PLs to offer better solutions, explore new markets and keep up with growing demands.

9. Expansion of eCommerce Logistics

The eCommerce sector will continue driving demand for advanced logistics solutions. Meeting expectations requires agility, speed and precision. The complexity of eCommerce logistics can spin an intricate web, trapping your operations and limiting growth.

A robust eCommerce strategy will be crucial to a future-ready 3PL network.

My colleague Mike Royster recommends managed transportation services. Also called fourth-party logistics or 4PL/guardians, this service can manage all your transportation. You can focus on your core competencies, knowing a trusted partner (see collaboration and partnerships above) will handle the inevitable disruptions.

Don’t get caught in a cobweb of complexity. Contact us about 4PL/guardian services.

4 Tech Terror Ghouls for Your 3PL Future

When I was tallying the responses from all our Tompkins Ventures Business Partners, I noticed a trend. Four of these are advanced tech applications that didn’t exist in the 3PL world until recently.

AI/ML, advanced analytics, real-time tracking, and the integration of these advanced technologies are reshaping the industry in ways that would have seemed like science fiction just years ago.

Their absence could mean the difference between a well-lit future and a nightmare of lost opportunities.

Prepare or Be Haunted

These nine trends indicate that future 3PL networks will need more than traditional logistics know-how. You must understand technology, the eCommerce landscape and strategic partnerships to stay out of the supply chain graveyard.

You can check out all 21 trends 3PL Worldwide identified, knowing Tompkins Ventures is here to help. We are your trusted partner. Let’s build a resilient logistics strategy that keeps the ghosts of inefficiency, isolation and obsolescence at bay.

Together, we can make sure that future Halloweens are more treat than trick.