3PL Search & Setup

How to Choose the Perfect 3PL

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Case Studies

Read our Case Study on how we reduced Athletic Green’s fulfillment costs by 37%.
Read our Case Study on how we right-sized Forma’s 3PL partners across four markets.
Read our Case Study on how we saved Chomps 16% off of their order fulfillment costs.

Timeline

Why Bluprint?

• Founder-Led, Personalized Attention:  You’ll work directly with Mike, a seasoned operations expert and the founder of Bluprint.  We’ll never hand you off to a junior associate.

• Premium Price, Premium Results:  We may not be the cheapest consultant available, but with a decision as important as choosing your 3PL partner, you can’t afford to get it wrong.

• Certified Network of 3PLs:  Our certification process utilizes over 150 questions, interviews, facility tours and technology demos to ensure we only work with world-class 3PLs.

• Proven Track Record:  We have a 100% success rate partnering over 50 brands with our certified 3PLs.  A brand has never left one of our 3PLs for a performance or scaling issue.

• Battle-Tested Project Plan: Our 15-stage 3PL Search & Setup project plan contains nearly 200 separate action items to ensure that nothing is missed during execution.

• Full-Service Approach: We manage and stay with you throughout the entire process, from data gathering to crucial post-launch monitoring, to ensure a strong partnership from day one.

• Strategic Framework: Our proprietary 360-degree approach guarantees we’ll partner you with the right 3PL provider for today and into the future.

Our Process

1. GATHER REQUIREMENTS

We'll learn about your product lines, inventory, order types, shipping requirements, customer locations and growth trajectory to assemble your company profile.

2. LIST OF POTENTIALS

Guided by this profile, we'll generate a list of Bluprint Certified 3PL partner candidates in locations best suited for your inventory storage and shipping needs. We only place brands in 3PLs that have passed our rigorous certification process. If you have another 3PL warehouse in mind, we can complete our certification process for a fee.

3. REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

Our team will send a detailed RFQ to each of the 3PLs we believe meet your requirements based on our initial research.  The RFQ will include company details, product information and order forecasts to allow for the most accurate quotations possible.

4. SITE VISITS

We will conduct in-person site visits and score each candidate on our proprietary 25-point 3PL Bluprint Evaluation which looks at everything from capacity to cleanliness to technology.  Due to our high standards, most 3PLs are eliminated at this stage.

5. NEGOTIATE & DECIDE

We will narrow the field down to your top three choices and will begin contract negotiations focused on the specific areas that will provide you with the most benefit.  With your input, we will decide on the best long-term 3PL partner.

6. SETUP & LAUNCH

To ensure a smooth transition, we will assist with technical systems integration and procedural documentation for product receiving, packing and returns inspection. We will also recommend the optimal inventory transition plan to ensure minimal interruption to your order fulfillment

7. QC & MONITOR

We provide detailed quality control checks for four weeks post-launch to ensure your inventory is handled properly and orders are being fulfilled according to your specifications. We also schedule a three-month check-in to review your new 3PL’s performance and address any issues that may have surfaced.

8. NEXT STEPS

If you would like us to be the primary point of contact for your 3PL moving forward, we can provide ongoing operations support via our Ops Partner Program, as well.