IDS Value-Added
Services

What should a third-party logistics (3PL) partner bring to the table? The basics, of course, include timeliness, accuracy, and scalability. But what happens when your needs and requirements change? When you contact your 3PL partner and describe what you need, if the response is, “Ah, well, we don’t do that,” then it’s time to find a new 3PL partner who can meet your needs. This is why savvy companies are choosing 3PL providers who offer a range of value-added services. IDS has developed top-notch capabilities to meet a variety of additional services you may need.
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE

How Value-Added Services Add Value

As more 3PL providers expand their VAS (value-added service) offerings, it’s worth understanding exactly how a VAS actually adds value. Think of it as various ways to enhance a product as it makes its way through your supply chain, thereby transforming the supply chain into a value chain. If there are opportunities to add value along the way, it can pay big dividends in customer satisfaction. When done well, value-added services could be the key to moving customers from being merely satisfied to being truly delighted. Meanwhile, value is also added by making your company stand out from the crowd and giving you a competitive edge in the market. A 3PL’s value-added services consist of dedicated professionals who know how to execute specialized projects that are all about customization. Read more about the value-added services offered by IDS below.

Kitting, Pre-Kitting, and Phantom Kitting with IDS

Kitting and “phantom” kitting (kitting that takes place during the pick process) are common practices for IDS. Regardless of the size or complexity of your kitting requirements, IDS has the equipment, technology, and expertise to efficiently and cost-effectively handle all your needs. Here’s what we can do for you:

  • IDS assembles and fulfills point-of-purchase displays, promotional items, and product packaging as a part of our full range of fulfillment services.
  • Our software and processes support making kits on demand as orders come in or can also be pre-made and stored in the warehouse for quick shipping.
  • IDS helps with complex kit builds, premium packages, and shrink-wrap services.
  • We have the experience and capability to meet your “in-chain” packaging and product configuration needs.
  • The IDS team can provide reliable and economical packaging re-configuration services or manage your branded or unbranded shippers and dunnage (bracing materials used during shipping).

Learn more about IDS Kitting and Packaging capabilities.

Custom Branded Packaging and Packing Slips with IDS

In today’s crowded business landscape, effective branding has never been more important to your company. Have you extended your branding into every nook and cranny possible? What about your supply chain, including shipping and distribution? This is why IDS offers support for custom-branded packaging and packing slips. We have multiple formats of packing slips available that can be selected on an order-by-order basis.

Returns Processing with IDS

Let’s face it, in the eCommerce digital world, customers expect to return a surprising percentage of their purchases, and they do! Instead of viewing this as a costly drain to your bottom line, we help you think of it as another way to impress your customers with easy, quick, efficient returns. Processing inbound returns (reverse logistics) for our customers is something IDS does daily. From intentional returns to undeliverable packages, IDS processes returns quickly to get inventory back in stock and allow you to give credit to the customer. QA checks are conducted on all returns, and disposition rules are designed around our customers’ needs. Learn more about IDS eCommerce Returns Management and Processing.

Labeling and Repacking Services with IDS

Products rarely come from your manufacturer in a customer-ready state. IDS is here to help bridge this gap with our labeling and repacking services. Adhering to defined standards, we can prepare your product for its final destination or configure it to the specification of big box retailers before sending it to their distribution centers.

QA Product Checks with IDS

IDS provides quality assurance checks on products from manufacturers or returns. Reworks or proper disposal of products not passing QA checks are also handled. Many of our customers use some form of a QA check and rework for many of their products. We give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing all the products in your inventory have passed muster and are ready for the next stage of their journey to customers, retailers, and distributors.

Embroidery with IDS

IDS now offers embroidery services for custom orders for apparel brands and other clothing retailers. You might think custom embroidery is a thing of the past, but you’d be wrong. A surprising number of individual and corporate consumers still demand it, extending the desired customizations well beyond monogramming.

Gift Messaging and Gift Wrapping with IDS

Many of our customers want to offer the deepest, most personalized experience possible for their customers, which means allowing them to personalize gifts and orders. Currently, IDS supports this by providing inserts, samples, personalized gift cards, personalized notes or thank you cards, and more. Additionally, IDS offers gift-wrapping services to meet holiday customer expectations, which is also provided as a customization year-round.

Cross Docking with IDS

Cross-docking is a brilliant strategy that keeps products moving along your supply chain while minimizing warehousing and storage costs. All it takes is the right technologies and careful attention to coordination and detail, all of which IDS has in spades. We unload products from an incoming vehicle that are immediately loaded onto a waiting outgoing vehicle, resulting in fewer resources devoted to warehouse storage. To see our innovative approach to shipping and transportation, including cross-docking and intermodal transportation, check out our Pharamavite case study.

Drop Shipping with IDS

If your company doesn’t want to deal with stocking inventory on-site for order fulfillment, IDS can handle it all for you! As your go-to drop shipper, you can focus on efforts on your business’s core competencies and market position. See how IDS drop-shipping and other innovative order fulfillment practices made a big difference for one company in our Jockey.com case study.

IDS: A Value-Added 3PL Partner for Your Success

Every company is unique in terms of which value-added services make good business sense. Those who do take advantage of our value-added services are always impressed with the return on their investment. It’s just one more element of what we call the IDS advantage. If it’s time for your company to start working with a 3PL partner who can consistently achieve superior results, look no further than IDS. We’re always happy to have a one-on-one discussion to see how we can best serve your business needs. Feel free to reach out to us through the Contact page of our website, call us directly at 866-232-6533, or fill in our request a free quote form. We look forward to meeting you!

Schedule a Free Consultation

Receive feedback and advice on your current processes

Send a message

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Office Address

9431 Allpoints Parkway
Plainfield, Indiana 46168

Phone Number

(866) 308-3006