The reason you started your own business was probably not because you wanted to spend your time on administrative and logistical tasks. When you use PostNord's Skicka Direkt, large parts of your freight management are automated so you can focus on developing your core business.
What is third-party logistics?
Third-party logistics, also known as 3PL, involves the use of a third party, in addition to the seller and the customer, to manage all or part of the logistics of the transaction. The aim of 3PL is to free up resources to streamline operations - a company that produces and sells shoes should be able to put its energy into that instead of time-consuming logistics. When you create a free business account in Portal Business, you get the opportunity to use Skicka Direkt's 3PL solution for free. The portal allows you to link your web shop with the shipping solutions in Skicka Direkt, so that shipping booking continues to be an automatic process.
How does the 3PL solution work in Portal Business?
With Portal Business, you decide how much of the freight management process you want to automate; the solution is tailored to your business needs, not the other way around. In practical terms, it works by creating a link between the payment solution in your webshop, and the shipping options in Skicka Direkt. When you place an order, the shipping information is sent directly to PostNord. That way, you don't have to enter the data manually or book shipping - it's automatic.
Who benefits from 3PL?
All businesses, large and small, can save time and resources by using Skicka Direkt's 3PL technical solution to deliver goods to their customers. Unlike when shipping is outsourced, the 3PL solution in Skicka Direkt is free to use, you only pay for the shipping itself.
Benefits of the 3PL solution in Portal Business
Using Skicka Direkt's 3PL solution is a cost-effective way to take control of all your company's deliveries. The solution reduces your logistical and administrative tasks around freight, without you having to pay anything to do them - our technical solution takes care of it. The Portal Business platform also gives you access to a range of tools that give you a clear overview of all deliveries, simplify the management of freight and facilitate the work of your customer service.
Vedum forestalls their customers
Previously the main problem for Vedum’s deliveries was failed delivery attempts; i.e. deliveries that were sent out but never found their recipient. Now Vedum uses automatic notifications in PostNord’s portal to ensure that the goods arrives. Now the customer never has to call and ask where the goods are located.
Disadvantages of 3PL
However, 3PL is not for everyone; some feel they lose control when someone else is suddenly in charge of the logistics. However, Skicka Direkt's 3PL solution is not 3PL in the classic sense - your business won't change in any way other than you won't have to manually order shipping every time a customer buys from you.
How to get the best experience
Getting started with the 3PL solution in Portal Business is not very difficult. Create a free account, then decide which solution is right for you.
If you want to enter the orders manually:
With Skicka Direkt, you can enter orders manually, or import a file with the information and order shipping of one or more packages.
If you want the shipping information to be sent to PostNord automatically:
With Portal Business you can create your own order link for your online shop. In your checkout, you can then offer different shipping options so that the delivery is tailored to the customer's preferences. When the purchase is completed, the shipping information is automatically sent to PostNord.
If you have a more advanced system or specific order linking needs, you can create your own integration to our booking API. You decide whether you want to handle the shipments in your own system or ours.
More reading on third-party logistics and other logistics solutions
Tip: you can read more about the different types of logistics solutions on the main page Logistics.