9/28/18. Irontrax LLC was recently engaged to appraise a 250,000 square foot warehouse with newly installed state-of-the-art inventory management systems and equipment. The facility included 45 loading docks, extensive robotics, order-picking and fulfillment systems, integrated conveyor/sortation systems, real-time barcode scanning & monitoring, multiple mezzanines, and sophisticated warehouse management software.
Over the past decade, there has been an extraordinary amount of change in the logistics industry. From new requirements to new competitors, new technologies, and more, the entire industry is now dramatically different than it was just five years ago. But of all the factors that have sparked this upheaval, none has been more revolutionizing than the rising demand for a superior customer experience. In fact, the still-escalating rise of eCommerce has completely transformed the entire Third Party Logistics (3PL) warehousing economic model. Once dependent largely on a series of Business to Business (B2B) clients, many third-party logistics warehouses now make the bulk of their revenue from Business to Client (B2C) operators – most of whom are involved with some form of eCommerce. And these new Business to Client operators are under relentless pressure from their own customers.
Most industry experts believe that today’s smartest warehouses will view these increased levels of customer expectations as a significant opportunity to differentiate themselves from their competition. 3PLs who can satisfy today’s customers will be poised to increase both their market share and profitability. The overwhelming pressure on a 3PL’s B2C and eCommerce clients to provide spectacular levels of customer support at every single touchpoint will provide one of the best opportunities 3PLs will have to set themselves apart from their competition. There is no doubt this will be as big a challenge as it is an opportunity. For all of the players in the logistics industry facing the impact of rising consumer expectations, no one will be under more pressure than the individual 3PL warehouse.
Don’t send an inexperienced appraiser into your warehouse; they might get lost! Contact an Irontrax representative today to learn more about having your warehouse logistics equipment appraised.
