• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Successful Technology Integration with 3PL Providers

Successful Technology Integration with 3PL Providers

June 27, 2013
SupplyChainBrain

There are some third-party engagements where integration is not necessary - contracts limited to warehouse labor management would be one example. But in the vast majority of cases, data and system integration is critical to success, says Knott.

"Integration is vital when doing some of these more involved projects," he says. "There are standard EDI or XML formats used in the industry to exchange information back and forth and these require integration." Unfortunately, this is usually not as simple as it sounds. "Oftentimes, even within those formats the data is not used as it should be," Knott says. "To make integration work, you have to dig down into the details and do the appropriate mapping between the two companies."

The issue of integration should first be addressed during the RFP process, he says. A lot can be learned about what will be required during these initial stages, but the real work begins after the contract is signed. "At Ryder, we have a very specific process where people from operations, engineering, IT and finance all sit down together with their counterparts in the customer's company to go through the requirements necessary to do the technical integration," he says.

"You have to sit down IT person to IT person, engineer to engineer, operator to operator, to really understand the process that is going to be put in place and the data that needs to be exchanged," says Knott. Like any IT project, data integration needs good project management, good requirements gathering, appropriate testing and flawless implementation to make it all work correctly, he says. "In the end it boils down to just another IT project, but it is absolutely crucial to have the correct associations between provider and client."

It also is important for outsourcing companies to remember that, even when this work is complete, they must stay involved. "We have seen clients who think that outsourcing means the contracted business is no longer their responsibility," he says. "That is really not the way it works." Clients need to manage their 3PL with effective collaboration and communication, he says. "There are always changes that have to be managed and communicated. Doing this well is what will leads to a successful project."

To view video in its entirety, click here


Keywords: supply chain, it supply chain, supply chain management, it supply chain management, supply chain management it, supply chain management scm, 3pl, global logistics, transportation management, third party logistics, logistics management, warehouse management, logistics & supply chain, logistics services, supply chain systems, warehouse management systems, transportation management systems, supply chain services, wms warehouse management

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Logistics Outsourcing Cloud & On-Demand Systems Inventory Planning/ Optimization Transportation Management Supply Chain Visibility Business Strategy Alignment Global Supply Chain Management Quality & Metrics Warehouse Management Systems High-Tech/Electronics
KEYWORDS 3PL Business Strategy Alignment Cloud, SaaS & On-Demand Systems EDI Communication (XML/EDI) Global Logistics Global Supply Chain Management Gregory Knott High-Tech/Electronics Inventory Planning/ Optimization IT supply chain IT supply chain management logistics & supply chain logistics management Logistics Outsourcing logistics services Quality & Metrics Ryder supply chain Supply Chain Management supply chain management IT supply chain management SCM supply chain management: Aberdeen supply chain services supply chain systems Supply Chain Visibility Third Party Logistics Transportation Management transportation management systems Warehouse Management Warehouse Management Systems wms warehouse management
  • Related Articles

    Successful Technology Integration With 3PL Providers

    Steps to Successful Supply Chain Data Integration

    Steps to Successful Supply Chain Data Integration

  • Related Directories

    Kuebix

    SnapFulfil

SupplyChainBrain

Zoom Cuts Workforce by 15% as Pandemic-Driven Demand Wanes

More from this author

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • A COMPLEX SERIES OF ROADWAYS AND RAMPS, SEEN FROM HIGH ABOVE, IS PARTLY SHROUDED BY CLOUD

    Supply Chain Visibility Isn’t Just a Catchphrase; It’s an Imperative

    Logistics
  • A TRUCK LEAVES A PORT DOCK LOADED WITH A CONTAINER

    C.H. Robinson Digs in Against Activist Investor Ancora

    Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
  • A MESSY JUMBLE OF BOXES SIT ON THE FLOOR OF A WAREHOUSE

    Supply Chain Lessons to Bring into 2023

    Forecasting & Demand Planning
  • A CONTAINER SHIP PLIES A SILVERY OCEAN

    CVC Nears Deal to Acquire Logistics Firm Scan Global

    Logistics
  • MANY COGS INTERACT TOGETHER, ONE PAINTED WITH THE FLAG OF MEXICOStock-natatravel-1261506189.jpg

    Mexico’s Industrial Hubs Grow as Part of Shift Toward Nearshoring

    Logistics

Digital Edition

Scb q1 2023 cover

2023 Supply Chain Management Resource Guide: Packing for a Difficult Year

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • New Revenue for Cloud-Based TMS that Embeds Orderful’s Modern EDI Platform

  • Convenience Store Client Maximizes Profit and Improves Customer Service

  • A Digitally Native Footwear Brand Finds Rapid Fulfillment

  • Expanding Apparel Brand Scales Seamlessly with E-Commerce Technology

  • How a Global LSP Scaled its Security Program and Won More Business

Visit Our Sponsors

Orderful Yang Ming Alithya
Barcoding Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics
CoEnterprise Data Capture Deposco
E2open GAINSystems Generix
Geodis GEP GreyOrange
Here Honeywell Intelligrated IFM
Infor Inmar Keelvar
Kinaxis Korber Lean Solutions Group 2H
Liberty SBF Locus Robotics Logility
LogistiVIEW Lucas Systems MCA Connect
MPO Nvidia Old Dominion
OpenText ORTEC Overhaul
Parsyl PMMI QIMA
Redwood Logistics Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash Saddle Creek Logistics
Schneider Dedicated Setlog Holding AG Ship4WD
Shipwell Tecsys TGW Systems
Thomson Reuters Tive Trailer Bridge
Vecna Robotics Verity
Verusen
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2023 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing