How 3PL’s Can Stay Young to Increase Value & Capture Market

How 3PL’s Can Stay Young to Increase Value & Capture Market | LoadProof

It’s true that necessity is the mother of invention. Creativity, though, is the father, and knowledge is the midwife.

As people, we are wired for survival. When we are in tough times, our creativity and persistent shine through. By staying focused and thinking creatively, we can come up with solutions and take advantage of each opportunity as it arises. I know that from experience. When I graduated from college as a mechanical engineer, I was hired to do software development because I had math and public speaking skills. I wanted to succeed and thrive in that job, and I kept pushing even though software development wasn’t my forte when I started. Later, I wanted new challenges, so I leverage my grit, persistence and necessity to reinvent myself as a solutions architect and a leader of consulting, technical, operations and integrator teams.

The challenging world of third party logistics (3PL) is ripe for a similar approach. Margins are thin. It’s hard to make money. Inventiveness becomes a critical skill.

When I worked for a supply chain software vendor, we courted luxury retailers and left 3PL service providers alone, knowing that these logistics providers would fight tooth and nail about our rates. I can think of examples when a 3PL would pass us over, though we were known for great execution, to take the lowest priced vendor. Often, that attempt would fail and they would end up back on our doorstep.

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