The best way to define 3PLs is companies that offer logistics services to clients for outsourced or third-party logistics services for some or all of their supply chain management needs. Third-party logistics is a service that accepts stock shipments, tracks warehouse inventory, selects and packs orders to send to your consumers, and keeps and manages warehouse inventory. Most 3PL warehouses dispatch orders for several eCommerce businesses and service various clients.

Fulfillment firms, fulfillment warehouses, and fulfillment centers are other names for 3PLs. The services offered by 3PL providers are the same as those of order fulfillment providers. A 3PL provider is an expert business that gives consumers a variety of distribution, storage, transport, and fulfillment services. These clients contract these tasks to 3PL companies and depend on them to provide end-to-end administration of certain services.

For this discussion, you will watch/listen to the Logistics IndustryLinks to an external site. video that features Rex Oliver, the Director of Operations for Atlantic Logistics, a 3PL company. Within the presentation, Mr. Oliver discusses the functions of the 3PL company and what services they offer to customers. Include in your post what a 3PL company is and the advantages and disadvantages of using this concept of moving goods throughout the flow of the supply chain.