Order volumes grew for 79% of third-party logistics (3PL) providers in 2021, but that growth was tempered by inventory availability and disruptions that cost the U.S. economy $228 billion, says a report from 3PL Central.
Disruptions, technology innovations, and consumer demands will persist in 2022. These are the four key trends impacting 3PLs in the coming year, the report says:
1. Supply chain disruptions will continue to plague the industry through much of 2022, creating more pressure for 3PLs to provide strategic insight into inventory and risk management and provide greater demand planning sophistication.
2. Omnichannel fulfillment will become even more prominent as companies seek to expand sales channels and leverage the same inventory to fulfill across all channels, pivoting to support where demand is highest.
3. 3PLs and 4PLs will need to collaborate with other warehouses to create integrated ecosystems that support the level of sophistication in today's supply chain.
4. Technology is transforming rapidly, with companies shifting to more highly adaptable cloud-based software that leverages fulfillment innovations and integrates with the broader logistics ecosystem.
