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Enterprise 3PLs

Airhouse vs. Enterprise 3PLs

Traditional warehouse networks assume you have a big operations team to manage the minutiae. Airhouse is here to take that work off your plate.

Top reasons to go with Airhouse vs. Enterprise 3PLs

Enterprise 3PLs are masters in efficiency, but direct-to-consumer brands that use Airhouse get the hands-on treatment that empower them to keep growing.

We act as an extension of your logistics team.

We understand that you’re not just outsourcing pick-and-pack and storage—you’re trying to take the heavy lifting of fulfillment off your plate. At Airhouse, we assign every customer a dedicated Account Manager who will proactively monitor operations, provide consultative support, and act as your warehouse ambassador.

Our managed warehouse network keeps us flexible.

Most warehouses represent two extremes. They're too rigid, with no tolerance for customization. Or they're too generic, reinventing the wheel every time they try to meet the unique needs of modern brands. Airhouse uses a network of pre-vetted, rigorously tested warehouses to meet a wide array of customer needs without forfeiting speed and efficiency.

Modular services let you build a solution that suits your needs.

Our warehouse network is flexible enough to support any growth strategy. Whether DTC or B2B, domestic or international, you can mix and match our services, warehouses, and support to meet your customers’ demands. 

Our proprietary technology puts you in control.

Your 3PL’s platform is mission control for all things fulfillment—so shouldn’t it be easy to use? Our software, built by Silicon Valley engineers, is central to the Airhouse model because we believe you should be able to control your operations without playing telephone.

Why choose Airhouse vs. Enterprise 3PLs for your fulfillment?

Technology

Enterprise 3PLs are efficient because they’re hyper-focused on managing infrastructure; but as a result, their technology lacks customer-facing features like reporting, custom logic, and an open API. When you work with these 3PLs, it falls on you to build a tech stack that can analyze the warehouse data and to hire an engineer who can custom code fulfillment logic in the WMS. 

At Airhouse, we’ve built a powerful, intuitive platform that gives you total control over your logistics, from setting custom order logic to pausing individual orders. Through our unique warehouse network, we’re able to deliver excellent service without compromising on tech.

The benefits of choosing Airhouse vs. an enterprise 3PL for powerful technology:

Automated reports and real-time dashboards
Easy inventory, order, and returns management
Warehouse-provided and managed EDI
Automatic, no-setup multi-warehouse order routing
Carrier-calculated checkout rates
SKU-based custom logic

Customer support

Enterprise 3PLs work exclusively with large brands fulfilling tens of thousands of orders each week, so they assume you have a big in-house operations team. The warehouses just follow instructions to get orders out the door, and your account manager will be there to oversee your contract—not to monitor the day-to-day.

At Airhouse, your account manager is an extension of your team. We proactively monitor your operations, consult with you on key decisions, and troubleshoot issues as or before they arise. Through our managed network, you get all the manpower and efficiency of an enterprise 3PL with the hands-on support a lean team needs.

The benefits of choosing Airhouse vs. an Enterprise 3PL for hands-on customer support:

Dedicated Account Manager
Rigorous warehouse pre-vetting
Inventory protection
Mispick protection
On-site quality control
Transparent, a la carte billing

Cost

To optimize your expenses, you need to understand price fluctuations from order to order and month to month. Enterprise 3PLs’ invoices obscure billing trends because order fees and shipping fees are delivered in separate spreadsheets, and the same order is labeled differently on each.

Massive businesses with big internal teams can spend time reconciling this data; but for scaling brands, that kind of work takes finite resources away from other priorities. Airhouse delivers monthly invoices through the its platform with per-order line item details and search functionality. That kind of visibility provides the insights growing brands need to grow margins.

Here are the benefits of itemized invoices from Airhouse vs. an enterprise 3PL:

In-platform invoices mapped to individual orders
A la carte packaging and shipping costs
Warehouse-provided and managed EDI 
Carrier rate shopping
No onboarding fees
Risk-free trial period

Warehouse operations

Actively scaling brands often rely on their fulfillment centers to perform projects like kitting or barcoding bundled SKUs. But due to the sheer volume of inventory enterprise-level 3PLs move on a daily basis, these value-added services are rarely supported—or they may come with their own project minimums. And oftentimes, individual warehouses require their own contract negotiations, even if they all operate under the same parent company. 

We started Airhouse to take the complexity out of fulfillment. Through our platform, you can submit project instructions to your fulfillment center, monitor real-time operations across as many warehouses as you use, and seamlessly toggle between DTC and B2B orders. Expanding into additional warehouses is as simple as reaching out to your account manager.

These are the warehouse capabilities you get when you choose Airhouse vs. an enterprise 3PL:

In-platform project requests (kitting, barcoding)
Hands-off DTC and B2B order preparation
Climate-controlled storage
No product or order weight limit
Custom packaging
Expiration and lot tracking

Need more info? We’ve got you covered.

Ready to try something different?

Talk to one of our fulfillment experts to learn how Airhouse can help your business.