This 3-session course provides an introduction to several important factors companies should consider when selecting and working with third-party logistics providers (3PLs).
Session 1: Important Factors to Consider When Evaluating and Selecting a 3PL Partner
In this session, Adrian Gonzalez provides an overview of the most important factors companies should consider when evaluating and selecting a 3PL partner. Discussion topics include:
- The areas where 3PLs fall short of customer expectations
- The importance of alignment of cultures
- The role of IT and having a focus on innovation
- Investments in talent development and retention
- Ability to provide business intelligence and insights
Session 2: Assessing the IT Capabilities of 3PLs
Building upon the IT discussion in the first session, Adrian dives deeper into some key metrics and assessment questions companies should consider when assessing the IT capabilities of their 3PL partners. These key metrics include:
- Annual dollar investment in IT
- Well-defined and documented IT strategy, roadmap, and goals
- Secure and redundant IT infrastructure
- Easy-to-use applications / ease of integration with your systems
- Robust data quality management systems and processes
Session 3: Getting to We – Creating Long-Lasting, Successful Business Relationships
In this session, Kate Vitasek and Jeanette Nyden discuss the key points from their book, Getting to We, which “flips conventional negotiation on its head and shifts the perspective to where it belongs: viewing the relationship as the substance of the deal, not merely a ‘once and done’ transaction.” Kate and Jeanette discuss the following questions:
- What is the main difference between negotiating a deal and the foundation of a relationship?
- Why are trust, transparency, and compatibility so important to highly collaborative relationships?
- How is Getting to We different from Vested? Or is it the same thing?
- When should the Getting to We process be used? How do you get started?