When OneTwo3D started in 2021 our “logistics” was consisting out packaging envelopes and parcels on my living room table.
The “Project”
Over the following months (and thanks to lots of time during the several Covid lock-downs) I managed to board my loft (btw if you ever want to try it yourself, this boarding system is great to work with) and moved the “warehouse” and “logistics” up there.
That freed up my living room (great for the family lol), gave me lots more space but was still not ideal as goods needed to be continuously be moved up and down several flights of stairs (and a ladder) to get in out of the loft. Packaging was also taking more time each morning and evening.
Especially large printer kits were an issue, as they physically didn’t fit in my loft (the hatch was just too small).
The “Solution”
So I started looking for external warehousing opportunities and early 2024 I found a third-party logistics warehouse (3PL) not too far away from Cambridge, which started shipping printer kits and printer panels for me.
After testing this for a few months and being overall happy with their performance, I started in September 2024 moving the remaining stock to the 3PL warehouse.
This meant for a certain period having to split orders in two (for goods dispatched from Cambridge and others from the 3PL warehouse).
Early December 2024 I finished “the move” and now 99% of OneTwo3D’s shipments are being dispatched from the 3PL warehouse (a few articles which need a lot of manual input before dispatching, i.e. measuring stuff to order…) are still being shipped from Cambridge.
The “Goods”, the “Bads”
The advantages of the change:
- more time, no more getting up at 6am to pack parcels
- no more store closures for time I’m away from Cambridge
- I got my loft back to finally moved all my tools, 3D printers and other stuff up there
- Future proving the business for more growth
- Much lower “error” rate due to shipping out wrong items or missing to pack items
The disadvantages:
- Cost: 3PL isn’t cheap, you pay for storage, handling, packing, etc. (but on the other side, what is the value of the regained spare time…)
- Loss of flexibility: when packing and shipping yourself, you feel more in control of the process. Last minute order changes are easy to do, local pickups are possible. Now everything is remote and control only possible indirectly via the (very supportive) 3PL team
Conclusion
I’m happy with the switch to outsourced logistics as it gives me loads more time to deal with growing the business and have a life “outside” of OneTwo3D again.