The Space Between Visible and Invisible – the ALS 3PL Solution

If you’re not familiar with 3PL (Third Party Logistics), a quick search on Google will educate you with this definition:

3PL is a company’s use of third-party businesses to outsource elements of the company’s distribution and fulfillment services.

Some people might say that covers it, but at ALS, we know 3PL is so much more.  That textbook definition doesn’t even begin to cover the ways that 3PL can help an organization, literally changing the way their supply chain functions and the ways that they can supply their customers.  We think of 3PL as a very complicated function that can be covered in simple terms:

A 3PL Solution makes a complex supply chain invisible, while making the important areas visible.

What does that mean?  It means that even for the most sophisticated supply chain with multiple touch points, a 3PL keeps things running smoothly so that the customer doesn’t need to dig into details – instead focusing on their core business.  At the same time, a 3PL has the job of remaining reliable and resilient.  Simply stated, sometimes issues happen.  The right partner will help you respond to things you didn’t expect, immediately bringing to your attention any issues you need to be aware of – making the invisible visible when you need it to be.

At ALS, our 3PL solution pulls together proven processes for supplier compliance and state of the art technology for optimal visibility into real time activity, overseen by our experienced team.  Since implementing our 3PL approach, our customers are finding their supply chain manageable and efficient again.

The ALS 3PL solution offers incredible benefits to our customers.  The main advantage to using our offering is that it’s more cost effective than managing your entire supply chain in-house.  Our customers save resources, which they can apply to other areas of their business.  Not only that, our customers focus on growing their business – not managing the day-to-day nuances of their supply chain.

If you’re planning to choose a 3PL provider, consider what makes a great partner.  We believe that the features present in the best partners are exactly what makes ALS different.  We like to say that we are small enough to care and large enough to compete.  We take our promises to our customers seriously.  Our success – and that of our customers – is dependent upon our unique blend of people, process, and technology.  We hire the smartest people, to leverage time-tested processes, using best-in-class technology.  It’s important to keep in mind that not all 3PL providers are the same.  Many of the big 3PL players focus only on large customers with significant amounts of transportation spend.  At ALS, we focus on small to mid-range customers because we believe that you have don’t have to have a large transportation spend to benefit from a 3PL.

If you’re worried about the future of your supply chain or unsure of what’s coming in the market, let us be the foundation to your logistics solution.  We’ll be there to make sure you have the right tools and the right professionals working for you.