Is Your eCommerce Brand Ready for a 3PL Partner?

Is Your eCommerce Brand Ready for a 3PL Partner?

Running a growing eCommerce brand is exciting—but keeping up with inventory, fulfillment, and customer expectations can quickly become overwhelming.

At L&M Distribution and Warehousing, we know that transitioning to a third-party logistics (3PL) partner is a big step. That’s why we’ve created a Free 3PL Readiness Checklist designed specifically for eCommerce brands like yours.

Whether you’re outgrowing your garage or scaling past your current fulfillment setup, our checklist helps you assess your current inventory and order volume, shipping pain points and delays, operational gaps affecting customer experience, and what to prepare before onboarding a 3PL partner.

1. Order Volume & Growth

  • You’re consistently shipping 100+ orders per month
  • Order volume is growing and becoming hard to manage in-house
  • You’re preparing for a seasonal spike or product launch

2. Inventory Management

  • You’re running out of space to store inventory
  • You lack a formal system for tracking inventory levels in real time
  • Stockouts or overstocking are affecting customer experience

3. Fulfillment Challenges

  • Fulfilling orders is taking time away from marketing or product development
  • You experience frequent shipping delays or errors
  • You’re struggling to meet customer expectations for fast, accurate shipping

4. Geographic Reach

  • Your customers are located nationwide or globally
  • Shipping from a single location is increasing your costs and delivery times

5. Technology & Integration

  • Your eCommerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, etc.) can integrate with 3PL systems
  • You use tools or software to manage sales, inventory, and shipping (even if not fully optimized)

6. Cost Considerations

  • In-house fulfillment is becoming too costly or inefficient
  • You’ve priced out 3PL services and understand the cost trade-offs

7. Business Goals

  • You’re ready to scale and need operational support
  • You want to improve customer experience through better logistics
  • You’re looking to reduce time spent on packing, shipping, and warehouse management

📊 Score Yourself

  • 0–3 checked: You may not be ready yet, but start preparing now.
  • 4–6 checked: You’re on the edge—exploring 3PL options could be smart.
  • 7+ checked: You’re ready for a 3PL partner—time to start evaluating providers.

Need help interpreting your results or ready to explore how L&M can support your next stage? We’re just a click away – connect with us now.