There was a time when selecting a logistics provider only required checking whether "costs are reasonable" and "deadlines are met." However, as the e-commerce environment has grown more complex and customer expectations have risen, the relationship between brands and logistics partners has evolved. Recently, when brands search for 3PL and fulfillment providers, they're looking beyond speed, scale, and cost to evaluate "how well they manage shipments without issues."
Business expansion now requires logistics flexibility and structured collaboration frameworks as key selection criteria. While unit costs and processing speed were once the primary focus, brands now choose partners based on transparent collaborative structures, the ability to provide evidence when operational issues arise, and communication speed.
The reason is clear: customer brand experience can be undermined during the logistics process. Issues like missing items, wrong shipments, and poor response handling cause far greater trust damage than a delivery arriving one day late.
In fact, brands are increasingly requesting visual documentation from logistics partners regarding shipment records, packaging conditions, and quality inspections. Rather than simply "outsourcing" logistics, they're operating under the premise of "shared responsibility partnerships."
The elevated criteria for logistics partner selection stem from operations becoming significantly more complex and harder to control. First, multi-SKU, small-quantity orders have become the norm. This directly leads to increased error probability in picking and packaging processes. Customers become disappointed with the entire brand experience when even a single item is missing.
Add to this the universalization of global shipping. Even small domestic brands now routinely offer international shipping. However, varying regulations and shipping conditions by country create operational complexity and accident risks incomparable to simple domestic shipments.
Additionally, with customer service often outsourced to external CS companies, information gaps between logistics operations and customer service frequently occur, making accurate communication during issue resolution increasingly difficult. In such situations, clearer evidence and documentation become essential.
Within this intricate operational structure, brands have realized that the internal operations of logistics partners they don't directly control can directly impact customer experience. Therefore, even when outsourcing logistics, they verify whether partners have transparent internal processes that enable collaboration between CS, logistics, and operations teams, and whether they have the means to provide evidence regarding shipment quality and incident occurrence.
What was once delegated to logistics providers has now transformed into a managed domain.
Logistics has made significant advances through digital transformation over time. Inventory management through WMS (Warehouse Management Systems) and various system integrations have become standard, while large logistics centers have introduced automation equipment to improve processing speed and accuracy. However, what brands are now demanding from logistics partners is an evolved form of visualization: visible logistics.
Reducing incidents is important, but it's become more crucial to quickly and clearly identify the cause when problems occur. If half a day or a full day is consumed in communication processes after an issue arises, the problem escalates, customers become angry, and ultimately the brand bears the responsibility.
Simply having data exist somewhere is insufficient. Managers need to verify information independently when needed, with real-time accessibility for immediate use in customer service or internal collaboration.
The criteria brands consider when selecting 3PL or fulfillment services are now clear. Rather than simply "facilities that process volumes well," partners must have structures enabling rapid, accurate, and responsible communication within complex commerce ecosystems. Particularly considering customer service, claims processing, and internal communication, partners must have structures that can show processes, share information, and move together.
Comprehensive Inventory Management = Shipment Quality📦
A logistics provider's inventory management level directly translates to shipment quality reliability. If receiving inspections are inadequate or inventory locations aren't systematically managed, accurate shipments become difficult to expect. Particularly important is how quickly and accurately inventory discrepancies—which can occur at any facility—can be resolved.
Regular cycle counting practices, discrepancy response processes, and numerical management of inventory accuracy are criteria brands must verify. More important than saying "we have WMS" is knowing whether all logistics processes—shipping, receiving, returns, inspections—are recorded and traceable.
Certain problems simply cannot be explained through text data alone. Therefore, modern logistics providers are implementing structures that can prove shipment conditions through video when issues occur or review inspection processes retrospectively. Given the complex nature of e-commerce logistics involving customers, CS departments, logistics teams, and external partners across multiple stages, the importance of visible operations based on Advanced Video Documentation Systems continues to grow.
The relationship between brands and logistics providers is no longer simply about orders and processing. Moments requiring collaboration—claims processing, quality standard implementation, real-time feedback—occur continuously. Therefore, structures for sharing materials, mutually verifying shipment records, and systems enabling rapid discussion based on shared data when problems arise have become critical. In other words, verifying collaborative structural capability is essential.
In today's complex e-commerce environment, perfecting customer experience can no longer be managed solely within brand operations. Now, brands must examine logistics partners' operational methods, quality standards, and collaborative structures together to deliver the promised experience throughout the entire journey. The only way to reduce communication risks when issues like shortages or damage occur is to transform previously invisible logistics processes into "mutually visible structures."
