How many times have you received a quote for a service and you believed that it was too high? You diligently did your homework and gathered some quotes from other providers to ensure that the service quoted is competitive and a reflection of what the current marketplace will offer. Once you compare the quotes-the question often becomes: Which competitor is going to provide me with top of the line service and at a fair price? 3PL providers and prospects do not operate any differently-in fact, as a salesperson, I get to listen to the prospect ask all the time-well your quote, at times , is higher or lower than the rest. I always respond by walking the client through the service quoted and the value that our 3PL will provide for the rate that has been quoted. It is my job to convince the prospect that the rate quoted is a reflection of our service levels and our ability to get the job done right the first time.

We've all been there, you've moved to a new city and your not sure where the safe places are, what area has the best schools, where the best shopping is, etc.. When it comes to looking for warehouses in Toronto, I'm sure you have similar questions. The first thing that you need to understand is what your options are when it comes to storing the product that you need to service the largest market in Canada.

You've been thinking about moving your existing company to a third party logistics company but you can't decide if you should make the move or not. Rather than spend your valuable time and energy focusing on the back side of the warehouse, you're thinking that you'd much rather dedicate your limited resources to the sales and marketing that you enjoy and that brings in a much better return for the time you invest into it. So now comes the question... what's the right time to make the move from your warehouse to your new 3PL and when should you do it?!?

Update - The Port of Montreal, shut down since Monday July 19th, 2010 by an employer lockout of longshoremen, reopened for work at 8 a.m. Saturday the 24th following a compromise agreement reached Thursday evening.

As the economy gradually recovers, the impact on shippers is predictable, and some different strategies offered in a partnership with a third party logistics providers are worth considering. The first reaction will be price increases, directly through lane rates, or by using tools such as fuel surcharges. In the first case, as a customer, you will need to sign off on any rate adjustments, but depending on the lane, you may not really have any better options. Even worse, if you have an irregular shipping pattern, and rely on spot quotes, you may be in for a real shock. As for the fuel surcharge, can we honestly claim to keep abreast of all our carriers, some of whom even change their rates weekly, or even more often?

When selecting an Internet Order Fulfillment Partner, potential clients should consider eight critical factors before a final decision is made. Volume, location, TAT (turn-around time), communication methods, rates, order entry method, percentage of error, history and credibility. Evaluating these factors when selecting an Internet Order Fulfillment provider will increase your chances of operating a streamlined and successful internet order fulfillment business model.