Take a Pic: Tactacam Selects Barrett to Power Omnichannel Fulfillment

Every 3PL can build an impressive presentation. You can review technology, locations, capabilities, services, and carefully selected photographs of the operation, all without ever stepping inside the building. Those details matter, of course, but they only tell part of the story. What happens when you leave the presentation behind and actually walk through the warehouse? Almost immediately, fulfillment becomes more tangible. Instead of hearing how an operation works, you can watch it unfold around you. Inventory is being received, orders are moving through the building, teams are communicating, and the people who could eventually be responsible for your products are doing the work right in front of you. For a prospective customer, that experience can reveal far more than another slide ever could. That philosophy is one of the reasons Barrett Distribution Centers hosts open houses. Mary Glenn, Director of Business Development at Barrett, recently reflected on Barrett's Memphis open house and explained that the intention was never to bring prospective customers into a building just to deliver another sales presentation. “This wasn’t going to be a sales pitch. This wasn’t going to be, you know, come and get PowerPointed to death.”

The contract is signed. Your inventory is moving. Systems are being connected. After months of comparing providers and talking through every detail, your new 3PL relationship is finally becoming real. The first 30 days should not be about handing over the keys and hoping everything works. They should be about turning everything discussed during the sales process into something your customers can actually rely on. Scott Wilkins , Vice President of Customer Solutions at Barrett Distribution Centers, has described implementation as an important moment in establishing that relationship. “The implementation itself really sets the stage for that relationship. The more information that you have up front, the better off that relationship is going to get off on the right foot.” So, what should those first few weeks actually look like? Week One: Get Everyone on the Same Page The beginning should involve a lot of communication. Your 3PL needs to understand more than how many orders you ship. This is the time to confirm inventory details, sales channels, packaging requirements, retailer expectations, technology needs, transportation requirements, upcoming promotions, and the small details that make your business different. You should also know the people involved. Who is your main contact? Who is responsible for operations? Who handles systems questions? Who gets involved when something unexpected happens? Scott describes the work behind building a customer solution as a team effort, saying, “It takes a small army to develop and submit a potential proposal.” That collaboration becomes even more important once the proposal turns into a real operation. Weeks Two and Three: Turn the Plan Into an Operation This is where a lot of the behind the scenes work happens.